The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)

A man's obsession with his dead wife drives a wedge between him and his new bride.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Edgar Allan Poe (short story), Robert Towne (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Elizabeth Shepherd, John Westbrook

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vincent Price	...	Verden Fell
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	The Lady Rowena Trevanion / The Lady Ligeia
John Westbrook	...	Christopher Gough
Derek Francis	...	Lord Trevanion
Oliver Johnston	...	Kenrick
Richard Vernon	...	Dr. Vivian
Frank Thornton	...	Peperel
Ronald Adam	...	Minister at Graveside
Denis Gilmore	...	Livery Boy
Penelope Lee	...	Lady Rowena's Maidservant

Storyline

Some years after having buried his beloved wife Ligea, Verden Fell meets and eventually marries the lovely Lady Rowena. Fell is something of a recluse, living in a small part of a now ruined Abbey with his manservant Kenrick as the only other occupant. He remains infatuated with his late wife and is convinced that she will return to him. While all goes well when first married, he returns to his odd behavior when they return to the Abbey from their honeymoon. The memories of Ligea continue to haunt him as well as her promise that she would never die.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | exhumation | black cat | tombstone | secret passage | 

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Taglines:

Even on her wedding night she must share the man she loved with the "female thing" that lived in the Tomb of the Cat!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

House at the End of the World

Filming Locations:

Castle Acre Priory, Swaffham, Norfolk, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roger Corman gave up his producer credit to Pat Green in order to qualify for a British subsidy.

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Goofs

Position of Ligeia's arms when lying in bed. When Rowena fall on her her arms are in a position like holding something. Few minutes later, when Verden take a look on the bed hidden by the black curtains, their arms are in other position.

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Quotes

The Lady Rowena Trevanion: Has Ligeia's death changed him greatly?
Christopher Gough: Well, he's certainly changed, but I never knew her.
The Lady Rowena Trevanion: Was he always so morose?
Christopher Gough: Bit mysterious, perhaps. Do you like him?
The Lady Rowena Trevanion: I don't think so. But what has that to do with it?
Christopher Gough: To do with what?
The Lady Rowena Trevanion: With whom one is drawn to. Whom one loves. Even whom one marries!

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Connections

Referenced in Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007)

User Reviews

Haunting Tale of Mystery

"The Tomb of Ligeia" was one of a cycle of films made by Roger Corman in the sixties based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Verden Fell, an English country gentleman of the 1820s has become obsessed with his dead wife Ligeia. Indeed, although she has been buried in a tomb he built for her, he believes that she is not dead but has, as she promised she would, survived death in some form and will return to him. This obsession survives Fell's remarriage to Rowena, the daughter of a neighbouring landowner. Indeed, his obsession worsens, as he comes to believe that Rowena is possessed by Ligeia's spirit.

This is an unusual horror film in that much of it takes place not only outdoors but also in daylight. The sort of images of ruin and decay traditional in horror films- Fell lives in a gloomy, crumbling, cobwebbed manor house close to the ruins of a mediaeval abbey- are contrasted with sunlit scenes of the beautiful, verdant English countryside. The difference between life and death is the central idea of the film- which ends with a quote from Poe himself: "The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends and where the other begins"- so this contrast is possibly symbolic, with the outdoor scenes symbolising life and the indoor ones death. The two main female characters (both played by the same actress, Elizabeth Shepherd) are differentiated in a similar manner. Rowena is a healthy-looking, "English Rose" type blonde with a love of outdoor pursuits, especially hunting. Ligeia is dark haired and gaunt with an unhealthy pallor.

Like many films of this period, and unlike later films such as "The Exorcist", this is an example of an understated horror film, with the horror mostly being implied rather than shown directly. Ligeia makes an appearance in the film, but we are never sure whether this is really her ghost returning from the grave or a hallucination conjured up by Fell's distraught mind. Although it is understated, however, it is genuinely frightening, not because of Exorcist-style special effects, but because of the eerie mood that Corman is able to create. Apart from the atmospheric setting, various objects take on a sinister significance- a bunch of flowers, a dead fox and, most of all, a mysterious, malevolent black cat which may be the reincarnation of Ligeia's soul, or may be just a cat.

The acting is also very good, especially from Shepherd in the dual role of Rowena/Ligeia and from Vincent Price as Fell. In a way this is also a dual role, as there are two separate aspects to Fell's character. On the one hand he is sinister and frightening, the man who threatens Rowena's happiness, her sanity and even her life. (The adjective "fell" significantly means cruel or fierce). On the other hand he is a pitiable character, a victim of his own obsessions and (possibly) also of his late wife's ghost. This duality is very much in keeping with the mood of the film, which is one of ambiguity and doubt. As befits one based upon the work of Poe, it is a tale of mystery and imagination. 7/10