Tales of Terror (1962)

Three tales of terror involve a grieving widower and the daughter he abandoned; a drunkard and his wife's black cat; and a hypnotist who prolongs the moment of a man's death.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay), Edgar Allan Poe (based on the stories by)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Maggie Pierce, Leona Gage

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vincent Price	...	Locke / Fortunato Luchresi / Ernest Valdemar
Maggie Pierce	...	Lenora (segment "Morella")
Leona Gage	...	Morella (segment "Morella")
Peter Lorre	...	Montresor (segment "The Black Cat")
Joyce Jameson	...	Annabel (segment "The Black Cat")
Basil Rathbone	...	Carmichael (segment "The Case of M. Valdemar")
Debra Paget	...	Helene (segment "The Case of M. Valdemar")
David Frankham	...	Dr. James (segment "The Case of M. Valdemar")
Lennie Weinrib	...	Policeman (segment "The Black Cat")
Wally Campo	...	Barman Wilkins (segment "The Black Cat")
Alan DeWitt	...	Chairman of Wine Society (segment "The Black Cat") (as Alan DeWit)
John Hackett	...	Policeman (segment "The Black Cat")
Edmund Cobb	...	Driver (segment "Morella") (as Ed Cobb)
Scott Brown	...	Servant (segment "The Case of M. Valdemar")

Storyline

Three stories adapted from the work of Edgar Allen Poe. A man and his daughter are reunited, but the blame for the death of his wife hangs over them, unresolved. A derelict challenges the local wine-tasting champion to a competition, but finds the man's attention to his wife worthy of more dramatic action. A man dying and in great pain agrees to be hypnotized at the moment of death, with unexpected consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

gothic horror | black cat | wine | hypnotist | pallor | 

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Taglines:

A Trilogy of Shock and Horror!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1962 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror

Filming Locations:

Virginia, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,500,000, 31 December 1962

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathé Colour)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Black Cat" segment was recycled for The Comedy of Terrors (1963) (even the presence of a meddlesome cat). Many of the same actors appear in both films, only here Peter Lorre plays the drunk married to devoted Joyce Jameson, with Vincent Price introduced as the third member of the triangle; in "Comedy of Terrors" Price and Lorre exchange roles, and Jameson essentially repeats her performance. Not only that, but Price's line "What place is this?" from the "M. Valdemar" segment of "Tales of Terror" is recycled as a running gag for Basil Rathbone in "Comedy of Terrors".

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Goofs

In the Black Cat tale, after the police knock open the wall and shows close up of Annabel and the cat, you can she her chest move as she exhales a breath.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Driver: Ma'am, I have to get back to Boston.

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Alternate Versions

The shots of Valdemar 'liquefying' over Carmichael were originally cut from the UK cinema print and later restored for video.

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Connections

Referenced in Tremors: The Sounds of Silence (2003)

User Reviews

The Corman formula scores again.

Tales of Terror is a classic anthology of Edgar Allen Poe stories brought to life by Richard Matheson's writing and Roger Corman's directing. It's loaded with genre favorites and Vincent Price stars in all three tales (that right there is enough to make me watch). All three stories are indeed dark or humorous, or both, with The Black Cat being the strongest simply because of the interaction between Price and Peter Lorre. Price really hams it up in the wine tasting scene and I crack up every time. And Lorre is incomparable. This yarn does feature a black cat, but it's more like The Cask of Amontillado actually. The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar is something else that needs to be seen. Basil Rathbone stars in this one and looks remarkably like a beardless Wes Craven. It's uncanny. Let us not forget the first story, Morella. This one is a dark drama and doesn't offer any humor. It's still great though and Price's character here reminds me quite a bit of the one he played in The Pit and the Pendulum (another Corman/Poe production). If you like the other Corman adaptations of Poe, don't miss this one.