Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) inherits haunted Cuban plantation, Castillo Maldito, on the mysterious Black Island. No one has survived a night at the place for the last twenty years. Parada (Paul Lukas) offers to buy it, but she gets a call from stranger Ramon Mederos (Anthony Quinn) who warns her not to sell. Meanwhile, radio host Larry Lawrence (Bob Hope) exposes crime boss Frenchy Duval. He goes to meet Frenchy and mistakenly assumes that he shot a man. He goes to hide in Mary's apartment. Alex (Willie Best) is his manservant. Mary's friend Geoff Montgomery tells them about zombies.
This should be a simple haunted house horror comedy. The first hour is way too complicated. Even with the convoluted start, the simple way to get the group to the mansion is Larry taking Mary hostage. He could try to hide in her haunted mansion and it really doesn't have to be in Cuba. It takes almost an hour to get to the mansion and I don't know why anybody is going there. As for the characters, Willie Best is doing his usual scared idiot negro role. It's dated, but it is what it is. Bob Hope is doing his usual clownish scared everyman. They are well suited to be scared in a screwball horror comedy and that's enough to be funny. They should go there with Mary. I don't know why they split up. Once they get to the mansion, it's a fine horror comedy.
This should be a simple haunted house horror comedy. The first hour is way too complicated. Even with the convoluted start, the simple way to get the group to the mansion is Larry taking Mary hostage. He could try to hide in her haunted mansion and it really doesn't have to be in Cuba. It takes almost an hour to get to the mansion and I don't know why anybody is going there. As for the characters, Willie Best is doing his usual scared idiot negro role. It's dated, but it is what it is. Bob Hope is doing his usual clownish scared everyman. They are well suited to be scared in a screwball horror comedy and that's enough to be funny. They should go there with Mary. I don't know why they split up. Once they get to the mansion, it's a fine horror comedy.