Hillbillys in a Haunted House
(1967), 80 min. color

Hillbillys in a Haunted House is a mix between a musical comedy and a spy thriller. With the exception of the performances of Basil Rathbone and John Carradine, Hillbillys in a Haunted House appears to have been cast with amateurs. Ferlin Husky sings well, but can’t act. Unless you love country music, you’ll probably hear way too much of it in this film. Just about everyone except Basil sings a pitiful song. The tag line for the film is: "They’ll scare your pants off . . . and give you a chill for life!" This film is definitely NOT scary, and NOT funny. It’s just plain NOT good.

In this film three country-western singers, Woody (Ferlin Husky), Jeepers (Don Bowman), and Boots (Joi Lansing), are on their way to a Jamboree in Nashville. Riding in an open-top convertible, they notice that a storm is coming up. Since they cannot raise the top of the convertible, they decide to stop and rest in Sleepy Junction. They are told that there is no hotel in town, but that they can stay in the old Beauregard mansion.

The Beauregard mansion is supposedly abandoned (and haunted), but a ring of spies, working for the evil Dr. Fu, has set up headquarters in the basement. Their goal is to steal a secret formula for rocket propellant from a nearby military installation. They have created some special visual effects and sounds to make the mansion appear haunted, and thus keep nosy visitors away. For some unexplained reason, the spies also keep a gorilla in a cage in the basement. (Why would spies have a gorilla?)

Linda Ho, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine

Gregor (Rathbone) and Dr. Himmel (Carradine) discuss what to do about the visitors.

The "good guys" in the movie are agents with the Master Organization To Halt Enemy Resistance (M.O.T.H.E.R.). (Because this film was made during the time that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a popular TV series, a similar acronym was used.) Following a lead that the spies are in the haunted house, a MOTHER agent arrives to investigate.

Meanwhile the gorilla gets out of the cage, goes upstairs and grabs Boots, carrying her back to the basement. There she is tied up and interrogated. Woody and Jeepers then start looking all  around the house, trying to find Boots. The MOTHER agent joins in the search and discovers a secret entrance to the basement headquarters. While attempting to flee, the spies encounter a real ghost. After a silly chase scene and a tussle on the floor, the hillbillies and the MOTHER agent capture the spies. The three hillbilly entertainers then continue on their way to Nashville. The last ten minutes or so of the film is a real treat for country & western music fans. At the Jamboree, songs are performed by the three stars, Ferlin Husky, Joi Lansing, and Don Bowman, as well as Merle Haggard, Marcella Wright, and Molly Bee.

The spies are played by John Carradine, Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Linda Ho. Merle Haggard and his band make an appearance at the mansion as neighbors, curious about the lights and noise they heard. They sang two songs at that point in the film and another song at the Jamboree at the end of the film.

Gregor spies on the visitors.

Gregor contacts the spy organization's headquarters.

Hillbillys in a Haunted House was Rathbone’s last film — a sad epitaph for one of the world’s greatest actors. It would have been nice if the films Rathbone made in his final years were at least good films. The Comedy of Terrors (1963) was the last good film Rathbone made.

"Hillbillys" was also the final film that the director Jean Yarbrough made, and the last film that Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine made together. In this film, Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney Jr., and John Carradine appeared together again for the first time since The Black Sleep (1956).

Filming started in December under the working title Ghost Party. Basil Rathbone worked two weeks on "Hillbillys," earning $5000 per week. The total budget for the film was $240,000.  

Of Basil Rathbone, producer Bernard Woolner said, "He was a real gentleman, and we all enjoyed working with him. There was one minor problem. The premium for the cast insurance on that picture really skyrocketed. When I inquired as to the reason, my agent told me it was because of Rathbone being in his seventies. Well, his age certainly didn't stop him from giving a good performance ... and that was the important thing." (quoted in Michael Druxman, Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films)

Hillbillys in a Haunted House is a sequel to the 1966 film Las Vegas Hillbillys, which also starred Ferlin Husky. According to the January 18, 1967 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor, the Woolner Bros were planning another "Hillbillys" film to be called Hillbillys in Outer Space. Good Grief! I can't even imagine how bad that film would have been.

Filming of Hillbillys in a Haunted House was completed in January 1967, and preproduction work on Hillbillys in Outer Space began in January. Released in May 1967, Hillbillys in a Haunted House died a quick death at the box office.

Waiting to hear if the mission is successful.

John Carradine, Joi Lansing, and Basil Rathbone

"Hillbillys" has the dubious distinction of being included in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. (It's #35 on the list.)

See more photos and reviews on Page Two. See Posters, Lobby Cards and Promo Photos on Page Three!
 

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Images on this page are from the film "Hillbillys in a Haunted House," copyright Woolner Bros.

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All original content is copyright Marcia Jessen, 2023