The Haunted Palace (1963)

 

Hello everyone and happy April!

As promised, here is my first movie review and it absolutely had to be one Vincent Price was in but I made sure it was one I haven’t watched. The Haunted Palace was a movie I’ve kept in my queue for a few weeks and it was an excellent choice to wait.

The Haunted Palace was released on August 28th, 1963 by American International Pictures and directed by Roger Corman. Although the film’s title is based on the short poem by Edgar Allan Poe, the story itself is based on H.P Lovecraft’s 1927 “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”. The only connections the film has with the poem are the few lines recited throughout the picture. This is Corman’s 6th installment of the Edgar Allan Poe horror movie series in the 60’s (more on the series in future posts). The film is 87 minutes long.

The film stars Vincent Price, Debra Paget, and Lon Chaney, Jr. Vincent Price by this time was well into his acting career and made a name for himself as a horror icon. Debra Paget retired from acting following the completion of the picture. Boris Karloff was to originally play the role of Chaney’s character but he became ill after the filming “Black Sabbath” in Italy. 

The film follows Charles Dexter Ward who travels with his wife to the small town of Arkham, Massachusetts in 1875 to visit the mansion he inherited that once belonged to his great-great grandfather Joseph Curwen. Upon arriving, the townsfolk tell the visitors Joseph Curwen was a warlock 110 years ago and cursed the town. Although initially hesitant, the mansion’s caretaker convinces the couple to stay in their new home. Throughout their visit, Charles becomes entranced and exhibits odd behavior after realizing a striking resemblance to his great-great grandfather. 

Although admittedly risky at the time for Corman to base an Edgar Allan Poe movie on a Lovecraft story, the film was a success. The story is captivating, flows graciously, and easy to follow. The dialogue is theatrical, whimsical, straight to the point, and also easy to follow. The presence of the soft, blue filter and constant fog accurately captures the mysterious yet sultry ambiance of the story. The cinematography is fantastic. The angles and perspectives continuously give the viewer a real-life perspective. The acting, of course, is superb and mature given everyone casted had plenty of experience in the film industry by this time.

If you’re a fan of mid 18th/late 19th century gothic anything, this movie is for you! You have your typical creaky doors, cobwebs, haunting palace, and 18th century graveyards. If Lovecraft is your passion, you’ll find plenty of references to his most popular works. Necromancy and superstition are the ruling themes of the film. The score is haunting and suspenseful but I did find it to be often loud and placed in odd periods that made it distracting. 

My general rating is 8/10. Based on:

-Fluidity of the plot

-Themes

-Acting

-Dialogue

-Cinematography

-Viewer’s experience

-Atmosphere

I highly recommend this film if you’re enjoying a solitary Friday night with a bottle of wine, a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P Lovecraft, 18th century horror, 1960’s horror movies, Vincent Price, build ups, and eerie story lines. 

Thank you for reading! I’d love to know what you think. Feel free to suggest movies you’d like for me to review whether I’ve seen it or not. I have a few options for the next review but it won’t be Vincent Price this time, I promise. Again, I apologize for any errors, technical issues, layout, etc. I'll get the hang of it in no time and any constructive criticism is appreciated. I may create a Twitter account solely for this blog but my love/hate relationship with social media holds me back. In the meantime, you can find me on Facebook and HelloPoetry.

Stay safe and make wise decisions!

-CL