The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959): Cast & Plot
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake is a 1959 mystery horror film directed by Edward L. Cahn, starring Eduard Franz as Jonathan Drake, Valerie French and Paul Cavanagh. It runs 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 10m (70 min)
- Director
- Edward L. Cahn
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Vogue Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake About?
The premise of The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Jonathan Drake attends his brother’s funeral only to discover the corpse’s head is missing. Later the skull appears locked inside a cabinet, prompting Drake to uncover an ancient curse his grandfather incurred from the South American Jivaro Indians. The curse now threatens to claim Drake as its next victim. The film is written, produced, and directed specifically to frighten audiences.
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Themes & Keywords
· 26 tags- psychotronic film
- tribe's shrunken heads
- skulls
- lie
- gun
- family relationships
- skull
- curse
- funeral
- native american
- mysterious death
- murder investigation
+14 more Show fewer
- headless corpse
- closed casket
- beheading
- witch doctor
- detective
- family secret
- family curse
- zombie
- shrunken head
- curare
- decapitation
- voodoo
- family crypt
- character name in title
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Cast & Characters
Eduard Franz leads the cast as Jonathan Drake, with Valerie French as Alison Drake and Paul Cavanagh as Kenneth Drake. Directed by Edward L. Cahn; 14 actors are credited in all.
- Director Edward L. Cahn
- Eduard Franz as Jonathan Drake
- Valerie French as Alison Drake
- Paul Cavanagh as Kenneth Drake
- Paul Wexler as Zutai
Also Starring in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake
· 10 more- Grant Richards Lt. Jeff Rowan
- Howard Wendell Dr. George Bradford
- Henry Daniell Dr. Emil Zurich
- Frank Gerstle Det. Lee Coulter
- Bert Stevens Mourner at Funeral (uncredited)
- Arthur Tovey Minister at Funeral (uncredited)
- Hans Moebus Mourner (uncredited)
- Lumsden Hare Rogers, the butler
- Jonathan Hole Funeral Director (uncredited)
- Anthony Redondo Attendant (uncredited)
More from Edward L. Cahn
More films directed by Edward L. Cahn: Incident in an Alley, Beauty and the Beast, Secret of Deep Harbor and You Have to Run Fast.
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Plot Summary
What happens in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Professor Jonathan Drake Eduard Franz contemplates a shrunken head and envisions a unsettling trio of floating skulls, a vivid omen that unsettles him as he prepares to reach out to his family. He asks his daughter Alison Drake Valerie French to dispatch a telegram to his 60-year-old brother Kenneth Drake Paul Cavanagh, telling him that Jonathan will visit on Thursday. The suspense tightens as the clock ticks toward the arrival, weaving a sense of fate around the Drake lineage.
Full summary
The whole story of The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, scene by scene
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake.
How Well Do You Know The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which character asks his daughter to send a telegram inviting his brother to visit?
Cars in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake
5 cars on screen, including the 1958 Ford Custom 300 and the 1958 Ford Custom 300.
-
1958 Ford Custom 300 Important role -
1958 Ford Custom 300 Important role -
1958 Dodge Sierra Minor role -
1958 Ford Custom 300 Minor role
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Also Known As
4 alternative titles, including “Le Poignard de bambou” and “Die vier Schädel des Jonathan Drake”.
- Also known as
-
- Le Poignard de bambou
- Die vier Schädel des Jonathan Drake
- Les Quatre Cranes De Jonathan Drake
- 魔医
Seen The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake?
Movies Like The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Skull, Scalps and The House on Skull Mountain.
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake?
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake runs 1 hour 10 minutes (70 minutes).
When was The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake released?
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake was released on November 13, 1959.
Who directed The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake?
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake was directed by Edward L. Cahn.
More films by Edward L. Cahn Who is in the cast of The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake?
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake stars Eduard Franz as Jonathan Drake, Valerie French as Alison Drake and Paul Cavanagh as Kenneth Drake, among 14 credited actors.
Does The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake have a post-credit scene?
No. The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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