The Four Skulls of Jonathon Drake used to play on Channel 32 when I was a kiddie. It undoubtedly was featured on Screaming Yellow Theater, the home of the original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, in the early ’70s. When it came out on DVD many years ago I was elated, and it was one of the first things I showed at a T-Fest. Most had never seen it, and to my delight, it was a hit. Everyone loved it as much as I did, and without the boon of childhood nostalgia.
Truly, the movie is one of those that somehow is more than the sum of its parts. It has a couple of really great moments, but on the face of it I can’t explain what makes it quite so delightful. Chad R once opined (I think when we were watching 1933’s The Secret of the Blue Room), “This is exactly the right kind of hokum.” The Four Skulls of Jonathon Drake is exactly the right kind of hokum.
Available for viewing on Amazon Prime.
