13 Ghosts (1960)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robb White (written by)

Release Date:

July 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

IT'S FUN TO BE SCARED BY 13 GHOSTS (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A family inherits what proves to be a haunted house, but a special pair of goggles allows them to see their ghostly tormentors.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Haunted House | Mansion | Supernatural | Seance

Cast

Charles Herbert	...	Buck Zorba
Jo Morrow	...	Medea Zorba
Martin Milner	...	Ben Rush
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Hilda Zorba (as Rosemary De Camp)
Donald Woods	...	Cyrus Zorba
Margaret Hamilton	...	Elaine Zacharides
John Van Dreelen	...	Van Allen

Also Known As:

Thirteen Ghosts

Runtime:

85 min | 82 min (black and white version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (No. 19630) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec)

Company:

William Castle Productions

Trivia:

The last feature film of Charles Herbert.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Buck slides down the banister and walks off we see money fall to the floor,it's clearly noticeable that the money didn't fall out of the hidden area in the stairs,if you look closely you can tell that it comes from somewhere above the stairs.

Quotes:

Buck Zorba: [as Ben walks in the door] Ben I found it
[grabs the railing and shakes it to reveal the hidden area in the stairs]
Buck Zorba: .
Ben Rush: Good boy, have you told anyone else about this?
Buck Zorba: Course not , lets tell them now
[runs towards the dining room, ben grabs his arm stopping him]
Buck Zorba: ow you're hurting.
Ben Rush: Sorry buck , we can't tell them yet.
Buck Zorba: But we're moving out tomorrow.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: 13 Ghosts/The Tingler (#1.37)" (2008)

Still fun and scary even forty years later

13 Ghosts has stood the test of time well, as have most of Castle's films. While much is made of the gimmick of seeing the ghosts with 3d glasses, the movie itself is well made and not just a vehicle to carry the gimmick. Seeing the movie on television or video without the 3d glasses (but with the ghosts visible) makes you realize this is a well made film.

The scene where the father encounters the ghosts for the first time in the hidden room is quite spooky, and the special effects are almost hypnotic to watch. The story behind the ghosts being in the house is developed quite well, and makes the ghosts themselves more enjoyable. The ghosts range from almost comical to truly frightening, and it is fun to wait and see what kind of spirit you will encounter next.

The house itself is a rather nice piece of real estate, and I'm sure some people have driven around Los Angeles trying to find it. Martin Milner plays the lawyer who facilitates the will giving the family the house, and it is interesting to see him in his pre-Adam 12 days.

13 Ghosts is definitely worth watching, especially around Halloween. While some may find the plot and idea less than satisfying, I found it to be very spooky. And you really do get to see all 13 ghosts!