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The Premature Burial

  • 19621962
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Premature Burial (1962)
An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him.
Play trailer2:32
1 Video
79 Photos
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Mystery
An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him.An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him.An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Roger Corman
  • Writers
    • Charles Beaumont(screenplay by)
    • Ray Russell(screenplay by)
    • Edgar Allan Poe(from the story by)
  • Stars
    • Ray Milland
    • Hazel Court
    • Richard Ney
Top credits
  • Director
    • Roger Corman
  • Writers
    • Charles Beaumont(screenplay by)
    • Ray Russell(screenplay by)
    • Edgar Allan Poe(from the story by)
  • Stars
    • Ray Milland
    • Hazel Court
    • Richard Ney
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 61User reviews
    • 76Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:32
    Trailer

    Photos79

    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)
    The Premature Burial (1962)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ray Milland
    Ray Milland
    • Guy Carrellas Guy Carrell
    Hazel Court
    Hazel Court
    • Emily Gaultas Emily Gault
    Richard Ney
    Richard Ney
    • Miles Archeras Miles Archer
    Heather Angel
    Heather Angel
    • Kate Carrellas Kate Carrell
    Alan Napier
    Alan Napier
    • Dr. Gideon Gaultas Dr. Gideon Gault
    John Dierkes
    John Dierkes
    • Sweeneyas Sweeney
    Dick Miller
    Dick Miller
    • Moleas Mole
    • (as Richard Miller)
    Clive Halliday
    • Judsonas Judson
    Brendan Dillon
    Brendan Dillon
    • Ministeras Minister
    • Director
      • Roger Corman
    • Writers
      • Charles Beaumont(screenplay by)
      • Ray Russell(screenplay by)
      • Edgar Allan Poe(from the story by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Roger Corman started this film outside of American International Pictures. Since Vincent Price had been signed to an exclusive contract with AIP, Corman chose Ray Milland for the lead role. American International would acquire the production just as principal photography began.
    • Goofs
      In the tomb, Carrell refers to dynamite as a new invention. Since Poe wrote the story in 1844 and died in 1849, this would be impossible. Nobel did not invent dynamite until 1867.
    • Quotes

      Guy Carrell: Can you possibly conceive it. The unendurable oppression of the lungs, the stifling fumes of the earth, the rigid embrace of the coffin, the blackness of absolute night and the silence, like an overwhelming sea.

    • Alternate versions
      The original UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to remove shots of maggots being poured from a cup and to edit scenes of Emily's body being covered with earth. The Optimum DVD is the uncut print.
    • Connections
      Featured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: Premature Burial (1975)
    • Soundtracks
      Molly Malone

    User reviews61

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Under Appreciated Poe Adaptation!
    Most of the reviews and comments on "The Premature Burial" tend to dismiss this film as second rate. I don't agree. In fact I think it is as good or better than many of the other Roger Corman produced/directed Edgar Allan Poe adaptations.

    The basis of the story is man's fear of death and more specifically of somehow being buried alive. Guy Carrell (Ray Milland) is one such person. He believes that his father was a victim of a premature burial and as such thinks that he will suffer the same fate. He goes so far as to construct a crypt that has many fail safe escape devices in case that he does suffer the same fate as his father.

    Carrell marries the beautiful Emily Gault (Hazel Court) and with her help, tries to overcome his fears. Also involved in the mystery is Carrell's sinister sister Kate (Heather Angel), family friend Dr. Miles Archer (Richard Ney) and Emily's father Dr. Gault (Alan Napier). Guy begins to hear eerie sounds and is seemingly tormented by two grave diggers (John Dierkes, Dick Miller) that he encountered earlier. Are there plans afoot to drive poor Guy mad? Who in his household could be behind such a plan? Does he ultimately suffer the fate that he fears most?

    Ray Milland was chosen to play the lead because Roger Corman was in a dispute with American International Pictures (AIP) at the time and decided to make the movie with another studio. Vincent Price who starred in most of Corman's Poe adaptations was under contract to AIP and therefore, could not play the lead. Ultimately the dispute was resolved and the picture was eventually released under the AIP banner.

    Milland is surprisingly excellent in the lead. He conveys the building paranoia of Guy Carrell very convincingly. The lovely Hazel Court was a veteran of many films in her native England and nicely complements Milland and Heather Angel provides an air of mystery as Guy's sister/

    Some useless trivia:

    1. Ray Milland and Heather Angel had starred together some 25 years earlier in "Bulldog Drummond Escapes" (1937).

    2. Miles Archer was the name of Sam Spade's partner who was murdered at the beginning of "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).

    3. Alan Napier achieved greater fame as Alfred the butler in the "Batman" TV series of the 60s.
    helpful•15
    0
    • bsmith5552
    • Aug 10, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 22, 1962 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Lebendig begraben
    • Filming locations
      • Producers Studios - 5330 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Santa Clara Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,250,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 21 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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