''Night of the Ghouls'' is a

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

written and directed by

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

. The film was shot between April and May 1958. Cast member

Paul Marco Paul Marco (June 10, 1927 – May 14, 2006) was an American actor who often appeared in movies made by Ed Wood, including the "Kelton Trilogy" of '' Bride of the Monster'', ''Night of the Ghouls'' and ''Plan 9 from Outer Space'', in which he play ...

recalled that the film had a preview screening in 1959 at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood, after which it disappeared from sight until 1984, when it was finally released on home video by enterpreneur Wade Williams. The film features some reoccurring cast members and characters from Wood's 1955 ''

Bride of the Monster ''Bride of the Monster'' is a 1955 American science fiction horror film, co-written, produced and directed by Edward D. Wood Jr., and starring Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson with a supporting cast featuring Tony McCoy and Loretta King. The film ...

'', including

Tor Johnson Karl Erik Tore Johansson (19 October 1902 or 1903; sources differ – 12 May 1971), better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor. As an actor, Johnson appeared in many B-movies, including some famous ...

reprising his role of Lobo and

again playing the character of Kelton the cop, while

the Amazing Criswell Jeron Criswell King (August 18, 1907 – October 4, 1982), known by his stage-name The Amazing Criswell , was an American psychic known for wildly inaccurate predictions. In person, he went by Charles Criswell King, and was sometimes cred ...

plays himself in the

frame story A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

of the film.Craig (2009), p. 178-199 Another returning character is Police Captain Robbins of Homicide, although the character was played by Harvey B. Dunn in ''Bride'', and by

Johnny Carpenter Johnny Carpenter (Jasper Carpenter; June 25, 1914 – February 27, 2003) was an American film actor, screenwriter and producer. He was known mostly for his work in Westerns and for his association with filmmaker Ed Wood. He used the stage nam ...

in ''Night''.

Plot

At the beginning, Criswell rises from a

coffin A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation. Sometimes referred to as a casket, any box in which the dead are buried is a coffin, and while a casket was originally regarded as a box for jewel ...

and narrates the events of the film. Then a montage starts showing juvenile delinquency, street fighting, and driving under the influence. The sequence ends with the bloody corpse of the drunk driver staring blankly at the camera. According to Criswell's narration, this is a rather typical end to "a drunken holiday weekend". The film then cuts to a teenaged couple kissing in a

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

. When the boy gets too aggressive, the girl slaps him and exits the car. The Black Ghost, an

undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...

creature that lurks in the woods near them, later kills the young couple. The murders receive press attention but are thought to be the work of a maniac. In a police station of

East Los Angeles, California East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010 United States Cen ...

, Inspector Robbins waits for Detective Bradford at his office. Bradford soon arrives, dressed in a formal evening wear. He was called to work while on his way to the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

, and he protests the idea of working an unexpected assignment. But Robbins informs him that the case involves the "old house on Willows lake", which played a part in an earlier case investigated by Bradford. The house was destroyed by lightning, but someone rebuilt it. A flashback scene establishes that the elderly Edwards couple had a terrifying encounter with the White Ghost by this house. Having heard the story, Bradford accepts the assignment to investigate the old house. Robbins assigns Kelton to escort the Detective. Kelton has previously dealt with the supernatural in the events depicted in ''

'' and ''

Plan 9 from Outer Space ''Plan 9 from Outer Space'' is a 1957 American independent science fiction-horror film produced, written, directed, and edited by Ed Wood. The film was shot in black-and-white in November 1956 and had a theatrical preview screening on March 15 ...

''. Bradford drives to the house and enters through an open door, to be confronted by Dr. Acula, who is dressed in a

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...

and cryptically mentions that there are many already in the house, both living and dead. Bradford convinces Acula that he is just another prospective client, so his entrance is accepted. One of "the many" in the house is a remnant of its past, Lobo. A character from ''Bride'', Lobo is depicted as disfigured from the flames which once destroyed this house. Outside the house, Kelton arrives late and has brief encounters with both the Black and the White Ghost. Meanwhile, at a

séance A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spe ...

, Acula and his clients share the table with human skeletons. Dr. Acula turns out to be a fake

psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...

by the name of "Karl", as Bradford suspected earlier, and reveals that the White Ghost is an actress named Sheila. Her role is to scare away intruders.Hogan (1997), p. 233Ruffles (2004), p. 211 She is concerned by the presence of the Black Ghost which is not part of their hoax, though the cynical Acula dismisses her fears. He doesn't believe in the supernatural. Both Bradford and Kelton have strange and sometimes violent confrontations within the house, and are eventually joined by reinforcements. As their accomplices fall to the police, Karl and Sheila attempt to escape through a mortuary room. There they are confronted by a group of undead men. Among them is Criswell, who is the only one than can speak, explaining to Karl that the supposedly "fake" psychic does have genuine powers and his necromantic efforts actually work. These dead men were restored to life, if only for a few hours, but they intend to take Karl with them in their return to the grave. As Karl dies, Sheila escapes the house to meet her own fate. The Black Ghost, genuinely undead, takes control of the impostor and tells her that it is time to join "the others" at the grave. As the police try to understand what happened to the deceased Karl, we see an undead Sheila, now truly a White Ghost. In a brief epilogue, the narrator returns to his coffin. Claiming that it is time for both the old dead and the new to return to their graves, he reminds the viewer that they too can soon join them in death.

Cast

Kenne Duncan Kenne Duncan (February 17, 1903 – February 5, 1972) was a Canadian-born American B-movie character actor. Hyped professionally as "The Meanest Man in the Movies," the vast majority of his over 250 appearances on camera were Westerns, but ...

as Dr. Karl Acula *

Duke Moore Duke Moore, (July 15, 1913 as James Moore – November 16, 1976), was an American actor who has the distinction of spending his entire on-screen career in productions by Ed Wood. Between 1953 and 1970, Moore appeared in the following for Wood: ...

as Lt. Dan Bradford (as 'Duke' Moore) *

as Lobo (reprising role from ''

'') * Valda Hansen as Sheila, the White Ghost *

as Capt. Robbins (as John Carpenter) (the character played by Harvey B. Dunn in ''Bride'') *

as Patrolman Kelton (reprising his role from both ''Bride'' and ''

'') * Don Nagel as Sgt. Crandall *

Bud Osborne Leonard Miles "Bud" Osborne (July 20, 1884 – February 2, 1964) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films and television programs between 1912 and 1963. Biography Osborne was born Miles Osborne in Knox County, Texas, ...

as Mr. Darmoor * Jeannie Stevens as The Black Ghost/Mannequin * Harvey B. Dunn as Henry Edwards (Dunn played Captain Robbins in ''Bride'') * Margaret Mason (Tom Mason's real-life wife) as Martha Edwards * Criswell as himself * Tom Mason as Undead man in coffin * Ed Wood and Conrad Brooks—as Men in Fight sequence (stock footage from Wood's unfinished ''Hellborn'')

Production and analysis

Rob Craig suggests that the film could be in part based on an earlier work, '' Sucker Money'' (1933), produced by

Willis Kent Willis Kent (June 8, 1878, Michigan – March 11, 1966, Los Angeles, California) was an independent American film producer, active from 1928 to 1958 under at least three different corporate names. Willis Kent Productions was active during the ...

. The two films have significant similarities in concept. In the earlier film, Swami Yomurda (

Mischa Auer Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky (Михаил Семёнович Унковский; 17 November 1905 – 5 March 1967) was a Russians, Russian-born American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in fi ...

) and his minions stage an elaborate scheme to extort money from gullible victims. Yomurda and his group use technological means to convince their victims that they are receiving

audiovisual Audiovisual (AV) is electronic media possessing both a sound and a visual component, such as slide-tape presentations, films, television programs, corporate conferencing, church services, and live theater productions. Audiovisual service prov ...

from the

otherworld The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...

. Craig himself, however, notes that ''Night'' cannot be conceived as a straightforward

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

, since Wood used the same template to tell a quite different story from the 1930s

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

. There are also notable similarities of this film with one of its contemporaries, ''

The Unearthly ''The Unearthly'' is a 1957 independently made American black-and-white science fiction horror film, produced and directed by Boris Petroff (as Brook L. Peters). It stars John Carradine, Myron Healey, Allison Hayes, Marilyn Buferd, Arthur Bat ...

'' (1957) by Boris Petroff. In both films the characters gather at an isolated location far from the city, a charismatic deceiver exploits other humans for his own purposes, promising them extraordinary services, undercover agents of the law manage to expose the conspiracies, and the villains meet their fates at the hands of someone they previously exploited.Craig (2013), p. 135-137

also plays a character called "Lobo" in both films, and both of the Lobo characters are monstrous manservants working for the main villains.Craig (2013), p. 135-137 Both films were shot around the same time, though it is unclear if one was intentionally modeled after the other.Craig (2013), p. 135-137 The notion of a genuine ghost and a fake one that are active on the same area is not unique to this film. ''

The Ghost Breakers ''The Ghost Breakers'' is a 1940 American mystery/horror comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. It was adapted by screenwriter Walter DeLeon as the third film version of the 1909 play '' The Ghost Bre ...

'' (1940) has a real ghost appear in the end, ''

Spook Chasers ''Spook Chasers'' is a 1957 horror/comedy film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys and Robert Shayne. The film was released on June 2, 1957 by Allied Artists and is the forty-fifth film in the series. Plot Café owner Mike Clancy is told ...

'' (1957) has a real ghost among several fakes, and '' Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow'' (1959) has a real ghost residing in a "fake" haunted house.Ruffles (2004), p. 211 Craig considers the film to have elements common in

absurdist fiction Absurdist fiction is a genre of novels, plays, poems, films, or other media that focuses on the experiences of characters in situations where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless action ...

, and also to have much of the pessimism and nihilism of a typical

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

play. The opening montage of violence and the death of the drunk driver serve to underscore both the randomness and the lack of meaning of human life and death. The fates of Karl and Sheila are clearly meant to serve as a form of

poetic justice Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...

, and the finale can also be seen as a triumph of

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

over the mortals trying to exploit it. The final words of Criswell also serve to remind viewers of the truth, that everyone dies and that Death is destined to triumph over Life. Craig finds the film to be Wood's version of a

requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

. The film makes extensive use of static

two shot A two shot is a type of shot in which the frame encompasses two people (the subjects). The subjects do not have to be next to each other, and there are many common two shots which have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the ba ...

, which David Hogan considered to have contributed to making this an "atypically boring" film by Wood.Hogan (1997), p. 233 The film's main setting is the rebuilt house on Willows Lake that burned down in ''Bride of the Monster''. There are frequent references to the mad scientist (

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

) and Lobo (Tor Johnson), the latter of whom returns, his face now half-destroyed from the fire. The narrative notion that the house by Willow Lake is a recently reconstructed building is contradicted by the actual appearance of the house, which seems to be old and in disrepair. Craig suggests that the house would not look out of place in a

Hooverville A "Hooverville" was a shanty town built during the Great Depression by the homeless in the United States. They were named after Herbert Hoover, who was President of the United States during the onset of the Depression and was widely blamed for it. ...

. The formal-wearing police investigator seems as a rather anachronistic figure, more reminiscent of a figure from a

gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

work or a

costume drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

. Valda Hansen, who plays the White Ghost, was seen as Wood's ingenue. She had reportedly impressed him with her vivacity and allure. David Hogan considered the spookiest scenes to be the ones featuring either Hansen or Jeannie Stevens, playing the film's ghostly

femmes fatales A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

.Hogan (1997), p. 233 Wood, his face hidden by a dark veil, doubled for the Black Ghost in several shots. According to actor

, Wood could not get Jeannie Stevens to film these scenes. So he wore the costume and acted as her stand-in.Weaver (2000), p. 257 Also, a publicity photo of Wood is seen on a wanted poster on the wall of the police station. Tom Mason, who doubled for Bela Lugosi in ''Plan 9 From Outer Space'' appeared in ''Night of the Ghouls'' as one of the undead, while his wife Margaret Mason played the role of "Martha" (the woman in the car frightened by the White Ghost). In 1992, Margaret Mason was one of the people interviewed for the Ed Wood documentary ''Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The Plan Nine Companion''. The séances featured in the film have some atypical elements. Skulls are set on the séance table and skeletons are sitting around it. The sound effects and floating trumpet would not be out of place in a 19th-century séance, though the electronically altered voice of the deceased is a far more modern element.Ruffles (2004), p. 211 This film is the third part of what Wood aficionados refer to as "The Kelton Trilogy", a trio of films featuring

as "Officer Kelton", a whining, reluctant policeman. The other two films were ''

'' and ''

''. Although said to be a sequel to ''Bride of the Monster'', ''Night of the Ghouls'' featured only two characters from that film (Kelton and Lobo), and, in a

retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...

, it is claimed that Lt. Bradford had worked on the earlier case when he in fact did not appear in ''Bride''. His exploration of Dr. Acula's house was borrowed from Wood's short film ''Final Curtain'' and voice-over narration was added to integrate it into the story. As a result, there was no room for Harvey B. Dunn, who played Captain Tom Robbins in ''Bride'', to reprise his earlier role. Instead, he was given a small supporting role as a frightened motorist who encounters one of the "ghouls". Wood must have written the screenplay for this film before 1956, as he originally planned to star Bela Lugosi in it.

Release

''Night of the Ghouls'' was originally to be called ''Revenge of the Dead''. A December 1958 article about actress Valda Hansen described the film as being "soon to be released". According to cast member

, the film had a preview screening in 1959 at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood. He said that, after watching it on the big screen, Wood felt it needed further editing. A 1959 letter from Wood to Anthony Cardoza, the film's associate producer, records some of his plans for the film, including removing some of Criswell's scenes and replacing them with some

archive footage, as well as a possible title change. Wood, however, was never able to make the edits, as the film's ownership remained the property of the lab.Hogan (1997), p. 233 Kansas City film hobbyist-entrepreneur and Ed Wood fan Wade Williams managed to locate the film, paid the long overdue bills to the lab, and claimed full ownership of it. He also gave it its first home video release via VHS in 1984.Hogan (1997), p. 233 This was the film's world premiere.

Bibliography

* ''The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr.'' (1996), documentary film directed by Brett Thompson *

Rudolph Grey Rudolph Grey is a musician and the biographer of filmmaker Ed Wood. As an electric guitarist, Grey has recorded and performed with Mars, under his own name, as well as leading various ad hoc ensembles called The Blue Humans. His music draws on ...

, ''Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr.'' (1992) * Will Sloan, "Can Your Heart Stand the Shocking Facts About Kelton the Cop A/K/A Paul Marco?" ''Filmfax'' (April 2005), p. 88-89

Sources

* * * * * * *

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Night Of The Ghouls 1984 direct-to-video films 1984 horror films 1984 films 1980s ghost films 1984 independent films American sequel films American supernatural horror films American black-and-white films Films directed by Ed Wood Films produced by Ed Wood Films set in California American ghost films American haunted house films American independent films Films set in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Ed Wood Articles containing video clips Films scored by Jack Beaver 1980s English-language films 1980s American films