The Screaming Skull (1958)

Starring John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Russ Conway, Tony Johnson, Alex Nicol
Directed by Alex Nicol
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A newly married couple move into the home he inherited from his deceased first wife, and the bride is disturbed by her mysterious death and terrible visions she experiences of a disembodied skull.

Although the picture is far from being truly horrific, despite an opening scene promising to pay for the funerals of audience members who die from fright, there is still a bit of craft in the film's construction, and distinguished radio actress Webber has a memorable presence.  Composer Ernest Gold mixes the familiar "Dies Irae" chant into a foreboding main title, and provides some other eerie melodies which are effective.  As a whole however, the film is perhaps a bit too low budget and flatly photographed to rank favorably among other psychological horror films of this type, and comes off as a bargain basement version of The Haunting or The Innocents, although I admired some of the visuals, particularly when a ghost manifests itself at the movie's climax.  Director Nicol also plays the role of the mentally retarded gardener.