Forgotten Gems: "The Screaming Skull"

 

Free burial service for anyone who dies of fright while watching "The Screaming Skull"  ?.....How could you go wrong by watching a film that promises you that ?
 

Eric and Jenni

Eric (John Hudson) and Jenni (Peggy Webber) are newlyweds who move into a large home Eric shared with his deceased first wife Marion who slipped and fell and as a result "the base of her skull was smashed"....suuuure. Jenni is a troubled and vulnerable woman who spent time in a asylum in an effort to move past the sudden and tragic death of her parents. Oh, BTW....she's rich too....nice !
 

The house and gardens are looked after by Mickey, a strange man-child who was Marion's constant companion. Both spent hours and hours in the gardens planting and tending to the flowers. After Marion's death Mickey continues to keep up the grounds like a shrine to his dead friend. He likes to even bring flowers to her grave which is on the property. Hmm. Shortly after moving in...and by that I mean the next day....the impressionable Jenny begins to hear strange screaming sounds, footsteps, creaking noises, knocking on doors. She also finds lily pads in the house and of course the skull. Scary.


"HOLY LIVING FUCK....AAAHHHH " !!!!!

Suspicion quickly turns to Mickey as the culprit behind all these strange goings on.

The belief is that he trying to scare away the new Mrs. Whitlock. As these strange happenings continue Jenni's already delicate mental state is begining to show cracks. The always reassuring Eric continues to comfort Jenni as he promises to help Jenni realize that she's only hallucinating and there is no skull following her around. To show Jenni she's not as nutty as a squirrel turd Eric decides to burn a painted portrait of Marion as the portrait burns a loud scream is heard and in the ashes....there it is....THE SKULL !!!!

Of course Eric does not see the skull and repeats to Marion that...."there is no skull....there's no skull". After Jenni faints he removes the skull from the fire and hides it nearby and the truth is revealed....Eric has been behind these shenanigans the whole time....trying to drive his wife over the edge so he can get his hands on the money she's got....but is there something coming for him ?
I wont spoil the film's ending. I'll let you see it for yourself here:

http://archive.org/details/TheScreamingSkull1958

"The Screaming Skull" is total B-movie goodness. From cheesy acting and dialouge to the third rate special effects. If your like me and can't resist watching old black and white movies that by today's standards wouldn't scare a 2 year-old kid then you wont be disappointed. If your expecting a riveting storyline and acting that keeps you on the edge of your seat then you need to look elsewhere. I've read several reviews of this movie that pan it for all the bad acting and plot etc. but you have to take it for what it is. Good. Simple. Stupid. Fun.