Night of the Ghouls

Plot synopsis:
The basic plot involves the police investigating a supposed haunted house. The house is discovered to serve as headquarters for a confidence trickster who pretends to be able to contact the dead, and charges naive customers large amounts of money to allow them to speak to their deceased loved ones.
The movie features a prologue and a brief acting role by Criswell, who also narrated Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space. The prologue has Criswell rising from a coffin, leaving unclear if the "metaphysical" narrator is awaking from a normal sleep, or whether he is actually a corpse returning to life. The latter implication can be seen as foreshadowing the final scenes of the film.
One of the opening scenes features a montage of seemingly unrelated events, which seem to feature Wood's view of the post-war era and its social problems: juvenile delinquency, street fighting, and driving under the influence. A memorable sequence has a car driving off a cliff and crashing. 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 narrative properly begins with a teenaged couple kissing in a convertible, parked at night in what is probably a lovers' lane. When the boy gets too aggressive, the girl ends the embrace with a slap and exits the car. At this point the narrative introduces the Black Ghost which lurks in the woods near them. In short order, first the girl and then the boy are attacked by the undead creature and die. According to Criswell's narration, the two murders received press attention but were thought to be the work of a maniac.
In a police station of East Los Angeles, California, Inspector Robbins is waiting for Detective Bradford at his office. Bradford soon arrives, dressed in a top hat and formal evening wear. He was called to work while on his way to the opera, 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. (This is a reference to the events of Bride of the Monster). 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, despite the protests of the man that "Monsters! Space people! Mad doctors! They didn't teach me about such things in the police academy! And yet that's all I've been assigned to since I became on active duty". The line is used to recall Kelton's experiences in Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space, and to explicitly connect this film to its predecessors.
Bradford drives a Pontiac Bonneville to the house and enters through an open door, to be confronted by Dr. Acula (played by Kenne Duncan). Dressed in a turban and cryptically mentioning that there are many already in the house, both living and dead, Acula is a rather strange figure. But Bradford convinces Acula that he is just another prospective client, so his entrance is accepted. The narrator soon establishes that 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. The scene shifts to a strange séance, where Acula and his clients share the table with human skeletons. A subsequent scene both confirms that Dr. Acula is a fake psychic by the name of "Karl", as Bradford suspected earlier, and reveals that the White Ghost is an actress by the name of "Sheila". Her role is to scare away intruders. 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, including one played by Criswell. The latter is the only one of them who speaks, explaining to Karl that the supposedly "fake" psychic does have genuine powers and his necromantic efforts actually worked. 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, the narrative ends with a shot of an undead Sheila, now truly a White Ghost.
In a brief epilogue which also closes the frame story, 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 he/she too can soon join them in death.

Tags: cult

Review:
It offers unrelated footage from the unfinished movie HELLBORN (some of which later turned up in THE SINISTER URGE) which narrator Criswell tries to tie into the plot: there is also footage of Duke Moore that was shot for a 1/2 hour TV show that is woven in also.
The giant octopus is long gone but Lobo (Tor Johnson) has somehow survived and is now employed by Dr. Acula (Kenne Duncan) a phony medium.
An elderly couple show up at the police station frightened out of their wits having claimed to see a ghost near an old house in the woods once owned by a deranged scientist.
One of Dr. Acula's goons to do his dirty work is played by Tor Johnson who is always a welcome sight in a movie like this.
It is rumored that this movie sat in the can for almost two decades because Ed Wood couldn't afford to have the film developed.
If you liked "Plan 9 from outer space" you'll probably at least find this film moderately amusing..
The story goes that 'Night Of The Ghouls' sat in the can for over twenty years because Ed Wood couldn't afford to have it developed.
The links are slim but the mad scientist played by Bela Lugosi is mentioned once or twice, and his assistant Lobo (Tor Johnson) appears in horribly disfigured form.
As well as Johnson a few Wood regulars are involved, notably Criswell and Paul Marco.
Duke Moore from 'Plan 9' plays the main cop and Kenne Duncan, who trash hounds might remember from 'The Astounding She-Monster', plays "Dr. Acula", a crook posing as a spiritualist.
'Night Of The Ghouls' is a lesser Wood movie.
'Night Of The Ghouls' is a lesser Wood movie.
Lt. Moore is hot on the trail of shyster medium Dr. Acula (Uh huh, DraculaI get it) who sets up his show in the good old Dr. Vornoff's (Bela Lugosi's lair in 'Bride of the Gorilla' (1955)) old lair to bilk little old ladies hard earned social security by channeling their love ones with floating sheets and phantom trumpet players who couldn't hold a tune even if they had pockets..
'Night of the Ghouls' is badly acted with horrible dialogue and some of the cheesiest effects in all his films.
It's not as good as "Plan 9," and it rivals "Glen or Glenda?," but it's better than the rest of Wood's films.
Wood, Jr. It's a minor classic, albeit a crucial one, commensurate with the 1953 psychodrama, "Glen or Glenda", termed by scurrilous wags 'Bargain Basement Equus'.Previously unaware of 'Night's' existence, I enjoyed it on Elvira's L.A. TV show.
He spends 1/2 the film in his car outside the mansion fainting from seeing this woman in white and taking potshots at her (as well as a woman in black who has now turned up) Bradford meanwhile, has broken entry to the house and is greeted by a *cough* Dr.Acula.
In an attempt to escape right at the end, Dr. Ac actually RUNS TOWARDS his nemesis'!!Not as "good" as plan 9 (unfortuntely) but worth seeing for Wood-Fans.
Almost a comedy - we've got Paul "Kelton the cop" Marco, a disfigured Tor "Lobo" Johnson and the legendary Bela Lugosi stand-in Dr. Tom Mason in place.
There they find Dr. Acula (sigh) (Keene Duncan) who's a phony spiritualist trying to bilk wealthy people by "contacting" their dead spouses.This is the legendary Wood film that sat unreleased for 25 YEARS because Wood couldn't pay the lab bill!
It has some fun moments--Tor Johnson's truly laughable makeup job and a bewildering séance (where someone is shot at multiple times and someone is knocked out cold--and no one bats an eyelash) but it's mostly just dull.
Wood, Jr. directs this semi-sequel to his cult film Bride of the Monster.
He comes across the weird Dr. Acula (Kenne Duncan) as well as a burned Lobo (Tor Johnson) among others.
This is a rather interesting Wood film as it's probably his best made due to a couple reasons.
For starters, Wood couldn't afford to pay the lab bill so the film set unreleased for 24-years.
When Wade Williams stepped in and bought the film, he had professional editors edit the movie so this here makes it look somewhat better than normal.
Even in other ways the film works better from the better special effects to a couple nice shots, not to mention some nice comedy bits and not those unintentional laughs we're use to.
Although this is a terrible movie, by the standards set by Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda, this is not that horrible a movie.
Any other director would have cringed at creating this movie, but Wood should not have since it least it shows he improved a little.While the movie does have some scenes where it is alternatively day and night, this isn't as striking as in Plan 9.
Though it was BADLY made (it sure didn't look real), I laughed when I noticed the picture on it was Ed Wood!Too bad for all the fans though, as they might expect another Plan 9 or Bride of the Monster and find the movie is just bad--not funny because it's so bad!.
I truly believe that "Night Of The Ghouls" is an underrated masterpiece among Edward D Wood Jr's movies.
Tim Burton's bio-pic stops before the making of it, documentaries like Rhino Video's "Look Back In Angora" at best just briefly mention it and it just doesn't get the (ahem) credit that "Plan 9 From Outer Space" does.
Personally I find it just as enjoyable as "Plan 9"  and the opening monologue by Criswell is among the finest moments of Ed Wood's films.
Edward Wood's most outrageous film (along with 'Glen or Glenda') follows the exploits of the L.A. police when they are forced to wake up so they can try to jolt into action to investigate strange goings-on at a local haunted house.The weirdness begins with the introduction of Dr. Acula (Kenny Duncan).
You may want to get blasted before attempting to sit through this delirium.Semi-sequel to Wood's 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'..
Ed Wood was particularly talented in this regard, and his Plan 9 and Bride of the Monster are true 'classics'.
Sadly, Night of the Ghouls doesn't deliver like his other films did.
There's even a narration delivered from a coffin by the inimitable Criswell!It's no use arguing the merits of any Ed Wood film.
Lobo (Tor Johnson- PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER) returns!
'Night of the Ghouls' is a sequel to 1955 film 'Bride of the Monster' and its actions take place in the same old mansion where Dr. Vornoff created his atomic beasts.
Tor Johnson is reprising his role as Lobo and Paul Marco again is mumbling cowardly police officer Kelton.
Thanks to the quirks of Ed Wood the film is still watchable entertainment, but not for anyone.But real star of this 'masterpiece' is not the director nor any of the main characters but the wooden panel door that appeared in police station and in Dr. Acula's home.
Filmed in b&w - 1959's "Night of the Ghouls" (with its, thankfully, brief, 70-minute running time) is a completely laughable, z-grader from the master of 1950s, low-budget schlock, Ed Wood.Believe me - The goofy dialogue, cheap sets, and wooden performances that abound in this absolutely absurd, bargain-basement picture will totally kill you....
I agree that the film is one of the director's best, and I enjoyed it more than 'Plan Nine from Outer Space.' I wish Bunny Breckenridge had been in the cast though.Valda Hansen, in a beautiful, flouncy Victorian gown, is ravishing, and she and the black ghost, along with Vampira (in 'Plan Nine', but not in this film) show that Ed Wood would have loved the Gothick style of female fashion - which sadly only appeared after he had died.I have read the comments here, and a bit more about Ed Wood, and I'm surprised that nobody has noticed that in the opening scene of 'Night of the Ghouls' there is a small 'WANTED' picture of Ed Wood himself sticky-taped onto the wall of the police station..
I can't be sure because I haven't seen all of Ed Wood's movies, but I have to imagine that this might be his worst.
This movie is bad and I don't mean bad in a funny way, like Bride Of The Monster or Plan 9 From Outer Space, it's just plain bad.
Night of the Ghouls is effectively Ed Wood's lost movie, seeing as it remained unreleased for over twenty years.
But of course, as is the way with Wood movies, the result is extremely strange.
Tor Johnson turns up again with another performance, exactly the same as all the others, as does Paul Marco, who plays yet another cowardly cop.
There are additionally a couple of female ghosts in cool Gothic clothing who hover about outside in a Vampira-lite sort of way.Probably the best scenes in Night of the Ghouls are the ones in the séance.
I highly doubt that this would have been the one to break him into the mainstream.The plot is that Dr. Acula (hee-hee get it?) is running a spook house in the same house that was supposedly burned down in "Bride of the Monster." Tor Johnson also plays the same character, Lobo, who was supposedly burned in the accident.
I think that he did a better job on this than Plan 9, but it lacked something.Look for Dr. Tom Watson (this time he actually shows his face unlike when he played Bela Lugosi's stunt double), and Tony Cardoza (MST3K fans should recognize him as everyone's favorite monotone, Coleman Francis collaborator)..
The police goes to investigate to the house where Bela was living doing experiments on the film 'Bride of the monster', as a result of a report of an old couple.
Just when I thought that Plan 9 was as bizarre as Ed Wood movies could get, here we have Night of the Ghouls!
I couldn't stop laughing at the seance scene (which had a Ghost with a whoopie whistle, a trumpet suspended by wire, and a member of Devo...or maybe just some dude with a bowl on his head making faces at the camera...)A must see for MiSTies and bad movie freaks like myself!.
Wood recycles footage and sets and characters and situations from his other "home movies" to tell us a story about a decrepit house where a mad doctor once made monsters.
Tor Johnson shows up as a badly scarred and injured Lobo from a previous film, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER.
It's ostensibly a sequel to his pretty funny BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, even bringing back Tor Johnson as Lobo once again.
But otherwise there are no more than a few chuckles to be had from the inept 'acting' of Wood's 'performers.'  Skip it and stick to his earlier 'classics' like PLAN 9 or THE VIOLENT YEARS..
actually this is a marvelous film - tor johnson makes every movie a winner, stumbling around in his monster-contacts, and valda hansen is radiant in her "ghost"ness.
The rest of the cast is basically Ed Wood regulars highlighted by the inimitable Tor Johnson as Lobo.
At first, I thought this was a sequel to "Bride Of The Monster" but that was probably because that was the only other Ed Wood movie I've seen.
It's about as cheesy as you'd expect, but more entertaining than most examples.At least Ed Wood's other movies had Bela Lugosi in them.
An experienced ghost hunting police detective goes to investigate and comes upon a phony medium (in a turban) named Dr. Acula and his dog and pony show used to bilk people out of their money by bringing the spirits of the dead to life.
Where Paul Marco came from I don't know, but his Patrolman Kelton makes Barney Fife look like Einstein, and about a fraction as funny.
I actually liked Plan 9 From Outer Space, it's not a good movie, but it is fun and I just cannot hate it.
Night of the Ghouls was a movie I couldn't get into at all really, the opening scene is great and very funny and while Ed Wood Jnr is far from a great director I just can't bring myself to say he is the worst director of all time because of the heart he brings to his pictures.
The production values are very creaky even by today's standards with the editing slapdash and the effects and sets fake, the story is slow and meandering even for a film that is not very long, and most scenes and the dialogue are embarrassing.
Overall, a bad film with only one good scene that saves it from total disaster.
Fortunately for them, he decides to evade them by running directly at them."Night of the Ghouls," the long-awaited sequel to "Bride of the Monster," was left unreleased for over twenty years because writer/director Ed Wood couldn't pay the film lab fees.
Though not quite as "good" as "Plan 9 From Outer Space" or "Glen or Glenda?" it's definitely worth watching just to see the look on the old couple's faces when they see the "monster." It doesn't get much better than that.
Bride of the Monster which is silly but meant with good intentions and a great performance by Bela Lugosi .
Night of the Ghouls was made after Plan 9 from Outer Space, so I know that he wasn't on his hot streak any more.
I don't know if I would recommend this film, if you are looking to watch any of Ed Wood's work, I would say to go for it.
But it's a bad movie, like I said, it's the actors and the special effects that really killed the whole idea of what Ed Wood had in mind.
Again.Night of the Ghouls loses a lot that makes "Plan 9 from Outer Space" so endearing.
Thus, Wood makes up for lost encouragement by adding more silly lightning strikes, a floating saxophone (oh yeah, you can see the strings, just like the flying saucers in "Plan 9"), a man in a sheet as a ghost, and even worse sound editing and acting to basically reach what I feel is his lowest and most incompetent results.
If there's anything redeemable in this, it's that Ed Wood still believes with all his heart that Tor Johnson is scary, and that helps make Night of the Ghouls just as charming and cute as his previous features.
This film isn't as enjoyable as Plan 9 From Outer Space or Bride of the Monster the other Ed Wood movies I've seen.
When I'm talking about Wood Plan 9 From Outer Space is obviously what comes up.
And in a Wood movie, if it's supposed to be fake, then it really is.
Lieutenant Daniel Bradford (Duke Moore) and everyone's favorite Wood idiot Patrolman Paul Kelton (Paul Marco) who was in Plan 9 and Bride of the Monsters.
It even has Tor Johnson reprising his Lobo role from that film.
In other words, this scene is everything we've come to endear about Wood films.
Like many wood films, this can only be viewed for novelty effect.
Most of Ed Wood's movies are so bad that they make you laugh.
At least other Wood movies are fun to watch because they have a certain campy feeling and goofy characters and dialogs.
And neither does Dr. Acula believe in ghosts and other things like that but yet he has Lobo as an henchman, who is about the biggest monster you can imaging.
Oh and Dr. Acula, next time you're trying to escape don't run directly towards your enemies.The movie is just completely bad as an horror movie.
The whole séance scene with 3 people sitting at one side of the table and 3 fake skeletons on the other while a trumpet flies around on a wire and some wacky 'comedy' music can be heard and a white ghosts comes by every now and then, while a guy with a what appears to be a good old pisspot on his head make weird faces and speaks incredibly irritating...Oh wow, that was really the most awful thing I've seen since my neighbor stopped closing his curtains at night.
It was also kind of fun to see patrolman Kelton (Paul Marco) once more but seriously did they really had to give him such a large role?The crazy narration by Criswell was also completely lame, although not as wacky as Bela Lugosi's in "Glen or Glenda".
Kenne Duncan takes over Bela Lugosi territory with his role as fake psychic Dr. Acula (!) who has moved into Lugosi's old house from "Bride of the Monster" as part of his efforts to scam the locals with his promise of bring back the dead.
It was as bad as anything else that Ed Wood Jr. has ever made, so don't think that what I have to say is meant as some kind of praise (although from a modern view of Wood's work, it just may be).I believe that by the time Wood made "Night of the Ghouls", he had already figured out that he was a truly terrible filmmaker, and that none of his movies would be "classics".
I think that with this movie, Wood may have actually SET OUT to create a horrible piece of garbage, but a funny horrible piece of garbage.
Of course not, but in a Wood movie, sense goes out the window with quality.
The most obvious is the inept cop Kelton (who appeared in a couple previous Wood movies), who comes off sort of like Lou Costello in those old Universal movies.
"Night of the Ghouls", like "Glen or Glenda?" or "Plan 9", was an entertaining movie.
And besides, Wood has gotten the last laugh, because whatever his intentions, his movies are considered to be classics.