You can’t expect much from a one-hour movie made quickly with the sole purpose of serving as the bottom half of a double-bill with another movie. That’s exactly what The Headless Ghost (1959) delivers… not much. It also seems like an odd companion for a movie as dark as Horrors of the Black Museum (1959.)
Calling The Headless Ghost a horror-comedy is being extremely generous. Even its producer, Herman Cohen, admitted that it wan’t funny. However, it doesn’t even try to be funny. It’s not like the jokes fall flat; it’s just that there are no jokes. Neither are there any scares.
It’s about as generic a movie as I’ve seen. On the other hand, it’s not a badly-made movie. Director Peter Graham Scott has proven his worth, particularly with Hammer’s Night Creatures (1962), a favorite of many, but not one of mine. With this, he was likely under pressure to deliver on a deadline.
Writers Aben Kandel and Herman Cohen, who was also the Executive Producer, borrowed ideas from others and themselves many times during their careers. However, I’m not aware of any other movies in which a decapitated ghost will be put to rest when reunited with his head.
It’s a fun idea and the animated opening credits are an indication that there’s potential. I waited the entire film to see these antics replicated in live action, but it never happened. (I’m not 100% sure, but I don’t think the movie even has the scene of Malcolm chasing his floating head that’s in the trailer.)
Two fraternity brothers on a semester abroad visit Ambrose Castle with their female acquaintance from Copenhagen (Liliane Sottane.) I’ll use this comparison, but it does not mean the actors or characters are good or funny… Ronnie (David Rose) is the Abbott and Bill (Richard Lyon) is the Costello.
Lyon is top-billed. This was the 13th and final film for the child actor who appeared in The Boy with Green Hair in 1948.) This was the second film of a 47-film and television career for Rose. It was the third of only four films for Sottane, who first appeared in Hammer’s The Camp on Blood Island (1958.)
The Headless Ghost does have one legit star. Clive Revill plays Fourth Earl, a ghost that steps out of his portrait to explain to the youth the task they must complete if they want to escape the castle. This was an early film for the prolific character actor who went on to make 199 films and television shows.
For a movie that’s only 62-minutes long, it still feels padded. Long scenes of the young trio walking castle halls generate tedium rather than suspense. This demonstrates that there wasn’t much “oomph” behind the production. However, a lengthy scene of a ghost dancer (Josephine Blake) may please some viewers.
Classic Horrors Club 
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