Night of the Ghouls

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Night of the Ghouls

Image DVD cover
Directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Produced by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Starring Kenne Duncan
Duke Moore
Tor Johnson
Cinematography William C. Thompson
Editing by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Release date(s) 1987 (filmed 1959)
Running time 69 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Preceded by Bride of the Monster
Allmovie profile

Night of the Ghouls is a 1959 Ed Wood horror film, a sequel of sorts to Bride of the Monster. The film was not publicly exhibited until 1987, as Wood could not afford to pay the lab fees to process the negatives, so they were held at a post-production house for 23 years.

In 1983, millionaire Wade Williams was informed about the film by Kathy Wood, and paid the outstanding lab fees, in addition to giving it a new title, as Wood had called it Revenge of the Dead (which is odd, because it was extensively covered in the third issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine in the summer of 1959 as "Night of the Ghouls"). The film received limited theatrical play, and was simultaneously released on home video.

Contents

[edit] Cast

  • Kenne Duncan – Karl/Dr. Acula
  • Duke Moore – Lt. Dan Bradford (as 'Duke' Moore)
  • Tor Johnson – Lobo
  • Valda Hansen – Sheila, the White Ghost
  • Johnny Carpenter – Capt. Robbins (as John Carpenter)
  • Paul Marco – Patrolman Kelton
  • Don Nagel – Sgt. Crandall
  • Bud Osborne – Mr. Darmoor
  • Jeannie Stevens – The Black Ghost/Mannequin
  • Harvey B. Dunn – Henry
  • Margaret Mason – Martha

[edit] Plot summary

The plot revolves around a confidence trickster, Dr. Acula (played by Kenne Duncan) who pretends to be able to contact the dead, and charges people large amounts of money to speak to their relatives. The ending involves Acula inadvertently summoning a group of real ghosts, and being imprisoned for all eternity.

The movie also features a prologue and a brief acting role by Criswell, who also narrated Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space.

[edit] Trivia

  • This was 1 of 5 films featured on the cinema marquee in the movie "The Midnight Hour"
  • Towards the beginning of the film, in the police station, a picture of Wood is visible on the wall.
  • This film is part of what Wood aficionados refer to as "The Kelton Trilogy", a trio of films featuring Paul Marco as "Officer Kelton", a whining, reluctant policeman. The other two films are Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space.
  • Tom Mason appeared in this film, credited as "Thomas R. Mason". Mason was the man Wood used to replace Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 From Outer Space; this was his only other feature film appearance.
  • Kenne Duncan had previously worked for Wood in a TV on trick shooting and in Wood's 1953 TV pilot Crossroad Avenger.
  • The character of Dr. Acula also appeared in an unrealized Ed Wood film project of the same name. The role was originally intended for Bela Lugosi. "Dr. Acula" has been a frequently used pun-name of Forrest J. Ackerman since the 1940s.
  • Although claimed to be a follow up to Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls featured only two characters from that film (Kelton and Lobo), and, in a retcon, it is claimed that Lt. Bradford had worked on the earlier case when he in fact appeared nowhere in Bride. His exploration of Dr. Acula's house was borrowed from Wood's short film Final Curtain and given a voice-over to integrate it into the current 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".
  • In the sitcom Scrubs the main character J.D. is making a movie called "Dr. Acula".
  • The Misfits song called "Ghouls Night Out" is named after this movie.

[edit] References

Sloan, Will. (April 2005). "Can Your Heart Stand the Shocking Facts About Kelton the Cop A/K/A Paul Marco?" Filmfax, p. 88-89

[edit] External links

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