The Raven (1963)

A magician, who has been turned into a raven, turns to a former sorcerer for help.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay), Edgar Allan Poe (poem)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited 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
Aaron Saxon	...	Gort

Storyline

In this tongue-in-cheek movie inspired by Poe's poem, Dr. Craven is the son of a great sorcerer (now dead) who was once himself quite skilled at that profession, but has since abandoned it. One evening, a cowardly fool of a magician named Bedlo comes to Craven for help - the evil Scarabus has turned him into a raven and he needs someone to change him back. He also tells the reluctant wizard that Craven's long-lost wife Lenore, whom he loved greatly and thought dead, is living with the despised Scarabus.

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Plot Keywords:

deception | psychotronic film | magician | raven | castle | 

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Taglines:

Wits and wizardry run a-fowl!

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

El cuervo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Lorre ad-libbed several famous lines in the film, including: "How the hell should I know?", after Vincent Price asks "shall I ever see the rare and radiant Lenore again?", "Where else?" after Price says "My father was interred below.", and "Hard place to keep clean."

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Goofs

When Dr. Scarabus shakes hands with Dr. Craven, Dr. Bedlo stands behind the latter, but seen from behind he appears a little way on the left side of Dr. Craven.

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Quotes

[Craven and Bedloe toast each other with wine after Bedloe's complete transformation back to human]
Dr. Bedloe: A little unexpected what happened down there, huh?
Dr. Craven: Yes, it was most unexpected. I-I just don't understand why should my father return from the dead and then tell me to beware... of what?
Dr. Bedloe: I wish I knew, I-I-I-I wish I knew.
[Bedloe mistakenly picks up a glass of milk and drinks]
Dr. Bedloe: Uh, that milk!
Dr. Craven: Oh I am sorry.
Dr. Bedloe: In any case I have to return to the castle of Dr. Scarabus tonight.
Dr. Craven: Oh no, sir, please, I ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

One version has the climactic wizard duel without the rotoscoped bolts of magic.

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Connections

Referenced in Vincent Price: Working with Vincent Price (2007)

User Reviews

A good laugh

When I first saw this movies I was shocked by the humor. I was in the mood for a horror flick, and with actors such as Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, and the incomparable Boris Karlof I was sure that I had hit horror gold. However, after the first minute of the movie I quickly realized that this was not a horror film at all, but a wonderful satire of the horror genre.

What makes this movie work so well is that nobody takes themselves too seriously. In fact, you can tell from the outset that everyone in the cast is in on the joke. I would caution those who are expecting a great performance from Jack Nickleson to be prepared to be disappointed. However, it is plainly evident that he is an excellent actor just waiting to happen.

Is this movie perfect, hardly, but it is definitely worth seeing. If for no other reason than to see the climatic head to head dual of magic between Price and Karlof.