What a Carve Up (1962)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1962
Running Times: 87 mins
Format: black and white     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: New World Pictures
Producers: Robert S. Baker, Monty Berman

SCRIPT
Script: Ray Cooney, Tony Hilton
Novel: The Ghoul by Frank King

DIRECTION
Director: Pat Jackson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Monty Berman

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Gordon Pilkington

MUSIC
Music: Muir Mathieson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Alex Garfath
Costume Designer: Jean Fairlie

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Ivan King

CAST
Kenneth Connor (Ernie)
Sid James (Sid)
Shirley Eaton (Linda Dickson)
Donald Pleasence (Everett Sloane)
Dennis Price (Guy Broughton)
Michael Gough (Fisk)
Valerie Taylor (Janet Broughton)
Michael Gwynn (Malcolm Broughton)
Esma Cannon (Aunt Emily)
Philip O'Flynn (Arkwright)
Timothy Bateson (porter)
Frederick Piper (hearse driver)
George Woodbridge (Edward Broughton)
Adam Faith (himself (uncredited))

PLOT SUMMARY

Ernest Broughton, a nervy proof reader engrossed in a horror novel, learns from a creepy messenger that he's been named in his late uncle's will and sets off for the reading at the obligatory old dark house with his cynical flatmate Sid. At the remote old pile they encounter the usual motley crew one would expect, including a dotty aunt who insists that the supposedly late uncle may not actually be as late as he seems.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Essentially The Ghoul (1933) in comic guise and, with director Pat Jackson's deft touch, it emerges as an extremely funny and likeable film. Unusually for a British comedy horror, Jackson can actually do both effectively, giving as many chills as he does laughs. He seems fully aware that scriptwriters Hilton and Cooney were playing the clichés strictly for laughs and simply joins in to generally very funny effect. James and Connor, having already appeared together in several Carry Ons, were so used to each others styles that their scenes sparkle with expert comic timing and they run through their usual routines to perfection. The supporting cast is also impressively sinister, daffy and naive. All the genre's clichés are gleefully trotted out and lampooned with abandon and the film is all the better for the over-familiarity of its tropes.

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Embassy Pictures Corporation
Video Distributors: Sinister Cinema

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-12

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: U

TIMELINE

1962
September
12: USA – theatrical release

1963
May
31: Finland – theatrical release

November
4: Sweden – theatrical release

1964
March
23: Denmark – theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

It's Corpus Delectable.......

The Gay-Slay of the Year!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Ååh, en sån skräcknatt! - Swedish title
Leiche auf Urlaub – Austrian title
Masser af mord – Danish title
No Place Like Homicide! – US title
Sette allegri cadaveri – Italian title
Voi meitä, kummitus tulee! – Finnish title

LINKS

REMAKE OF
The Ghoul (1933)

KEYWORDS

book into film, old dark houses, remakes

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008