The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)

Jonathan Drake, while attending his brother's funeral, is shocked to find the head of the deceased is missing. When his brother's skull shows up later in a locked cabinet, Drake realizes an... See full summary »

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writer:

Orville H. Hampton

Stars:

Eduard Franz, Valerie French, Grant Richards

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eduard Franz	...	Jonathan Drake
Valerie French	...	Alison Drake
Grant Richards	...	Police Lt. Jeff Rowan
Henry Daniell	...	Dr. Emil Zurich
Lumsden Hare	...	Rogers
Frank Gerstle	...	Lee Coulter
Paul Wexler	...	Zutai
Howard Wendell	...	Dr. George Bradford
Paul Cavanagh	...	Kenneth Drake

Storyline

Jonathan Drake, while attending his brother's funeral, is shocked to find the head of the deceased is missing. When his brother's skull shows up later in a locked cabinet, Drake realizes an ancient curse placed upon his grandfather by a tribe of South American Jivaro Indians is still in effect and that he himself is the probable next victim. That night he is awakened by the approach of an Indian, his lips sewed together with string, and wielding a curare-tipped bamboo knife.

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Plot Keywords:

skull | funeral | curse | decapitation | shrunken head | 

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Taglines:

A Terrifying Case of SKULL-DUGGERY!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die vier Schädel des Jonathan Drake

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vogue Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Paul Cavanagh.

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Goofs

When Kenneth Drake is walking to the window to investigate the shrunken head hanging outside, there is a poorly placed splice (film "jumps") with the background (curtains suddenly appear) and lighting drastically changing.

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Connections

Featured in Svengoolie: The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1995)

User Reviews

Fun with shrunken heads

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake is, by some miracle, a notch above the typical Robert E. Kent produced dross. Not just another Cahn catastrophe, it features what must have been some shocking scenes in 1959 involving decapitation, head shrinking, and, er, lip sewing, for want of a more technical phrase. Decent atmosphere and enough chills to give the little ones a fright.