Eccentric and macabre magician Duke Duquesne (The Joker himself, Cesar Romero) passes away, bringing his estranged daughter Cassie back to Los Angeles for the funeral. Twenty years ago his wife disappeared and he sent his daughter to live with family in Wisconsin. Soon after, he vanished from the public eye but not from their memories. Always the showman, Duke has made a promise he will return from the grave, not making it easier on himself, he’s buried in a chained coffin with a viewing window. A reporter senses a story and attempts to get in the good graces of the grieving girl, leaving out his profession. Duke leaves everything to his daughter (which his manager Buzz and housekeeper Dolly seem to take rather well) under the condition she spends a minimum of seven nights in his estate, in hope that their connection will allow his spirit to return. If she fails to last the week, Buzz and Dolly get to split the 300,000 dollar estate down the middle. The house is rigged with spook-show jumps but there may actually be something supernatural creeping around. Luckily the reporter is around to help her uncover some of the spooky shenanigans. There’s a locked room that’s a mystery to everyone but Duke (the key was buried with him), some revelations about just how Cassie’s father felt about her, your usual amount of scheming and the guillotine from Duke’s magic act that ties everything together. There’s also a nice touch of oddness and dark humor to make it go down easier.
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