The Headless Ghost (1959)

The Headless Ghost (Dir: Peter Graham Scott, 1959). 

The Headless Ghost is a comedy horror with the accent firmly on comedy. 

Three exchange students Americans Ronnie (David Rose) and Bill (Richard Lyon) and Danish Ingrid (Liliane Sottane) spend the night in haunted Ambrose Castle. With the help of the spirit of the 4th Earl of Ambrose (Clive Revill) they must reunite the head and shoulders of Malcolm, the headless ghost of the title. Imagine, if you will, an episode of Scooby Doo Where Are You! sans the Great Dane but with real ghosts and you pretty much have The Headless Ghost in a nutshell. 

US producer Herman Cohen pioneered the teen horror genre with hit low budget exploitation flicks I Was a Teenage Werewolf (Gene Fowler Jr, 1957) and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (Herbert L Stock, 1957). In 1959 he looked to the UK for this co-production released through Anglo Amalgamated at home and by drive-in specialists American International Pictures across the Atlantic. 

Made specifically as a 2nd feature, originally supporting Horrors of the Black Museum (Arthur Crabtree, 1959), The Headless Ghost is likeable B-movie nonsense, competently directed by Peter David Scott; shot in black and white and, unusually, Dyaliscope, a widescreen format originating from France. 

The performances from its leads are blandly appealing and refreshingly the teenagers are not depicted as juvenile delinquents as is often the case for the era. Its slender story is well served by a short 60 minute runtime and there are some genuine chuckles among the unintentional ones. The special effects are modest but do the job. 

The wonderfully exploitative poster art depicts a headless man hurling his noggin at the fleeing teenagers! Unfortunately, this scene never appears in the movie. In fact the ghosts of Ambrose Castle are a pretty benign bunch. There is an ‘erotic’ dance scene performed by a scantily clad 600 year old spectre, if that floats your boat; serving no other narrative purpose than 'titillation', it is as campily funny as it is inappropriate. 

Ultimately, The Headless Ghost is more Children’s Film Foundation than Hammer horror. Let’s be honest, it’s no masterpiece but it was never meant to be. It is an easygoing romp and not the waste of an hour I feared!