The Vincent Price Movie Review

Released in 1962
Directed by Roger Corman
Written by Richard Matheson, inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short stories

“Bring on the wine! Bring on the wine!”

Tales of Terror is another one of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptation films from the sixties. It consists of three separate story segments: Morella, The Black Cat, and Facts In the Case Of M. Valdemar - with segues narrated by Vincent Price, who plays a different character in each story. Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone star in the second and third segments, respectively. While the first segment is weak, the film improves in the second and third segments due to the comedic stylings of Lorre and the creepy performance of Rathbone.

The first story, Morella, is loosely inspired by the short story of the same name. Despite getting off to a spooky start similar in style to the Pit and the Pendulum and the House of Usher, this segment sputters out in the end. Even Price’s engaging performance fails to bandage the mismatched plot, which left me scratching my head. Thankfully the first segment is only twenty minutes long and we can move on to the next one, which is much more enjoyable.

The second story is more light-hearted than the first. It’s an amalgamation of Poe’s The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado. Peter Lorre plays Montresor, a professional alcoholic who is constantly hassling his wife for drinking money while frequently abusing his poor cat. One evening in a stroke of inebriated luck, he finds himself at a wine tasting convention where he brashly challenges Fortunato (Price), the most respected connoisseur. The tasting competition that ensues is worth a chuckle or two as Price and Lorre try to outdo each other. (it’s reported that they got drunk in real life while filming this scene) The segment takes a darker turn after this when Montresor begins to question his wife’s fidelity and plots revenge, Poe style, and multiple people end up being buried alive. (the cat survives, at least)

This brings us to the third and final segment: Facts In the Case Of M. Valdemar. Vincent Price plays Valdemar, a man afflicted by a terminal disease who employs a creepy hypnotist(Rathbone) to relieve him of the uncomfortable physical symptoms. The hypnotist requires only one thing in compensation: permission to use his hypnotic skills on Valdemar the instant before his death. The motives of Rathbone’s character are unknown, but Valdemar’s regular doctor suspects the hypnotist may have designs on Valdemar’s beautiful wife. The chilling climax comes when Valdemar dies(kind of) and the true motives of the hypnotist are revealed.

Overall I’d say this film is so-so. While the first segment is weak, the second and third help to even it out. The performances of all the main actors are entertaining, but the supporting cast is somewhat forgettable. If you are interested in the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, try watching another one of these: Pit and the Pendulum, House of Usher, Masque of the Red Death