The Haunted Palace (1963)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (story)
Charles Beaumont (writer)

Release Date:

28 August 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

A warlock's home is his castle...Forever!

Plot:

Charles Dexter Ward arrives at a small village to visit the house he inherited from his ancestor who died there 100 years ago.

Plot Keywords:

Curse | Ancestor | Mutant | Palace | New England

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Charles Dexter Ward / Joseph Curwen
Debra Paget	...	Ann Ward
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Simon Orne (as Lon Chaney)
Frank Maxwell	...	Dr. Willet / Priam Willet
Leo Gordon	...	Edgar Weeden / Ezra Weeden
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Gideon Smith / Micah Smith (as Elisha Cook)
John Dierkes	...	Benjamin West / Mr. West (as John Dierkies)
Milton Parsons	...	Jabez Hutchinson
Cathie Merchant	...	Hester Tillinghast
Guy Wilkerson	...	Gideon Leach / Mr. Leach
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Carmody, coachman (as Stanford Jolley)
Harry Ellerbe	...	Minister
Barboura Morris	...	Mrs. Weeden
Darlene Lucht	...	Miss Fitch
Bruno VeSota	...	Bruno, the bartender (as Bruno Ve Sota)

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace (USA) (promotional title)
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (USA) (original script title)
The Haunted Village

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Norway:16 | UK:18 (Video rating) | UK:X (theatrical rating) (cut) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #20528)

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Roger Corman decided to do an H.P. Lovecraft story as a break from his Edgar Allan Poe series while keeping the elements that made it successful. American-International took no chances. It gave the film a "Poe" title and marketed it as another in the series.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When there is a shot through the fireplace, the evenly spaced flames reveal that a flame bar is being used in front of the lens.

Quotes:

Ann Ward: Charles? You ready?
[comes outside to join him on the balcony]
Charles Dexter Ward: I've decided to stay.
Ann Ward: What?
Charles Dexter Ward: Just long enough to fix the place up. With a little work it could bring a good price. Don't you think?
Ann Ward: I should imagine. I don't know.
[disappointed]
Charles Dexter Ward: I estimate two weeks, perhaps three. To get things started, anyway. Do you mind, Ann?
Ann Ward: No, not exactly. But I can't say it pleases me.
Charles Dexter Ward: Well, then you go home!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Madhouse (1974)

A slick, stylish and spooky Corman-Poe-Lovecraft-Price-Chaney combo.

Evil warlock Joseph Curwen (Vincent Price) is burned alive by an angry mob as this film opens. Over a hundred years later, his descendant, Charles Dexter Ward (Price again) is coming to the town of Arkham to claim the castle that Curwen once lived in. The new crop of villagers are suspicious of the newcomer, believing that he will be just like his ancestor.

Roger Corman wanted a little break from his Edgar Allan Poe cycle, deciding that he wanted - just for once - to do an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation, believing that the style of the two writers was similar enough. "The Haunted Palace" is more or less based on the Lovecraft short story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward", and is bookended by Price recitals of the Poe poem. The result is neither Lovecraft nor Poe but a neat amalgam of ideas.

Filmed in the excellent Panavision aspect ratio of the other Poe adaptations, Corman and his regular crew crafted a typically good looking horror movie. In contrast to his direct Poe adaptations, Corman had cameraman Floyd Crosby shoot darker than usual, which he felt better suited the style of Lovecraft. There are some really tense moments, and some shocking ones, to boot. Ted Coodley and Verne Langdon contribute some interesting and innovative makeup effects. A particular standout is the ominous music score by Ronald Stein (some folks consider it his best) - booming at times and really subtle at others.

Vincent Price delivers yet another captivating (dual) performance, as he subtly delineates two different characters. The film has a truly superior supporting cast, as well, as Price gets to share scenes with another well-loved horror icon, Lon Chaney (Jr.). Debra Paget is a lovely and bewitching female lead, and I thought that Frank Maxwell, Leo Gordon, and John Dierkes were all terrific. Especially welcome is old Hollywood favorite Elisha Cook (Jr.).

This is a grandly entertaining film, which should prove to be interesting if you pair it alongside 1992s' "The Resurrected" (directed by Dan O'Bannon), which is a more faithful adaptation of the Lovecraft story. I strongly recommend it.

8/10