The Raven (1963)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Edgar Allan Poe (poem)
Richard Matheson (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

The supreme adventure in terror!

Plot:

A magician who has been turned into a raven turns to a former sorcerer for help in this film loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem.

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Sorcerer | Raven | Corpse | English

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Dr. Erasmus Craven
Peter Lorre	...	Dr. Adolphus Bedlo
Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Scarabus
Hazel Court	...	Lenore Craven
Olive Sturgess	...	Estelle Craven
Jack Nicholson	...	Rexford Bedlo
Connie Wallace	...	Maid
William Baskin	...	Grimes (Craven's servant)
Aaron Saxon	...	Gort
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Dierkes	...	Roderick Craven (uncredited)

Directed by
Roger Corman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Matheson		writer
Edgar Allan Poe		poem

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Roger Corman	....	producer
James H. Nicholson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Les Baxter

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby

Film Editing by
Ronald Sinclair

Production Design by
Daniel Haller

Art Direction by
Daniel Haller

Set Decoration by
Harry Reif

Makeup Department
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist
Betty Pedretti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Agnew	....	unit manager
Bartlett A. Carre	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Bohrer	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karl Brainard	....	property master
Ross Hahn	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
John Bury Jr.	....	sound
Gene Corso	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Pat Dinga	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marjorie Corso	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Albert Harris	....	orchestrator
Eve Newman	....	music editor
Al Simms	....	music coordinator
Albert Harris	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack W. Cash	....	production assistant
Moe Di Sesso	....	raven trainer

Production Companies

• Alta Vista Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1963) (UK) (theatrical)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (widesceen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Orion Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Reserva Especial (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (????) (Germany) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Special Effects

• Butler-Glouner (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• National Screen Service  main titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #20400) | UK:PG (video rating) (2003) | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:G (1980)

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

Peter Lorre and Jack Nicholson were fond of ad-libbing their lines, much to the annoyance of Boris Karloff, who was working from the script.

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of milk in Dr. Craven's glass increases from one shot to another.

Quotes:

[Craven and Bedloe enter the family crypt. It is full of dust and spider webs]
Dr. Bedloe:Hard place to keep clean, huh?
Dr. Craven:Yes, I very seldom get down here.
[Craven begins to unseal the coffin of his father as Bedloe brushes dust from the coffin lid]
Dr. Craven:Thank you.
[Craven opens the coffin lid, he loses his grip and it falls, smashing Bedloe's wing]
Dr. Bedloe:Ouuuu!
Dr. Craven:I'm sorry.
[Craven opens the coffin lid and looks at his father's corpse]
Dr. Craven:. Forgive me papa.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Madhouse (1974)

'Olde Worlde' horror mixes laughs and chills

THE RAVEN

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (Panavision)

Sound format: Mono

During the 15th century, an evil sorcerer (Boris Karloff) lures his arch rival (Vincent Price) to a lonely castle where they fight a magical duel to the death.

Handsomely mounted on some of the most lavish sets ever created for AIP's Poe series, THE RAVEN toplines Price, Karloff and Peter Lorre for the first time in their careers, alongside a very young Jack Nicholson (making the most of a juvenile supporting role). Richard Matheson's clever script turns the faux seriousness of earlier Poe pictures on its head, countering Price's overwrought histrionics with a series of rude rejoinders from Lorre, who relishes his role as a cowardly magician whose divided loyalties place everyone around him in danger. Price and Karloff are worthy adversaries, and their climactic duel is one of the most celebrated set-pieces in horror movie history, despite some fairly obvious trick-work. Floyd Crosby's expansive cinematography and Daniel Haller's 'olde worlde' art direction conspire to render a suitably Gothic atmosphere, though the movie derives most of its strength from the quality of its dialogue and performances. Directed by Roger Corman.