Monster Crap Inductee: Night of The Ghouls (1958/1984)

Monster Crap Inductee: Night Of The Ghouls

The Sequel To Bride Of The Monster That Took Decades To Release

1958/1984

Once again, we get to enter the crazy world of one person who wanted to make movies and didn’t care who he had to con to get him money for the movie. But unlike the previous movies of his that I have covered, this one is a sequel….sort of. You see, while events of the first film did happen, certain characters do return, and its basically the same building, it is not officially a sequel, but it might as well be.

It also has a lot of similarities to a film I have not inducted yet in The Unearthly in that like Bride Of The Monster, both films had Tor Johnson playing a minion of the bad guy named Lobo. Also, this film deals undercover cops and phonies who go to extraordinary lengths for their lies just like The Unearthly. Now some may say Ed Wood probably ripped off the Unearthly, but I think it was more of a coincidence as Ed did have Tor as a manservant named Lobo first. This is also the final part of the Kelton trilogy as that character (played always by Paul Marco) was in Plan 9 From Outer Space and Bride Of The Monster.

As far as past actors who return to the Monster Crap world, you already know about Paul Marco and Tor Johnson. You also have Duke Moore who was Lt. Harper in Plan 9 From Outer Space.

He’s The With The Gun

We also have Don Nagel, who was Martin in Bride Of The Monster

The Guy On The Left

We have Bud Osborne, who was Mac in Bride Of The Monster

He’s The One Who First Got Attacked By The Octopus

Harvey Dunn was Capt. Robbins in Bride Of The Monster

Which Will Really Be Weird Because Capt. Robbins Is In This Film And Played By A Different Actor

Clay Stone has a credited role in this film as he had an uncredited role in Plan 9 From Outer Space

He’s The One Reading The Bible With His Head Looking Up

Tom Mason is in this film and he is well known as the guy who doubled most of the film for Bela Lugosi due the big problem of Bela being dead.

David De Mering is here as well and he played Danny in Plan 9 From Outer Space

He’s The Guy On The Left Of This Fake Cockpit

And the big return from Plan 9 who was not in Bride is our old pal, Criswell

We also have another Plan 9 alum in Karl Johnson who played an uncredited role as Farmer Calder. Anthony Cardoza is in this film and he would later work duel roles with Tor Johnson as KGB Driver and Helpful Neighbor in Beast Of Yucca Flats.

And with that out of the way of the people who were credited (there will be some uncredited cameos later on that I will mention), let’s get to this strange film.

We begin our film with Criswell in a coffin.

It’s A Living

He then goes on a spiel about how terrifying this tale he is about to tell you involving monsters. Then we get the opening title card.

We then go to the LA County sheriff’s department in East LA.

Hey, Apparently Ed Wood Is A Wanted Criminal

An older couple come out of the Captain’s office talking about terrifying ghosts from the place where the first movie supposedly took place. Yeah, instead of monsters that an evil scientist used to get rid of trespassers, this bad guy uses ghosts to do the same thing. Then we talk about Juvenile delinquency like dancing.

Hey, Tanna From Plan 9 From Outer Space

Although the other ones we see is more delinquent as it is a fight.

Although It Is Not Really Juveniles As The Two Fighting Are Director Ed Wood And A Friend Of His In Conrad Brooks, Who Was Also In Plan 9 From Outer Space And Bride Of The Monster

And drunk driving.

We then see some juvenile making out that goes a bit too far as the woman wants the guy off her and the guy doesn’t take the hint.

Ah…..The Old Days When Movies Thought That This Type Of Sexual Assault Was OK

The woman runs away, but unfortunately….they are near the house from Bride Of The Monster so she gets attacked by the black ghost.

Or A Guy Pretending To Be The Black Ghost

The sexual abusing guy shows up and he also gets killed.

We go back to the police station where we get talks from this movie’s Capt. Robbins and Kelton.

And Three Other Policeman (Robbins And Kelton Are On The Left)

Then a man in a top hat shows up.

This Is Lt. Daniel Bradford (Who Is Retconned To Have Investigated The Past Incident)

Bradford was about to go to the opera tonight, but since he is a cop, Robbins is telling him to cancel those plans.

Robbins then tells them about the older couple that was here earlier who saw some ghosts.

By The Way, The Old Couple Is Played By Tom Mason’s Actual Wife And The Actor Who Originally Played Capt. Robbins.

And Here Is The “White Ghost”. You’ll Find Out Why I Used Quotation Marks Later On.

They get frighted by the “White Ghost” and we go back to the police station. Robbins wants Bradford to go because he knows that ghosts come out at night.

According To Whodini, The Freaks Come Out At Night Too

Robbins also has Bradford take Kelton with him although both Bradford and Kelton are against the idea as Kelton is sort of a coward and a terrible shot. Bradford arrives at the creepy house He goes inside without knocking and is met by a man in a turban named Dr. Karl Acula

Dr. Acula....Dracula…..Cute

Anyway, Acula doesn’t appreciate anyone coming in without knocking. Apparently, Acula here is a medium who deals in the world of the living and the dead so he takes consultations. Back at the station, Kelton complains that he can’t get a patrol car so Robbins makes a phone call so Kelton can get one so he can join Bradford.

Back at the creepy house, Acula gives Bradford a tour of the place We then meet a gentleman named Darmoor who wants to see his dead wife again, but Acula says these things take time and he schedules him for two days after tonight.

As Acula continues to show Bradford around, we see that lurking in the shadows is our old pal Lobo.

Lobo Got Messed Up

Kelton shows up looking for Bradford, but he runs into some ghosts instead.

Kelton shoots wildly and falls.

Officer Useless

Kelton then calls for backup because he saw only ghosts, but backup really doesn’t believe him. We then go to the table for a séance.

Yeah, Sorry About The Skeletons. Sometimes This Medium Stuff Takes Too Long.

Oh And We Have Some Ghost Playing A Trumpet

Anyway, tonight is a séance for Mrs. Wingate Yates Foster, who wants advice from her deceased husband with her new younger boyfriend.

We get some weird stuff like this ghost dancing.

Fear Me For I Am The Great Sheets Ghost

And this guy making noises.

A body comes out of the coffin and this is supposed to be Wingate’s late husband.

He tells her that she should live happily for the remainder of these years with that young boyfriend as he gives his blessing for her happiness. He then goes back to the coffin and while all of this is going on, Bradford finds a secret door and goes through it to do some investigating.

Dr. Acula leaves to talk to the “White Ghost” who we find out is his girlfriend pretending to be a ghost to keep up this racket. She says there is another ghost out there and Acula doesn’t believe her. He explains the whole thing that he is using actors to be ghosts so he can get money from vulnerable widows and widowers and Mrs. Wingate Yates Foster’s boyfriend is one of his actors so once she dies, they get her money.

Meanwhile, Bradford investigates some halls he has never been to before, but unfortunately Acula now knows that Bradford is snooping around so he sends Lobo. While investigating, Bradford finds props that convince him that this is a operation in spiritual fraud. Meanwhile Kelton is still wanting to shoot at ghosts and Robbins is finally has another officer in Crandel come with him to deal with Kelton’s continued rantings for backup. Back at the creepy house, Bradford finds what he believes to be a mannequin.

Obviously That Is Not A Mannequin

He tries to see what it is made of as we the audience can see slightly unintended movements. Then it really moves and of course, Bradford realizes it isn’t a mannequin when she smiles.

You’re An Idiot, Aren’t You?

Bradford runs, but runs into Acula and Lobo who take him captive.

Acula talks to Bradford about the previous tenants of this household and how Lobo was almost burned to death when the lab was set on fire, but Acula found and saved him so now he works for him. They try to take Bradford to the mortuary room, but the lights are on meaning people are still around so he has the cop locked in a broom closet. Lobo is sent to get the intruder while Acula goes back to his stupid scam. Kelton arrives to try and stop Acula.

But He Gets Koed By Lobo.

Acula explains that he was taking care of a non-believer who was trying to sabotage the séance. Bradford gets out of the locked room because they just locked the door and didn’t even bother to tie him up or anything.

Thank God My Captors Are Morons

He sees that Lobo is obviously wounded (I forgot to mention that before getting Koed, Kelton shot Lobo a few times) as he passes by and then Bradford comes upon a coffin. Inside the coffin, Bradford finds Kelton.

Acula tries to end this session due to the interruptions while Kelton and Bradford talk about what happened. Then we go to Acula and his “White Ghost” actress and the actress is happy about the $10,000 check they just got. Acula then reveals that the heat is getting too hot so they might need to make a getaway so they can try their scheme elsewhere while Lobo will take all the heat because he is too stupid. Kelton and Bradford try to escape, but Lobo shows up again. Thankfully, Robbins and Crandel arrive just in time to shoot Lobo dead.

Acula and the “White Ghost” actress are made aware by a goon that the police are here and they killed Lobo. Acula has the goon hold the cops off while he and the “White Ghost” actress get out through the mortuary room. The goon shoots at the cops, but after a really short shootout, he is shot and killed.

And Down Goes Tom Mason. At Least He Gets Credited As Getting Killed This Time.

Acula and the “White Ghost” try to escape, but in a bit of a twist you could see coming a mile away….they run into actual ghosts.

Including Criswell As One Of Them.

Criswell explains that while Acula may have planned all of the spirit summoning from the underworld as part of a scheme to get money, he unknowingly actually summoned actual ghosts as his powers were stronger than even he realized. These ghosts have decided that Acula must join them in the underworld so they grab him.

The “White Ghost” actress decides that since they aren’t grabbing her, she’ll make an escape on her own, sealing Acula to his own fate. They put Acula in the coffin and close the lid as he is still screaming.

The spirits then take the coffin with them.

Unfortunately for the actress, she doesn’t get far because while the “White Ghost” is merely a phony, the “Black Ghost” is very real and beckons her to come with her to the afterlife.

The cops find Dr. Acula dead and see other skeletons that we know were the other ghosts and they don’t know what happened and probably never will. After telling this story, Criswell goes back to his coffin and thus the movie ends.

This film was meant to go to theaters, but actually never did as Ed Wood planned on some edits including removing some of the Criswell scenes and replacing them with archival footage of Bela Lugosi (yeah, Ed was still going to exploit Lugosi at this point even though he really had nothing new unlike the small bit in Planet 9 From Outer Space). However, he would never be able to get those edits in as the people who actually owned the film wouldn’t give it back to him to do that due to bills that Ed Wood had not paid. And thus for several decades, the film was not released and was in a lab. However, in 1984, Ed Wood fan who was also a hobby-entrepreneur Wade Wilson managed to locate the film and paid those bills so he could become the owner of the film. He released it on VHS in the same year and the film has been in circulation since.

Unfortunately, mostly everyone in this film has since passed away and for some, they passed away long before this film was even released. Bud Osbourne (who played Darmoor) died in 1964 at the age of 79 from a heart attack. Harvey B. Dunn (who played Henry) passed away in 1968 at the age of 73 from cirrhosis of the liver. Tor Johnson (who played Lobo) left this mortal coil in 1971 at the age of 67. Kenne Duncan (who played Dr. Acula) committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates in 1972 at the age of 68 (12 days before his 69^th birthday). Duke Wood (who played Lt. Bradford) passed away from a heart attack in 1976 from a heart attack at the age of 63. Ed Wood (the director) and his wife took to the booze and were living at another actor’s apartment when Ed Wood died of a heart attack in 1978 at the age of 54. Tom Mason (who played the goon/actor in the coffin pretending to be Mrs. Foster’s dead husband) passed away in 1980 at the age of 60. David De Mering (who played one of the ghosts after Dr. Acula) left this mortal coil in 1980 at the age of 48. Marcelle Hemphill (who played Mrs. Wingate Yates Foster) died in 1981 at the age of 92. Criswell (who played basically himself) died in 1982 at the age of 75 from a cardiac arrest.

While Valda Hansen (who played the “White Ghost”) did stay alive to see the film, her death in 1993 at the age of 60 was the most tragic. One day, Valda and her doctors noticed a mole on her leg and soon learned it was cancer. At the time of discovery, it wasn’t that bad and she could have survived if she got it surgically removed, but she was not in the best financial situation and she could not afford the insurance needed to do such a treatment. It spread rapidly and she died from it.

Paul Marco also survived to see the film and was looking to make a comeback in the “Dark Corner” series of shorts, but he only completed one short before he sadly died in 2006 after having hip problems and a chronic illness at the age of 78.

Johnny Carpenter (who played Capt. Robbins) also survived to see the film and he had a ranch that he ran for 50 years. But in 1994, he was evicted from it (probably by assholes) and he lived 14 more years before passing away in 2008 at the age of 88, also from cancer.

Others also survived long enough to see the film. James La Maida (who played a character named Hall) died in 1990 at the age of 59. Margaret Mason (Tom Mason’s wife and who played Martha) left this mortal coil in 1992 at the age of 80. Karl Johnson (who played one of the ghosts after Dr. Acula) died in 1993 at the age of 69. Don Nagel (who played Crandel) died in 1996 at the age of 70 (15 days after his birthday). Frank Barbarick (who played another ghost after Dr. Acula) passed away in 2001 at the age of 69 from an unspecified lingering illness. Jennie Stevens (who played the Black Ghost/Mannequin) passed away in 2004 at the age of 79. Anthony Cardoza (who played a character named Tony) passed away in 2015 at the age of 85 from complications after a stroke.

Now for my final thoughts. This film is just not that good. It is boring for a majority of it with weird shit happening at times (like the black guy’s head making strange sounds (no idea what happened to that guy)). But thankfully for Ed Wood and Paul Marco fans, you can see this film that is the end of the Kelton trilogy because some Ed Wood films can become lost (heck, the film Ed Wood did before this called Final Curtain was also believed to be lost until it was found in 2010). Also, if you are going to do a sequel to a previous film, don’t do any damn retcons of characters that were never in the original. But that is just one man’s opinion.

Next, we go to 1988 and visit Bob’s third film choice.

Time To Enter The World Of Another Insane Director As We Finally Do A Godfrey Ho Film.