The Headless Ghost

Headless Ghost, The (1959)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Three teenagers, looking for ghosts, spend the night in a haunted house and meet a headless ghost who needs to locate his head before passing to the "other side". This horror/comedy from AIP has somewhat of a small, cult following behind it but I'm really not sure what they see in it. Yes, every film has at least a small group of fans but I must admit that this movie just didn't do it for me. The movie has a lot more comedy than anything else or perhaps I should say this film tries to go for comedy more than anything else. I honestly can't remember laughing a single time, which is pretty bad considering the movie tries to get a laugh every few seconds. I also wasn't overly thrilled with any of the horror elements, which are pretty much held to the castle and the main ghost needing the help. The cast, including Richard Lyon, are all pretty standard but they're no better or worse than countless films like this from the decade. The film runs 62-minutes and goes by rather fast so if one finds the comedy working then I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

Mercifully short ghost story with two American leads to ensure a release in USA.

Three students, two Americans and a well upholstered Danish girl, visit a castle outside London which is reputed to be inhabited by a headless ghost. Staying there after visiting hours they encounter a ghost and there follows a Macguffin.

The only real actor winces as a woman belts out her lines at him in a moronic monotone, although the lines are so poor it would be difficult for any actor.

A trio of students aren't convinced that Ambrose Castle is haunted, so they contrive a way to stay overnight, and discover one or two surprises.

It's a little unfair to judge this film in 2020, because to my eyes it is unsophisticated and silly, but at the time I imagine this would have been somewhat imaginative and definitely a little different. For 1959 it looks pretty good, with nice sets and costumes, and a few decent effects. The banquet scene looks very good.

On the downside it is silly, perhaps one to watch with youngsters that enjoy a ghost story, as it does have the feeling of a children's ghost story. Not to be taken seriously, but mildly entertaining. 5/10

This is a very low budget and mercifully short B from England. Three exchange students visit a stately home and stay after closing to meet the historical ghosts. The two guys are innocent Americans (one of them is Richard Lyon, son of Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels, and ,at that time, a TV favourite) and the girl is a pneumatic Dane, who should have gone on to better things. The ghosts are not portrayed as scary, and prominent among them is Clive Revill who would have a decent run in the business in later years. Like a lot of British pictures of the time,it feels like it was made with an eye an giving cast and technicians work, rather than with any desire on producing a quality movie. Overall, easy to watch, easy to forget

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Peter Graham Scott. Produced by Jack Greenwood; Executive Producer: Herman Cohen, for Merton Park Studios, Released in America by American-International Pictures. Screenplay by Aben Kandel and Herman Cohen; Photography by John Wiles; Edited by Bernard Gribble; Music by Gerard Schurmann; Production Manager: Jim O'Connolly. Starring: Richard Lyon, Liliane Sottane, Clive Revill, David Rose, Jack Allen, Carl Bernard, Trevor Barnett and Janina Faye.

Visiting students are thrust into centuries-old battle when they help out a poor old ghost in an old castle. A quite fun little British cheapie picture.