Thirteen Ghosts (1960 film)
Thirteen Ghosts, AKA 13 Ghosts (1960)
Summary
"A ghost for each member of your family! Pick your favorite spook! You'll believe in ghosts too when you see them through the GHOST VIEWER: it turns 'em on, and turns 'em off when they turn on you!" A family inherits what proves to be a haunted house, but a special pair of goggles allows them to see their ghostly tormentors.
Details
- Release Date: 1960
- Country/Language: US, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy (comedy horror), black and white
- Runtime: 1 hr 25 min
- Starring: Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner
- Director: William Castle
- Writer: Robb White
- Producer/Production Co: William Castle Productions
- View Trailer: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: (not rated) (perhaps equivalent of a modern G or PG for kid-friendly 1950s horror fare)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- S____ (One Tentacle: Debateably Lovecraftian; has almost no direct connection to Lovecraft's work)
An eccentric cultist collects 13 ghosts, and leaves his estate, a special set of "ghost viewer" glasses, and a mysterious tome to his impoverished family on condition that they live in his haunted mansion. 12 of the ghosts are clearly human, but one is apparently an inhuman spirit. Ultimately, this film is not very "Lovecraftian", though the basic elements might still be just weird and pulpy enough to make for a fun short Call of Cthulhu RPG scenario.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- (review needed)
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
When Cyrus Zorba and his poverty-stricken family inherit an old mansion, they can't believe their good luck. However, not long after they move in they realize that the house is haunted by 12 ghosts and run by a housekeeper who works in the dark arts. Though the ghosts are intent on killing a member of the family, the Zorbas insist on staying in the house because they have learned that a large fortune is hidden somewhere inside it.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
- A "darker and edgier" modern remake exists, Thir13en Ghosts (2001), which follows the spirit of the original surprisingly closely.
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- artefact: Ghost Viewer
- tome: Cyrus Zorba's diary
- race: Ghosts (one of the ghosts is some sort of inhuman spirit)
- race: Human Cultists
- character: Cyrus Zorba, cultist
Keeper Notes
- When an eccentric cultist dies and leaves his haunted estate to distant relatives, the investigators are called in to help deal with the cultist's collection of spirits, mysterious tomes and artefacts, and the dangerously shifty characters who flock to the mansion after the funeral to steal what is left of the cultist's wealth from his innocent family....
