The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)

A madman tells his tale of murder, and how a strange beating sound haunted him afterward.

Director:

Ted Parmelee

Writers:

Edgar Allan Poe (story), Bill Scott (story adaptation)

Star:

James Mason

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
James Mason	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

One of the most discussed and imaginative cartoons of any era. It tells the famous Edgar Allan Poe story of the deranged boarder who had to kill his landlord, not for greed, but because he possessed an "evil eye." The killer is never seen but his presence is felt by the use light-and-shadow to give the impression of impending disaster. According to UPA, the art style was derived from Eugene Berman, scenic designer and ballet designer of NYC's Metropolitan Opera.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | the tell tale heart | based on the works of edgar allan poe | mentally unstable | mentally unstable man | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Crime | Horror

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2005, this film was included in the "From the Den" collection on the "special edition" DVD of Hellboy (2004).

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Quotes

Title Card: The story is told through the eyes of a madman.........who, like all of us, believed that he was sane.

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Connections

Version of Masterworks of Terror (1959)

User Reviews

Great Version

Tell-Tale Heart, The (1953)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Oscar nominated animated film has James Mason narrating the action set to Edgar Allan Poe's classic story. I had heard great things about this film so I was very happy when I came across a copy and was even more thrilled when the film turned out to be so good. The movie does a brilliant job in its animation and I must say the look of the film seems so far ahead of its time that it looks more like a Pixar movie. Another terrific thing is the editing, which really seems ahead of its time and this also adds some nice tension to the film. Mason's vocal performance is where the heart is as he really gives it all and delivers a dynamite role. His breakdown towards the end has to be heard to believed as he is so incredibly good.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Det skvallrande historia

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Productions of America (UPA)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1