Review of 13 Ghosts (1960) by Eduardo C — 16 Mar 2009

Another fun fun fun carnival spookhouse of a film from the underrated William Castle. While not on par with the earlier "The House on Haunted Hill" (and most unfortunately devoid of Vincent Price), this gimmicky comedy-thriller still has enough going for it to be worth watching.

The titular ghosts are well designed and each have their own interesting backstory. Staples of the genre (the housekeeper with a mystery, the gee-whiz kid, the shady lawyer) are present and accounted for but as with any William Castle film it is the wholesome, innocent tone that really sets the film apart. He never seeks to horrify, but to amuse, entertain, startle perhaps but always followed with a laugh. His open endings are merely a way of keeping the campfire tale going, of making sure the fun doesn't end when the credits roll. Castle made films for teenagers from a decidedly non cynical era. Today they would work best on children or the young at heart.

It's a shame we don't get to know more of the ghosts, though they are prominently displayed in an awesome credit sequence that had me smiling from ear to ear. The film must have been a blast in Illusion-O (3-D in Castle gimmickspeak).