The Raven (1963)
The Raven (1963)
Roger Corman with writer Richard Matheson return again in 1963 with another film in the Corman-Poe Cycle, this time with The Raven. The Raven is a light hearted horror comedy with an all-star cast featuring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and a young Jack Nicholson. The film is inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe poem of the same name, and tells the story of Dr. Craven who can't get over the death of his wife, encounters a speaking raven who is the magician Dr. Bedlo, who was turned into a raven by Dr. Craven's father's enemy Dr. Scarabus. Dr. Craven then finds out that his wife, Lenore, or her spirit anway is with Dr. Scarabus so he and Dr. Bedlo along with Dr. Craven's daughter Estelle, and Dr. Bedlo's son Rexford set off to confront Dr Scarabus. This film never tries to take itself too seriously, and the fun and comedy run riot throughout. But can Dr. Craven find out the truth about what happened to his love, Lenore?
The Raven was produced and directed by Roger Corman, with a screenplay buy Richard Matheson. The film was produced by Alta Vista Productions, and distributed by American International Pictures in 1963. The film was panned by the critics of the time, but over the years critical response has warmed to this comedic horror classic.
The Raven stars Vincent Price as Erasmus Craven, Peter Lorre as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo, Boris Karloff as Dr. Scarabus, Hazel Court as Lenore Craven, Olive Sturgess as Estelle Craven, and Jack Nicholson as Rexford Bedlo. This film has an amazing cast, it seems like Peter Lorre excels at these comedic horror roles, as does Jack Nicholson, who also worked with Roger Corman on Little Shop Of Horrors a few years prior. The tension and bickering between Lorre and Nicholson was supposedly not scripted, but Peter Lorre actually hated Jack Nicholson, and the fighting between the two was authentic, which is why it seemed so real in the film. For Boris Karloff this would be the second time he starred in a film called The Raven based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, the first time was in 1935 with Bela Lugosi, where Karloff played a bad guy that turns good. Karloff however did not appreciate the adlibbing of Peter Lorre, he would come to the set each day having carefully prepared of his role, and then Lorre would get in the mood and have too much fun, and it really irritated Karloff, he also was said to not like the stunts involving being in a chair suspended by wires, and wearing the heavy robes that his character wears. Vincent Price being the professional actor and gentleman that he was, was able to roll with the free flowing atmosphere of the set, and always ready to adapt to any changes that were happening on set. Vincent Price is the real star of the film, bringing his normal level of class and elegance to the character, so even when he seems absent minded, he is absent minded with style.
The Raven was produced and directed by Roger Corman, with a screenplay buy Richard Matheson. The film was produced by Alta Vista Productions, and distributed by American International Pictures in 1963. The film was panned by the critics of the time, but over the years critical response has warmed to this comedic horror classic.
The Raven stars Vincent Price as Erasmus Craven, Peter Lorre as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo, Boris Karloff as Dr. Scarabus, Hazel Court as Lenore Craven, Olive Sturgess as Estelle Craven, and Jack Nicholson as Rexford Bedlo. This film has an amazing cast, it seems like Peter Lorre excels at these comedic horror roles, as does Jack Nicholson, who also worked with Roger Corman on Little Shop Of Horrors a few years prior. The tension and bickering between Lorre and Nicholson was supposedly not scripted, but Peter Lorre actually hated Jack Nicholson, and the fighting between the two was authentic, which is why it seemed so real in the film. For Boris Karloff this would be the second time he starred in a film called The Raven based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, the first time was in 1935 with Bela Lugosi, where Karloff played a bad guy that turns good. Karloff however did not appreciate the adlibbing of Peter Lorre, he would come to the set each day having carefully prepared of his role, and then Lorre would get in the mood and have too much fun, and it really irritated Karloff, he also was said to not like the stunts involving being in a chair suspended by wires, and wearing the heavy robes that his character wears. Vincent Price being the professional actor and gentleman that he was, was able to roll with the free flowing atmosphere of the set, and always ready to adapt to any changes that were happening on set. Vincent Price is the real star of the film, bringing his normal level of class and elegance to the character, so even when he seems absent minded, he is absent minded with style.
The Raven is a fun film, if you are looking for a serious horror film, then this is not the film for you, but if you are looking for a nice fun comedic-horror film, then this is definitely a great film. This film works because of the great script by talented writer Richard Matheson, then paired with an absolutely fantastic cast that ranges from the bright-eyed young Jack Nicholson, to Boris Karloff who comes off as a grumpy old man. Corman seems to be at his best during the Corman-Poe Cycle, with even the Raven, a horror comedy, coming across as classier picture than some of his other low budget films. The Raven also looks really good, shot in beautiful colour and Panavision. Though there are some special effects that look absolutely silly, but they somehow work for this film. If you haven't seen The Raven I highly recommend it, I don't know if I would consider it a must-see film, but it is definitely worth checking out, and one that I found entertaining, funny, and enjoyable. If you come across a copy of it, I would recommend checking it out. It might be a fun film to put on at a Halloween party, or when you are looking for something that you don't need to invest a lot of brain energy into watching.
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