Hillbillys in a Haunted House

Frankenstein met the Wolfman, and they both met Abbott and Costello, so why shouldn't country music greats Ferlin Husky and Merle Haggard meet Basil Rathbone and Lon Chaney, Jr? No reason a'tall. I was hoping for a real hoedown here, even though I'm not sure what a hoedown is. Well, actually, a hoedown seems to be a "square dance." At least that's what the Merriam Webster link on my toolbar came up with, in which case a hoedown isn't what I was hoping for, after all. A Ferlin Husky-Lon Chaney, Jr. duet on a country classic, perhaps "Your Cheatin' Heart," or something else from the pen of Hank Williams, would have been nice, but, alas, it was not to be. As a result, "Hillbillies in a Haunted House" fails to live up to its considerable potential. I suppose that for Basil Rathbone, who would die in the year of this film's release, appearing in this movie is no worse than doing an infomercial for a Helsinki baldness cure, which is what aged, down on their luck actors seem to do these days, although it would have been nice to see the screen's greatest Sherlock Holmes go out with more style than is evident here.

It is a sad sight indeed watching three veteran stars of the silver screen, and in particular the horror genre, be reduced to nothing more than scenery in an otherwise drab, dreary, dull film about a trio of country western singers holed up in a haunted house for the night. Ferlin Husky and Joi Lansing(as Boots Malone) and Don Hall inadvertantly stumble upon a haunted house being used by agents against an organization(MOTHER). When they are not running from being scared, each one 'entertains' us with a good ole country classic. All in all I counted no fewer than 14...yes count 'em....14 songs sung by the trio, a band of passers-by that just happen to sing as a group, two people on television sing for the Country Western Hour, and at the end of the film, when the story about the agents and the house has all been cleared up...at least six songs that go one after the other and the picture abruptly ends. This is not a horror picture. It is not even a picture with a real story. It is just an excuse to showcase what little talent the singers have. Now to be fair, Merle Haggard does a couple numbers, and a few of the songs aren't too terrible. But why make a movie like this....why star three of the genre greats and then give them little to do? Basil Rathbone certainly deserved better than this for his last(or next to last film). He is good in his small role and his scenes with John Carradine are fun to watch as they wade through the atrocious dialogue given to them. And what about poor Lon? It looks like he just woke up from a weekend bender. Again a shame for such a good actor! Despite these many...many shortcomings(and as I stated earlier there were at least 14)...Hillbillys in a Haunted House should be required viewing for serious genre fans just to have a few good real hearty laughs and to see those great men..even though not at their best...one last time. Other than that, the only other saving grace is easily Ms. Lansing and her stiffening blouse...a real treat for the eyes!

I've wanted to see HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE for nigh onto half a century, since I first noticed it in Steven Scheuer's (sp?) movie guide and saw that it starred Sherlock Holmes! By which I meant Basil Rathbone. I wanted to see it because.... well, to understand how Basil Rathbone could be in a movie called HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE. To my youthful mind, full of 1960s idealism and similar nonsense, it all seemed as unlikely as.... well, as Basil Rathbone being in a movie called HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE, if not more so. Doubtless, since he was Sherlock Holmes, he would explain and it would be obvious ever after.

Well, decades have passed and I have become wiser -- some would say more cynical, but that's just the attitude I've come to expect from the 'oi polloi. Many other people have played Holmes, although none so entertainingly, and still my interest in seeing HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE has not slackened, until this evening, when I came home from the barber, freshly shorn, to find on my dvr....guess what?

If you guessed HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE, then you've guessed correctly and you must explain how you did it. Once upon a time I would have found it awful beyond words, but time has taught me many words, -- most of which I cannot use here -- the meaning of Ham & Bud and Paulie Shore, and I've seen Buster Keaton in THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI, and Mickey Rooney reduced to a bit part in NIGHT IN THE MUSEUM 2, and Maya Angelou in CALYPSO HEAT WAVE, a Sam Katzman movie. So, after noting that 1960s pop/country is not one of my preferred genres, that the cobbled plot of hillbillies, haunted houses and spies is just as unimportant as all the other movies which serve to string together teenage songs in sub-AIP fare, I will note that Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine and Basil Rathbone perform their scene with a guy in a gorilla costume as well as they can be expected to and it is simply average awful. Even if I think Don Bowman, playing Jeepers is just how I would have imagined a character named Jeepers in 1967.

This movie is one of the worse movies I have ever watched!!! There isn't even anything "haunted" about this movie except maybe some fake hanging skeleton dangling on a wall. All the actors were terrible as well and to have brung some of the famous horror actors in this film is just giving them all bad credit. They must have been desperate and at the end of their career's to have been in this flop. There is nothing haunted about this movie except watching this film! This one deserves a 0!!

I love exploitation flicks, but this is the bottom of the barrel. This sequel to LAS VEGAS HILLBILLYS is trash of a new kind. No MUNSTERS or BEVERLY HILLBILLIES episode was ever this lame. Ferlin Husky is terrible and the guy who plays Jeepers is a complete idiot. Joi Lansing, although pretty with a great body, is a poor replacement for Mamie Van Doren in the first film, as Boots Malone.

I gave this a 2 instead of a 1 because of the title and John Carradine maintains his dignity (somehow). Basil Rathbone looks uncomfortable. Lon Chaney, Jr. looks to be in pain. Linda Ho is boring. Terrible music and creepy color. Best performance = Anatole the gorilla. LAS VEGAS HILLBILLYS was bad enough to be fun..but this one - sorry folks.