Double Feature: The Comedy of Terrors & The Raven

Double Feature: The Comedy of Terrors & The Raven
by Jacques Tourneur, Roger Corman

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Movie Reviews of Double Feature: The Comedy of Terrors & The Raven

Movie Review: Laugh Yourself To Death
Summary: 5 Stars

The Raven is the lesser of the two, but none the less enjoyable for that. Price plays retired 15th Century sorceror Erasmus Craven, whose lost love - "that rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore (Hazel Court)" - is being held in the clutches of evil old rival sorceror Dr. Scarabus (Karloff). The alcoholic Dr. Adolphus Bedlo (Lorre) has been transformed into a raven by the selfsame Dr. Scarabus, and tips off Craven as to Lenore's whereabouts in hopes of a little personal revenge. Bedlo's inept nephew, Rexford (Jack Nicholson), comes along for the ride.

Lorre improvised a great deal of his dialogue, bringing an added freshness to the already sparkling script. Price was always at his best in comedy, and it shows here. Nicholson is fairly sappy and silly in his role, which is no offense to him since the character is supposed to be those things. Karloff plainly had a ball, like the others, satirizing his own cinematic image. The production is colorful tongue-in-cheek fluff, and well worth the time, especially for horror fans.

The Comedy of Terrors is simply brilliant, Matheson's revamping of real old-school meller-drammers like "The Drunkard." Price is alcoholic funeral director Waldo Trumbull, who with blackmailed bankrobber assistant Felix Gillie (Lorre) adds to the family coffers by occasionally drumming-up his own business - by means of suffocating some of the older townspeople with a pillow while they sleep, and then being Johnny-on-the-spot to offer his funeral services. Trumbull seized the undertaking business from senile aging old fool Mr. Hinchley (Karloff) by marrying his talentless aspiring operatic singer daughter Amaryllis (Joyce Jameson), and then proceeded to run it into the ground ("Where else?" as he wryly observes). He's so cheap that he's used the same coffin for thirteen years, simply dumping the bodies in their graves after every service and taking the box back home with him after. Now, having drunk-up the business profits for the umpteenth time, and finding himself about to be evicted for a year's rent in arrears, Trumbull has induced Felix to assist him in getting rid of the rich landlord (Basil Rathbone), who madly quotes Macbeth while being dispatched. Unfortunately for Trumbull and Felix, Rathbone is a cataleptic, who keeps coming back no matter how many times they "kill" him. Making already absurd situations all the more ridiculous - and laugh out loud funny - Felix is secretly madly in love with blonde bombshell Amaryllis, and wants her to run away with him.

Every line in Comedy of Terrors is imminently quotable, and very funny. The script is tight, sharp and clean. The production is very theatrical and quite gorgeous, coming off as an especially good stage play. The music score is excellent, and Jacques Tourneur's direction superior. The cast obviously had a ball doing this one, and it's fortunate they all got a chance to get it on film before most of them died. This script is so good, anyone could do it - but of course it's all that much better because of the personages involved.

These two are winners, Comedy of Terrors especially, and well worth the "Price."