Although made in the 1950s, “Night of the Ghouls” did not get a release until 1984. Directed by Ed Wood (“Plan 9 From Outer Space”), the movie is actually sequel to his movie “Bride of the Monster”. Like a lot of Ed Wood movies, you will find yourself rather amused by a lot of it.

After several people claim to see ghosts near a place that used to be the home of a mad scientist, the police decide to investigate. They find a spiritualist con artist (Kenne Duncan), who is on the verge of deceiving some elderly rich folks. However, something even more sinister appears to be going on.

You have to love the performances in Ed Wood’s movies because they are always terrible but they are never boring. The con artist is named Dr. Acula and he has a great scene where he conducts a phony séance. Tor Johnson (“The Beast Of Yucca Flats”) and Criswell, who are both Ed Wood movie regulars have roles. Johnson plays Lobo, the same character he played in “Bride of the Monster” and that is the only real connection between the two movies. All the performances are very cheesy and it’s hard to watch this film with a straight face.

The séance scene is like something out of a film with Mel Brooks (“Spaceballs”) as it features cartoonish whistle sounds, a floating trumpet and the cheapest ghost I have ever seen in a movie. If you like cheesy 50s movies then why not have a marathon and sit through this, “Robot Monster”, “The Giant Claw” and end it with Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 From Outer Space”. The average person will not care about “Night of the Ghouls” but for those that need to hunt down more low-budget 50s horror flicks, you might want to search around for this one.