THE SCREAMING SKULL. ABC, 14 February 1973. Telecast as part of a five entry late night series entitled The Classic Ghosts. Vincent Gardenia, Carrie Nye, David McCallum. Based on a story by F. Marion Crawford. Directed by
Gloria Monty.

   I have to admit. For the first ten minutes or so, I was afraid that The Screaming Skull was going to be a stodgy, lifeless affair that merely plodded along. How wrong I was! Although it starts off slow and is exceedingly low-tech (it was filmed on video), this made-for-TV movie defies expectations and provides an hour plus of solid, extremely watchable supernatural entertainment.

   An adaptation of F. Marion Crawford’s eponymous short story (1908), this comparatively unknown horror movie features David McCallum as Luke Pratt, physician with an interest in research.

   Estranged from his wife (Carrie Nye) after the death of her son, Pratt finds solace in alcohol. All that changes when the doctor’s brother, Ollie (Vincent Gardenia) shows up and plants a diabolical idea in his head. It doesn’t take long for Luke to come up with what he thinks will be a foolproof plan to kill his wife. It’s after his wife’s murder that spooky things start happening, first to Luke and then to his brother.

   Filmed with a decidedly Gothic sensibility, The Screaming Skull relies as much on atmosphere as anything else to tell its story. The music, in particular, helps with the mood. Although it must be said that it’s a little overwrought at times. As I mentioned earlier, this movie was filmed entirely on video, which gives it a unique flavor. But unique doesn’t mean bad and low-tech doesn’t mean low quality. It’s not a must-see, but it’s quality work. Recommended for fans of ghost stories in particular.