In 1907, an actor is invited to perform in an isolated country house, and becomes involved in mysterious and dangerous events.In 1907, an actor is invited to perform in an isolated country house, and becomes involved in mysterious and dangerous events.In 1907, an actor is invited to perform in an isolated country house, and becomes involved in mysterious and dangerous events.
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Did you know
- TriviaThe real life location which portrayed "The House in Nightmare Park" was the Victorian Gothic house called Oakley Court which was situated near Bray Studios.
- GoofsWhen Foster drops his cases in the forest and goes back into the house, he never picks them up again.
- Quotes
Foster Twelvetrees: Do I play the piano? Does Paganini play the trumpet?
Verity Henderson: Do you play by ear?
Foster Twelvetrees: No, I'm going to use my fingers.
Featured review
Titter ye not!
Struggling '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.
"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.
helpful•45
- BA_Harrison
- May 18, 2020
- How long is The House in Nightmare Park?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Nacht der lachenden Leichen
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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By what name was The House in Nightmare Park (1973) officially released in India in English?
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