The Screaming Skull (1958)

Rating: **
Review Date: 1/3/14
Cast: Peggy Webber

The film opens with the following disclaimer: "The producers of this film guarantee to bury you free of charge if you die of fright while watching The Screaming Skull." How ridiculously ominous...

It's a familiar plot: sleazy guy marries a rich girl with a history of mental illness, then tries to convince her that she's crazy so that he can put her away and inherit her fortune. Within fifteen minutes you know how the film is going to play out, but the film's bizarre climax is baffling at best. Who is crazy and are ghosts really involved after all? The performances are adequate and Peggy Webber does a convincing job of being distraught and scared. The cinematography is appropriately creepy and the film does a good job of building and maintaining tension and suspense. While the plot comes as no surprise, the reveals are still effective and the reality of the situation is always in question. Mediocre psychological horror at best.