USA, 1959
69m
35mm film, black and white
mono, English
An American horror film directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. It was originally filmed, as Revenge of the Dead, in 1959 but Wood was unable to pay the laboratory to process the negatives and the film remained on a shelf in a post-production facility until 1983 when it was brought to the attention of Wade Williams by Wood's widow. As interest in Wood's work had been piqued by the publication of The Golden Turkey Awards in 1980 (a book which names Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958) as the “Worst Film of All Time”) Williams came to an agreement with the labs and was able to release the film, under Wood's preferred title Night of the Ghouls, in the 1980s the first time the film had been seen by the public.
Plot Summary
Con man Dr Acula stages phony seances, duping customers into parting with money on the promise that they will be able to talk to dead relatives. But he ends up accidentally summoning real ghosts who take their revenge.
Credits
Crew
Directed [by]: Edward D. Wood Jr
© MCMLXXXIII [1983] Wade Williams Productions
Atomic Productions present [original prints]. Wade Williams presents [release prints]
Executive Producer: Major J.C. Foxworthy (U.S.M.C.R. Ret.)
Produced [by]: Edward D. Wood Jr
Associate Producers: Marg. Usher, Tony Cardoza, Tom Mason, Paul Marco, Walt Brannon, Gordon Chesson
Production Executive: J.M.A.
Written [by]: Edward D. Wood Jr
Assistant Directors: Ronnie Ashcroft, Scott Lynch
Director of Photography: William C. Thompson
Camera Operator: Glen R. Smith
Lighting: John Murray
Stills: Larry Smith
Film Editing: Consolidated Editorial Service
Editorial Supervision: Donald A. Davis
Film Developed as Directed by: Film Service Laboratory, Inc. – Hollywood
Music Supervision: Gordon Zahler
Sound: Harry Smith
Costumes: Mickey Meyers
Make Up Created by: Harry Thomas
Art Direction: Kathleen O'Hara Everett
Accountant: John Jarvis
Filmed in Hollywood, U.S.A.
Cast
Criswell (himself)
Kenne Duncan as Dr Acula
“Duke” Moore as Police Lieutenant Daniel Bradford
Valda Hansen as [Sheila] the White Ghost
Tor Johnson as Lobo
John Carpenter as Police Captain Robbins
Paul Marco as Patrolman Kelton
Don Nagel ([Sergeant] Crandel)
Jeannie Stevens (The Black Ghost)
Bud Osborne (Darmoor)
Harvey B. Dunn (Henry)
Thomas R. Mason [in opening credits] Tom Mason [in closing credits] (Foster ghost)
Marcelle Hemphill (Mrs Wingate Yates Foster)
Margaret Mason (Martha)
Clay Stone (young man)
James La Maida (Hall)
Tony Cardoza (Tony)
John Gautieri (boy)
Karen Hairston (girl)
Karl Johnson, Leonard Barnes, Frank Barbarick, Francis Misitano, David De Mering (as the dead men)
Alternative Titles
Dr Acula – early title
A Noite dos Espíritos – Portugal
Revenge of the Dead
Links
See also
Bride of the Monster (1955)
Ed Wood (1994)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958)
References
Periodicals
- Sight & Sound vol.5 no.6 (June 1995) p.62 – note (by Geoffrey McNabb)
Books
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) p.122-123
- Dracula in Visual Media: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010 by John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart p.134
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.280
- Horror and Science Fiction Films IV by Donald C. Willis p.354
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.334 – credits
