Vincent Price stars in three tales of the macabre based on stories by Edgar Allen Poe.
In the first segment, Price plays Locke, who sent his baby daughter Lenora away, blaming the infant for the death of his beloved wife Morella, who died shortly after childbirth. Now, twenty-six years later, Lenora (Maggie Pierce) returns home to find the place covered in cobwebs and crawling with tarantulas. That would be 'end of story' if it were me -- there's no way I would stay in a house with spiders that big -- but Lenora isn't bothered. She reconciles with her father, but the ghost of Morella is about to stay true to her vow of vengeance...
Price and Pierce put in solid performances for this opening tale of tragedy and revenge, but the ending is confusing and unsatisfactory, making Morella the weakest of the three stories.
Much better is the film's comedic version of the oft-told Poe classic The Black Cat. Peter Lorre plays drunkard Montresor Herringbone, who happens upon a wine-tasting event and challenges the world's foremost wine-taster, Fortunato Luchresi (Price), to a contest. Later, Luchresi escorts the sozzled Montresor back to his home, where he meets Annabelle (Joyce Jameson), Herringbone's surprisingly pretty wife. Time passes, and Montresor wonders why Annabelle has been so happy to give him money to spend in the local boozer; putting two and two together, he returns home early just in time to see Luchresi leaving, bidding fond farewell to Annabelle. Revenge is in order, but Montresor's much-hated black cat proves to be the man's undoing.
The story of The Black Cat will undoubtedly be familiar to most avid horror fans, but this version is particularly memorable thanks to brilliant comedic performances from its stars. Luchresi's affected wine-tasting mannerisms are a hoot, in stark contrast to Herringbone's more uncouth ways, but for me the best moment comes when Luchresi realises he has been drugged: Price's expression and subsequent pratfall is a masterclass in comic timing.
Last up is The Case of M. Valdemar, the creepiest of the three stories. Price plays M. Ernest Valdemar, who is suffering from a terminal disease that leaves him in great pain. To ease his suffering, Ernest hires hypnotist Mr. Carmichael (Basil Rathbone), much to the dismay of Mrs. Helene Valdemar (Debra Paget) and doctor physician Dr. Elliot James (David Frankham), who do not trust the man. Sure enough, Carmichael shows his true colours after putting Valdemar in a trance as he dies, separating the man's spirit from his body. Carmichael refuses to release Valdemar's soul unless Helene agrees to marry him, but Valdemar isn't about to let that happen. Over his dead body, as the saying goes...
Valdemar's disembodied, wailing voice, begging to be released, is genuinely disturbing, while the sight of the man's putrescent oozing corpse pinning Carmichael to the floor is suitably disgusting.
On the whole, this is a mixed bag of the macabre, the tales varying in style and substance, but there's bound to be something to appeal to most horror fans, especially with Price present in all three stories.
In the first segment, Price plays Locke, who sent his baby daughter Lenora away, blaming the infant for the death of his beloved wife Morella, who died shortly after childbirth. Now, twenty-six years later, Lenora (Maggie Pierce) returns home to find the place covered in cobwebs and crawling with tarantulas. That would be 'end of story' if it were me -- there's no way I would stay in a house with spiders that big -- but Lenora isn't bothered. She reconciles with her father, but the ghost of Morella is about to stay true to her vow of vengeance...
Price and Pierce put in solid performances for this opening tale of tragedy and revenge, but the ending is confusing and unsatisfactory, making Morella the weakest of the three stories.
Much better is the film's comedic version of the oft-told Poe classic The Black Cat. Peter Lorre plays drunkard Montresor Herringbone, who happens upon a wine-tasting event and challenges the world's foremost wine-taster, Fortunato Luchresi (Price), to a contest. Later, Luchresi escorts the sozzled Montresor back to his home, where he meets Annabelle (Joyce Jameson), Herringbone's surprisingly pretty wife. Time passes, and Montresor wonders why Annabelle has been so happy to give him money to spend in the local boozer; putting two and two together, he returns home early just in time to see Luchresi leaving, bidding fond farewell to Annabelle. Revenge is in order, but Montresor's much-hated black cat proves to be the man's undoing.
The story of The Black Cat will undoubtedly be familiar to most avid horror fans, but this version is particularly memorable thanks to brilliant comedic performances from its stars. Luchresi's affected wine-tasting mannerisms are a hoot, in stark contrast to Herringbone's more uncouth ways, but for me the best moment comes when Luchresi realises he has been drugged: Price's expression and subsequent pratfall is a masterclass in comic timing.
Last up is The Case of M. Valdemar, the creepiest of the three stories. Price plays M. Ernest Valdemar, who is suffering from a terminal disease that leaves him in great pain. To ease his suffering, Ernest hires hypnotist Mr. Carmichael (Basil Rathbone), much to the dismay of Mrs. Helene Valdemar (Debra Paget) and doctor physician Dr. Elliot James (David Frankham), who do not trust the man. Sure enough, Carmichael shows his true colours after putting Valdemar in a trance as he dies, separating the man's spirit from his body. Carmichael refuses to release Valdemar's soul unless Helene agrees to marry him, but Valdemar isn't about to let that happen. Over his dead body, as the saying goes...
Valdemar's disembodied, wailing voice, begging to be released, is genuinely disturbing, while the sight of the man's putrescent oozing corpse pinning Carmichael to the floor is suitably disgusting.
On the whole, this is a mixed bag of the macabre, the tales varying in style and substance, but there's bound to be something to appeal to most horror fans, especially with Price present in all three stories.