Frankie Howard got few chances on film to showcase his comedic talents. Nightmare Park(AKA House of the Laughing Dead) is probably his best effort to do so on film. Like Benny Hill, only not quite as blatant, Howard is walking innuendo. We see through his eyes and speech an almost endless stream of one-liners, albeit rather tame by today's comparisons. Howard is funny in the main role of a third-rate entertainer who loves himself that has been invited to a mysterious mansion in the English countryside. The rest of the cast is comprised of the inhabitants of the house, a strange lot indeed with Ray Milland as the head of the family. The story is whimsical, and utterly absurd, but through the efforts of Howard, Milland, et all, and the fairly atmospheric direction of Peter Sykes, the film comes off quite well as a somewhat gothic comedy.
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BaronBl00d21 February 2000
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mwilson197620 December 2019In this 1973 British comedy horror film (known as "Crazy House" in the U.S.) directed by Peter Sykes, British comedy legend Frankie Howerd is the victim of sinister shenanigans as he stars as Foster Twelvetrees, a struggling actor who scrapes a living by giving hammy performances from the classics. When he is invited to give a performance at the country home of a well-off family he thinks his luck is in, but his joy soon turns to horror when he discovers dead bodies, foul intentions, lots of snakes and a madwoman in the attic. Ray Milland, Hugh Burden, and Rosalie Crutchley are among the supporting cast who want to kill Foster, and in one classic unsettling scene they dress up as dolls and sing a bone-chillingly odd song. This movie successfully spoofs the Hammer horror movies that were popular in the 1960's and early 1970's, and is generally good fun. Alongside Carry on Screaming it has a fairly decent laugh rate, even if most of the humour will probably be lost on International audiences. Terry Nation (creator of the Daleks from TV's Doctor Who) co-wrote the story alongside Clive Exton. The producers conceived this film as a star vehicle for Howerd, but it didn't exactly propel him to super-stardom.
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How much you enjoy this film depends on how much you like Frankie Howerd, the silly comedian famous for his roles in UP POMPEII and the CARRY ON series. If you hate him, then deduct a star from the rating. If you're a great fan of his, then add on a star. Although most of the film largely hinges around Howerd's character, there is also much more to savour. The plot is essentially that of a haunted house mystery, and digs up all the old clichés of moving statues of armour and the like. The bickering family, murderous over a will, is also an old chestnut and it's safe to say that there aren't many chills (apart from the mad old woman at the end taking her veil off) or surprises to be had when watching this contrived film.
However the costumes and scenery, including the authentic Victorian house, are very nice to look at, and there is also a good ensemble cast, the acting honours going to Hugh Burden as Reginald, whose trademark catchphrase "swine" manages to be repeatedly funny, and Ray Milland as a seemingly polite but inherently psychotic host. I always find Kenneth Griffith an underrated presence too. With a good, spooky score to keep things moving along, a lively screenplay by Terry Nation (DR WHO) and above-average direction by Peter Sykes (TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER), THE HOUSE IN NIGHTMARE PARK is an atmospheric piece which sufficiently retains the viewer's interest to the very end. However, comedy also plays a main part in the film, and while being variable at times (including some sniggering humour about breasts), it's rather good, but I may be biased in saying this.
There are two scenes which stand out in sheer hilarity terms, the first being the dinner table scene where Howerd is unable to get any breakfast, and the second being the 'dance of the dolls', where three respected actors dress up in white makeup and pretend to be mannequins. It's certainly something you won't see anywhere else. Frankie Howerd is immensely likable in the central role, but whether you find his jokes funny or not, well that's up to you. Let's just say they're of the usual variety and he essentially plays himself. I found that while there weren't many laugh-out-loud moments there were certainly lots of smiling, knowing humour, including a blatant reference to PSYCHO. THE HOUSE IN NIGHTMARE PARK, hampered by a clichéd, average plot, nevertheless turns out to be a fairly enjoyable hour and a half of thrills and chills. -
Franke Howerd plays Foster Twelvetrees, a second rate performer of the spoken word to barely awake, small audiences in the early 1900s. He thinks his luck is in when he is invited to a wealthy family's home to perform for them, but he is unaware that they have ulterior motives for the invite.
I've always enjoyed watching Frankie Howerd and this film is no exception. There are some classic Howerd moments that fans will revel in, and perhaps the casual observer too. Plenty of one liners, surprised ooohs and comical countenances that only Frankie Howerd could pull. He's ably supported by the rest of the cast, particularly film legend Ray Milland. It did occur to me, on more than one occasion, that this was meant to be a much bigger success than it ended up, for someone of Milland's calibre to take a role.
There are some very odd, quirky moments which add to the overall eeriness of The House In Nightmare Park and help make it unforgettable. This is not in anyway a Carry On movie which is where I normally see Frankie Howerd. It has a similar feel to many a haunted house film instead, with virtually the entire movie being set in the house and its grounds. There is a sense of foreboding from start to finish, and is genuinely scary and unsettling.
Plot holes abound but they are not enough to spoil your enjoyment of this eccentric horror. The title is perfect and the film does exactly what it says on the tin. Underrated in my opinion, this is an enjoyable hour and a half. -
bikerpaul6824 September 2019It could be a question in a quiz show - "Name a film co-starring Frankie Howerd and Ray Milland". With a great supporting cast, they lead us through a spoof on the horror genre, with no cliché left unturned: Gothic house, mysterious Indian servant, snakes in the cellar, Something Nasty in the attic, scary faces at he window, and so on. Needless to say, the plot is secondary.
Howerd's outrageous excesses in shows like "Up Pompei" would have been hard to take over a full-length film, and he sensibly tones it down a bit without losing any of the facial antics he is so well known for. Milland is a suitably sinister foil. Great cinema it is not, but it's all great fun and strongly recommended to fans of British comedy. -
hitchcockthelegend7 November 2013The House in Nightmare Park is directed by peter Sykes and written by Clive Exton and Terry Nation. It stars Frankie Howerd, Ray Milland, Hugh Burden, Kenneth Griffith, John Bennett, Rosalie Crutchley, Ruth Dunning and Elizabeth MacLennan. Music is by Harry Robinson and cinematography by Ian Wilson.
Tragerian actor Foster Twelvetrees (Howerd) is invited out to the remote Henderson Mansion to perform a dramatic reading for the residents. But there are ulterior motives at work and Foster will do well to survive the experience...
RAJA!
In reality it is what it is, a British Old Dark House comedy fronted by a comedy legend in Frankie Howerd. Thus if you like the formula and have a penchant for Howerd's type of humour? Then there's enough here to entertain you. Plot deals in standard "inheritance" treasure map conventions, with Twelvetrees forced to deal with attempts on his life as he dodges the batty old bat in the attic and snakes in the basement.
The Henderson Klan are a mixed bunch of eccentrics and nefarious loons, led by a delightfully off-kilter Milland, and some sequences carry a real Guignol weirdness to them; with a marionette play standing out as gloriously weird. Bonus here is the Technicolor photography and Robinson's musical score.
Filmed at Oakley Court, a mansion that has been used for a number of Hammer Horrors and detective mysteries, the design and vivid realisation of the colour scheme is most impressive. Robinson's score is a cracker and deserves a better movie, beautiful orchestrations blend with sinister strains, the Musical Suite option on Network's DVD release runs at 30 minutes and comes highly recommended as an extra of note.
The joke is stretched a bit too thin come the second half of the play, and this is hardly in the same league as other horror spoofs like Cary On Screaming, but there's rewards to be had here. Though maybe it's best watched with a prescription of liquor to really get the most out of it? 6.5/10 -
g-hbe12 April 2018We were stuck for something to watch last night and we chose this 'hilarious comedy' to pass a couple of hours. We usually delight in watching bad films, but this one took us to our limits really. Frankie Howerd can be very funny left to his own devices, but here he is stuck with a script with weak jokes and a very thin story. Ray Milland has never been our cup of tea, but here he puts on a good show, seemingly resigned to the fact that his career was over anyway. Several notches less entertaining than 'Up Pompei!', it ground its way through our evening and we were quite relieved when it finished.
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poolandrews30 October 2010The House in Nightmare Park is set in England during 1907 & starts as stage actor Foster Twelvetrees (Frankie Howerd) is invited to perform his one man show at an old stately mansion owned by Stewart Hendersen (Ray Milland) & his sick brother. More of the Hendersen family arrive & seem to start arguing about money & their sick brother, Foster learns that he is in fact the rightful heir to the Hendersen fortune as well as a million pounds of diamonds that are hidden somewhere in the manor. Unaware that he holds the clue to the diamonds whereabouts the Hendersen's try to trick Foster into revealing where they are but to no avail, soon the bodies start piling up as someone in the house will kill for the diamonds & wealth they will bring. Can Foster survive long enough to solve the clues & find the diamonds?
This unjustly obscure British production was directed by Peter Sykes & is a mix of dark Gothic Victorian horror, innuendo laced comedy & gags & a murder mystery whodunit all neatly packaged together in an old dark house style chiller. The script effectively juggles laughs, one-liners, a bit of horror, a passable murder mystery, some hidden diamonds & some weird scenes that make The House in Nightmare Park really quite an enjoyable watch. At 90 odd minutes it moves along at a decent pace & there's a decent double twist ending that is reasonable but maybe not as effective as it could have been, the final shot of Howerd planting his spade into the ground & the camera zooming out for literally miles is a nice way to end things. The horror ranges from killer Snakes & meat clever wielding bald women living in the attic (!) to fog swept moors where murder takes place, the comedy ranges from one-liners like 'Yoo-hoo! I'm here... the entertainment's arrived! I've played empty houses before, but blimey...' when walking into an empty house to 'It's a bit dry for my taste. I prefer it a bit... wetter' while drinking some wine to visual gags like Howerd not being able to get anything to eat while the murder mystery aspect is quite good with a fair few bodies although no-one is killed on screen. There's an amazingly weird & odd scene in which the Hendersen's dress up as puppets & perform a song & dance which is frankly bizarre & has to be seen to be believed.
Almost impossible to find these days I don't think The House in Nightmare Park has ever been released on DVD & it hasn't been shown on television over here in the UK for over a decade. I'm not sure why really, the atmospheric house & sets coupled with the murder mystery plot & a name like Frankie Howerd surely makes this worth releasing on a digital format? Surprisingly well shot with some Hammer horror style atmospherics & Victorian era production design. The murders occur off-screen & there's no real blood or gore in it.
The imposing house featured in The House in Nightmare Park was actually Oakley Court in Windsor in Berkshire which was used for all manner of films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) & lots of Hammer horror films including Dracula (1958), The Brides of Dracula (1960), The Plague of the Zombies (1966) & The Reptile (1966). The cast is great, Frankie Howerd puts in a good performance full of sly sexual innuendos & funny faces while Ray Milland as the villain is also good.
The House in Nightmare Park is a fun horror comedy murder mystery with a great atmosphere that works surprisingly well on many levels, while maybe not for all tastes I found it highly amusing & very watchable. Much better than expected, while not as out & out funny as Carry on Screaming (1966) it's creepier by far. -
BA_Harrison18 May 2020Struggling 'master of the spoken word' Foster Twelvetrees (Frankie Howerd) is hired to give a performance at the spooky stately home of the Henderson family, unaware that he is also a Henderson and heir to both the estate and the vast fortune of diamonds that lies hidden within. But will he live long enough to find out about his inheritance?
"Titter ye not!", as Frankie Howerd would say, and there's pretty good chance that you won't, even if you were raised on a steady diet of '70s British comedy and Carry On films. I'm a big fan of Howerd's droll humour and sly innuendo, but the succession of stale gags on offer in The House in Nightmare Park did little to make me chuckle.
I'm not saying that the film isn't enjoyable -- as a fan of the 'old dark house' format, I appreciated the creepiness, murder and mayhem -- but while this spoof of all things that go bump in the dark is fun, it isn't all that funny. Howerd does his best, but the material just isn't up to standard, meaning that those who tuned in for 90 minutes of side splitting double-entendres and general bawdiness will leave feeling rather disappointed.
Director Peter Sykes (whose previous film was the lacklustre Hammer thriller Demons of the Mind) conjures up some genuinely creepy moments - the homicidal old lady in the attic, the macabre Dance of the Dolls performed by the Hendersons, and the exploration of the snake house are actually superb - which makes one wonder whether this film would have worked much better if it had been played for real scares rather than for laughs.
N.B.: A lingering shot of a chandelier suggests that the crystals are actually the missing diamonds. They're not.
N.B. again: The marvellously gothic titular house is actually The Oakley Court in Berkshire, England (now a hotel), as seen in several Hammer horror movies and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Well worth a gander if you're ever in the area. -
Prismark1027 July 2020Frankie Howerd had a career renaissance several years before he died. However some years after his death he was exposed as a sex pest.
Howerd had hidden his homosexuality when he was alive. After he died, many men, some of them who became famous in later years would tell how Howerd would claim to have a bad back. He would then ask them to rub ointment on his back, soon exposing himself.
I saw The House in Nightmare Park several times as a kid. Made by EMI, it is a step up in quality from his other films. The low budget Carry Ons and movie versions of his television character Lurkalot.
Set in 1907. Howerd plays hammy actor Foster Twelvetrees invited by Stewart Hendersen (Ray Milland) to perform for his family at their stately Gothic mansion.
Foster is happy to oblige for the money. However the Hendersen family are rather sinister with an unhealthy interest in the Hindu goddess Kali ma. Foster is in fact the heir to a family fortune. He might also know the whereabouts of some hidden diamonds.
Soon people start to die and someone is trying to bump off Foster so others in the Henderson family can inherit.
This is an old dark house comedy mystery with shades of Psycho with a host of sinister characters and blustering idiots. If you are scared of snakes then you might want to avoid it.
It is amusingly quirky and silly. Howerd is served with a decent enough script. This probably was the last time that Milland made a movie in his native Britain.
John Bennett plays the Indian manservant Patel. I am not sure why he was the go to guy for ethnic parts. Bennett's most notorious part these days was playing the Chinese hypnotist Li H'sen Chang in Doctor Who. -
malcolmgsw14 October 2019I have never found this film funny or horrific.Seems as if the writer borrowed a lot of the plot from Ten Little Indians.Howerd has his usual. Quota of exclamations.Ray Milland walks through his part
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Stink_Face12 December 2008First off this is the only review I've ever posted for a film, so that must say something about how strongly I feel for this one in particular, it really is a good film and I assure you is most enjoyable, you will not regret watching it.
Secondly I would like to Pooh-Pooh The_Void from Beverley Hills, England's review (see above or below or wherever it is located) what utter tosh! this film is remarkable, a great cast, great atmosphere, engaging story of horror and in-family skulduggery, I don't know what film you were watching mate but to be honest you say that the jokes fell flat and blah, blah, blah but you then put your very own handle as "The_Void from Beverley Hills, England" is that supposed to be some sort of "funny" joke? Well, if that's the extent of your humour, no wonder you didn't enjoy this flick.
This is a very rare film and if you get the chance to catch it I'd seriously recommend it. -
The_Void1 October 2007Well...despite the fact that many people find this film funny, I really can't say it did much at all for me. I found The House in Nightmare Park to be derivative, unimaginative and really rather boring - Frankie Howerd in the lead role didn't do much for me either. Horror films (and horror comedies) about a family/bunch of people in an old house always seem to revolve around a hidden fortune, and this film is no different, which is a shame. The film is directed by Peter Sykes, who also directed two of the lesser Hammer films in To The Devil a Daughter and Demons of the Mind, and while this film is actually slightly better than those two; it didn't do anything to improve my opinion of the man at the helm. The plot focuses on Foster Twelvetrees, an actor who is hired by the mysterious and sinister Henderson family to perform at the house. It soon transpires that somewhere on the property is buried treasure, and naturally everyone in the house wants to find it - and they're happy to do that, even if it does mean bumping off the others in the process.
The film is meant to be a horror comedy, although it doesn't provide a balance between the two - rather, it's a comedy with some atmosphere and a creaky old house thrown in. Frankie Howerd is a popular comedian for a reason, but all the same; his style of humour doesn't appeal to me much. There's nothing particularly wrong with his performance in this film; he leads it well and keeps things mostly interesting. There aren't a great deal of standout moments in the film and a lot of the jokes aren't funny. The plot moves well, but it's always obvious where it's going, especially for me since I've seen this sort of thing many times before. Ray Milland pops up in a supporting role and gives the film a bit of much needed class. The locations aren't bad and the country house itself is a foreboding presence. The ending doesn't come as much of a surprise, although the build up to it is the best part of the film. The House in Nightmare Park has its fans, but as I've made quite clear - I'm not one of them! -
kathriley-203-9480268 September 2017This has become a bit of a cult film for our family. Two branches meet and we have to watch house on nightmare park. Yes the humour is crass, but we love it. We know the one liners and get a kick out of being the first to say them, ' I was only showing her my little Nell', ' you filthy swine' etc. Excellent British non pic humour.
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henry8-318 August 2019Howerd's character - a dreadful stage actor - is hired by Milland to perform at the family home. As the film progresses, the reasons become clearer.
It really depends the degree to which you find very British comedian Frankie Howerd funny. If you do this is a harmless and rather fun bit of old dark house whimsy. If not, it's probably better to avoid -
gridoon202411 November 2020"The House In Nightmare Park" is old-fashioned by design (which is not a bad thing), but also draggy and dull (which is). To give you a sample of the level of humor on display, Frankie Howerd is asked at one point "Do you play (the piano) by ear?", to which he responds "No, I use my fingers". That's probably the best joke in the film....There is a good twist near the very end, but it's a case of too little, too late. The best thing about all of this is far and away that magnificent house - a feast for the eyes inside and out; I'd love to visit it and even stay there overnight! (edit: further research reveals it's the same house where other films such as "Murder By Death" were also shot, and is now a luxury hotel!). ** out of 4.
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riggo-7350310 April 2020It could've been much better... some scenes are brilliant like the dance of the dolls... the atmosphere is good too but the script just misses to create a smooth complete film
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smithers-510 May 1999This would be a fairly ordinary British seventies film but for its two main stars. This is a rare opportunity to see Frankie Howard in a starring role, and he does not disappoint. Ray Milland, too, is at his best, as a less camp (and in my view superior) version of Vincent Price. Direction is good, and tension and atmosphere are maintained well throughout the film. A must for Frankie Howard fans.
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mark.waltz15 May 2021It's obvious that veteran oscar-winning actor Ray milland wanted to keep working as long as he can, and with the success of "Love Story", he was everywhere, particularly in campy horror movies. In fact, next to Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee, Milland probably appeared in just as many science fiction and horror films as they did. Here, he's the patriarch of a wealthy family who has an isolated country house and has invited comic Frankie Howerd there for a weekend for mysterious reasons, and with the whole slew of wacky relatives and other weird guests, there seems to be several attempts on various people's lives, allegedly by a crazy mother who gives Norman Bates' mom some rivalry in the wacko department.
This is a fun but average horror comedy, filled with attempted butcher knife murders (one which could have slit Howerd down the middle), and it's about the hint of horror, not the actual blood and guts. It's pretty obvious why Howerd has been invited, but who cares, because it's about everything going on and the suspense building that makes it fun.
The mixture of comedy and grand guignol has worked a lot of times over the years, and when the horror is subtle but the comedy over the top, you end up with fun results that are perfect for a small darkened room and someone to share the scares with. I can see that Howerd is a comic actor who may not be everybody's cup of poisoned tea, but he reacts hysterically to the things going on around him. Milland is imperious and the more uppity he gets, the funnier he is. There's nobody of note in the featured cast but they do pretty good jobs with the material given. This is an old fashioned old dark house film, a subject matter that has stood the test of time, and even though it's predictable, there are still plenty of surprises to make it fresh. -
iwan_williams15 January 2007I have seen this film, or movie if you prefer, on a couple of occasions and found it very entertaining.
Critics of the film have over the years said it would have been so much better with Bob Hope in the lead role, but this is surely the kind of role that Hope, albeit very effectively, played to excess through his career? so its nice to see another actor have a stab at a 'Hope-esque' role.
Howerd breezes through the film delivering his lines with a 'poker' face, as only he could, and seems to be rather enjoying the experience. I would say that this is one of his more engaging performances.
Some scenes are superbly weird, especially the family's 'living marionette' act, at the end of which Howerd asks in his memorable diction "I wonder what they do for an encore?"
Watching this film is a very passable way of spending a couple of hours! -
Coventry18 August 2019I've seen some crazy films with absurdly far-fetched storylines in my days, but I can safely state that "The House in Nightmare Park" has one of the most bonkers and wickedly convoluted scripts I ever beheld. Well, actually, I'm not sure there even was a script! It looks as if the film may be adapted from a stage play but, I swear, it often feels as if the plot simply got improvised as they went along! Don't get me wrong, though, it's a hugely entertaining and immensely creative hybrid between whodunit-mystery, comedy and horror, but it's practically impossible to write a half-decent synopsis! The titular house is the gathering place for four siblings that are awaiting the death of their oldest brother Victor and greedily look forward to the inheritance. The patriarch Stewart (the fantastic and versatile Ray Milland) hired the clumsy but good-hearted stage actor Foster Twelvetrees; - supposedly to provide some distracting amusement during the evenings, but it's quite evident that Twelvetrees got lured to the house for other and much more macabre reasons! Absolutely nothing or nobody in this house is even remotely normal. The silent and grumpy sister nurtures an impressive collection of killer snakes in the basement, the entire family performs in genuinely spooky dance/sing-along acts and their hatchet-wielding old hag of a mother is locked away in the highest attic! The gags and comical aspects nearly don't always work, but when they do "The House in Nightmare Park" is downright laugh-out-loud funny. I'm personally not very familiar with lead actor Frankie Howerd, who resembles Albert Finney but with goofier grimaces, but he's good and carries the film rather well. The patience of horror fanatics is tested for quite long, but when the first murder occurs the rest quickly follows. The biggest trump of "The House of Nightmare Park" is definitely its originality. The plot is full of surprising and ingenious twists, like the final one, for example! The ending is truly one of the most mischievously joyful ones I've ever seen.
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andrewjones8887 September 2014There is nothing new about the old dark house routine...the family members gathering on a stormy night and some hidden treasure in the mix...
The House in Nightmare Park, however, manages to escape the cliché and turns out to be perfect...I wouldn't change anything about the film.
Struggling ham actor and general vain coward Foster Twelvetrees is invited to give some of his "inimitable renditions" (as he calls them) at a remote Gothic country mansion by head of the family Stewart Henderson (Ray Milland)
After being dumped some distance from the house and his bags thrown at him Foster makes his way to the sinister looking mansion. We are shown how well Foster copes with scares when he hears a scream and takes off like a scalded cat. Also note some very good lighting and close ups with the lightning effects as Foster firsts sees the house. Very well done. Ray Milland is faultless in his portrayal of Stuart Henderson. Some of his looks of disbelief at Foster's acting are priceless.
What ensues for the rest of the film is an amazing blend of comedy (sometimes subtle sometimes blatant) superb camera work and lighting and of course first class acting from all concerned. Another star of the film that must be acknowledged is the interior set used. The imposing Oakley court was used for the exterior shots so the interior had to be equally intriguing. The film is set in 1907 and the interior of the Henderson home captures the faded charm of the recently ended Victorian era. The wall paper, carpets, fire places all pay tribute to this era as well as conveying it in a slightly run down format. The well worn look has been very well dealt with. Finishing touches such as damp running down the wall near Foster's bedroom at to the effect. The Henderson family having spent a number of years in India have converted to the Hindu faith and brought back statues of the goddess Kali. This aspect worked very well and added a new dimension.
Things don't get any easier for our cowardly hero Foster as more of the Henderson family turn up in the middle of the night under mysterious circumstances, a bed ridden Henderson is discovered..Or is he? , and to top it all a deranged old lady hidden in the attic offers him tea and then tries to end his ham acting career with a meat clever. Some excellent comic moments are shown between Hugh Burden as Reggie Henderson and Howard. Reggie takes an instant dislike to Foster and a series of mini stand offs come and go. These range from a battle over the last egg at breakfast (complete with antique silver in true mansion style) to Foster being called a swine endlessly. Another attempt on Foster's life comes in the form of a third Henderson brother named Ernest. Ernest and his wife Agnes are more switched on than Reggie and I dare say a lot more murderous. After quickly working out Foster is the key to finding a missing fortune in diamonds they try to bump him off with an injection of poison to the gums! Ernest is posing as a dentist while actually a vet! Kenneth Griffith turns in a top notch performance as Ernest if a bit short on air time.
The Henderson family and their "dance of the dolls" routine is a mix of the bizarre with hilarity and sinister over tones added. The camera work is again top notch and you get the effect like looking in the back of the spoon.
I first taped this film many years ago on VHS late one night. It never seems to be shown on TV so I had a long wait until it was realised on DVD. The wait was worthwhile. The quality is excellent; visually it looks like it was made yesterday. Director Peter Sykes had already directed a hammer horror film prior to The House In Nightmare Park so you get his amazing use of odd camera angles and creepy lighting shown off to the max. I don't believe the horror element would have worked as well if a director with no horror film experience had been hired. Sykes also does another brilliant thing... He keeps Frankie Howard's performance from getting to over the top and too full of ooooo aaaaa's the balance is great. I once read that Howard thought this was his best film. I certainly believe it is.
I hope you enjoy this film as much as I do; it seems to have a timeless charm. Ps, spare a thought for poor Foster Twelvetrees as he's left alone on his newly acquired bleak estate digging for diamonds. I wonder if he ever found them. -
ShadeGrenade2 December 2006Frankie Howerd was enjoying something of a career renaissance in the early '70's, thanks to 'Up Pompeii!', going on to star in three feature length spin-offs, the last of which was 'Up The Front!' in 1973. Also that year he starred in this curio, a delightfully old fashioned comedy thriller in the mold of 'The Cat And The Canary'.
Howerd plays 'Foster Twelvetrees', a ham Shakespearian actor invited to give a performance at the house of the sinister Henderson family. Somewhere on the premises is buried treasure, and someone is determined to find it - even if it means committing murder.
As you'd expect in a Frankie Howerd movie, the saucy jokes come thick and fast. But the reason why I've given this unusual British film a ten out of ten rating is because it expertly mixes comedy with terror. The shot of a defaced poster of Twelvetrees just before the opening credits is accompanied by a blood-curdling scream - perfectly setting the tone for what follows. The scene in the snake house, the live puppet show, and Twelvetrees almost being butchered with a meat cleaver by an insane old woman are unusually strong by comedy standards. Credit for this must not only go to the underrated director Peter Sykes, but writers Clive Exton and Terry Nation. The latter had written for Tony Hancock a decade earlier, as well as creating the Daleks for 'Dr.Who' so he knew all about scaring audiences.
The presence of Ray Milland adds class to the film and marks it out from the other British comedies around at the time. My favourite supporting character, though, is played by Hugh Burden, muttering 'swine!' under his breath each time he claps eyes on Twelvetrees. 'Park' came out on Network D.V.D. some time ago, and I would unhesitatingly recommend it to people even if they weren't fans of Mr.Howerd. -
trimmerb12348 January 2015Frankie Howerd had a successful but oddly variable career. A big name comedian/comedic actor from the '50's to the '70s then a decline. His career though ended on a triumphal high as a national treasure in the 1990s when a new and discerning audience showed their appreciation for his unique comic talents, the last in a line which extended back to the high traditions of the Victorian Music Hall. For those who appreciate Frankie Howard, this film was never equalled. Somehow the script, the direction and the other players combined to give him the best of platforms for his talents. And even the respected supporting players, playing their typical roles, were at their very best: Hugh Burden the blustering ex-soldier, Rosalie Crutchley of the dark, forbidding look (I received a warmer version once) even John Bennett. All were at the top of their games and allowed space to individually shine.
The presence of a real Hollywood star is often a bolt-on affair, done to get entry into the American market, the rest of the cast crushingly obligated to flatter the star's ego. Here though the great Ray Milland positions himself almost as a supporting player, amused, tongue-in-cheek, observing others fully blossom. The final blessing was a script which had Frankie Howerd as a rather hammy actor who made a living out of Dickens readings. It gave him the perfect platform for his considerable talents.
I had never seen the film before, seemingly its only airing on the most obscure of British satellite channels. But these channels have become the only place where excellent British films that would otherwise disappear without trace, their very existence unsuspected, can be seen. Our self-regarding public service broadcasters for some reason serve up a mixture of 30% Westerns, 20% war films, 20% endlessly repeated famous old British classics and modern British clone violent heist films - all in continuous loop. Wit, charm and talent are rare. The best of British post '60s even to as recent as 2011 meanwhile is reduced to appearing on obscure channels looking to fill their schedules as cheaply but as interestingly as possible. It is as if the best of British film have been condemned only to be found in the manner of remaindered books in a high street bargain book shop. By an odd coincidence where some of the best books are to found. -
The House in Nightmare Park was one of my early introductions to horror, I first saw it on TV before the days of home video when I was a young kid and can remember being more frightened that amused. Several viewings and many more years later I now see it for the fine horror comedy that it is. Most of the plot takes place at a Victorian Gothic mansion, Oakley Court, which just happened to be near Bray Studios, the home of Hammer. And very Hammerish this is. Comic genius Frankie Howerd plays struggling actor Foster Twelvetrees, hired to entertain the rich owners of the house, or so he thinks! I am not a fan of everything Howerd has done but he is on fine form here, very funny but not over the top. Faced with a snake between his legs he says "I hope it's a crusher, not a biter". He has many verbal run-ins with a character played by Hugh Burden, "Who is this oaf?" "Oaf? This oaf is Foster Twelvetrees and which oaf are you?" And so on, and so on. The great Ray Milland plays the head of the house, I always enjoy watching him. Some of the humour may now be considered politically incorrect these days by some and double entendres abound but it's a product of its time and I see nothing wrong in that. And to the horror, we have the wonderful house itself, swirling mists, a cleaver wielding mad woman and a basement full of snakes, which all provide some genuine chills. A fine example of horror and comedy, not always an easy combination to get right but they certainly did with this one.