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The
Screaming Skull (1958)
(AKA: Das
Geheimnis des schreienden Schädels
(Germany), Le
crâne hurlant
(France) )
Directed
by Alex Nicol
This film begins by showing the
viewer a
coffin, the idea being that it is reserved for them, just in case they
die of fright while they are watching The
Screaming Skull. According to
the narrator’s introductory speech:
“The
Screaming
Skull is a motion picture that reaches its climax in shocking horror.
Its impact is so terrifying that it may have an unforeseen effect. It
may kill you. Therefore, its producers feel they must assure free
burial services to anyone who dies of fright while seeing The Screaming
Skull.”
So there you have it. Don’t
say that you
have not been warned. But is it really so terrifying? No, not at all,
but it is a pretty good film and if you like older horror films you
will probably enjoy this one too.
The central characters are newlyweds Eric and Jenni Whitlock. Eric is a
widower and now, two years after the death of his first wife, he has
returned to his former home and brought Jenni with him. It is a large
house surrounded by a lovely garden where peacocks roam the lawns and
frogs croak in the pond. Such a big garden is a lot of work, but
fortunately they have a good gardener. His name is Mickey and although
he is a little mentally challenged he knows his stuff and treats the
garden almost like a shrine to Mary Whitlock. Mickey loved her very
much. His father used to be the gardener there when Mary’s
parents were alive and he and she grew up together.
Eric and Jenni are very happy at first, but then strange things begin
to happen. Jenni hears screams in the night and soon finds herself
haunted by a skull. The first time it appears Eric is away on business
and she is awoken in the night by a scream. She rushes to an empty room
that has a view of the lawn and looks out. Seeing the peacocks on the
lawn she breathes a sigh of relief, believing that they made the noise.
Then a cupboard door swings open and the skull is inside it. Jenni
throws it out of the window, but a little later she
hears banging on the front door and when she opens it she sees
the skull at her feet. Then it she who is doing the screaming and, one
way or another, she ends up doing a lot more screaming before the end
of the film.
The Screaming Skull has a runtime of about 67 minutes and although it
starts off a little slow it gradually picks up pace and is rather
spooky towards the end. My favourite
scene is near the end of the film. Jenni is wandering in the garden at
night, looking for Mickey. She has doubts about her sanity, is
returning to the sanatorium in the morning, and wants to say goodbye to
him before she leaves. She cannot find Mickey, but she does find the
former Mrs Whitlock waiting for her in the potting shed, which gives
her something else to scream about.
If you want a high
octane film that is
crammed with special effects you may find this one a little
disappointing, but if you are looking for an old-fashioned chiller with
a classic feel, a screaming skull and few peacocks on the lawn, you
cannot go wrong.
Cast
John
Hudson ...
Eric Whitlock
Peggy Webber
... Jenni Whitlock
Russ Conway
... Reverend Edward Snow
Tony Johnson
... Mrs. Snow
Alex Nicol
... Mickey
Watch The Screaming Skull
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