I'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.

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.

Frankie 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.