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The Raven |
1963 Film starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court, Olive Sturgess, and a young Jack Nicholson. Directed by Roger Corman.
A fun fantasy spoof of dueling magicians loosely based on the famous Edgar Allen Poe poem of the same name. Vincent Price plays a kind and gentle reclusive master magician who spends too much time grieving over the loss of his wife. One night he is interrupted by a talking raven that enters his study. The raven claims to be a fellow magician under a spell and talks Price's character into mixing a potion to return him to normal. After a couple of attempts the raven is changed into human form played by Peter Lorre.
Lorre's character tells his tale how he was turned into a raven after being tricked into loosing a challenge with another magician that Price recognizes as being his deceased father's old nemesis. Lorre tries to befriend Price and asks him to return with him to regain his magical apparatus. When that fails Lorre notes a portrait of Prices deceased wife and claims that he saw that very same woman earlier that evening at dinner before the contest of powers with the other magician. Intrigued, Price is talked into investigating the matter. They are accompanied by Price's character's daughter and Lorre's son (played by Nicholson).
After a couple mishaps while traveling they arrive at the castle (of course) of the feared nemesis only to be greeted by a mild mannered elderly magician (played by Karloff). They are invited to stay the night where Lorre's character immediately begins to get drunk and re-challanged Karloff's character to a contest. Karloff tries to decline. While setting up his magical "apparatus" Lorre vanishes in a bolt of lighting that seemed to have resulted from a malfunction in his equipment.
One trick here and mystery there leads to Price and company find themselves trapped in Karloff's dungeon. A standoff ensues while trying to escape and Price and Karloff agree to a magical "duel to the death." I will reveal no more other than to say that the movie has a happy ending for all, making the it a good choice for all ages. However, hard-core fantasy fans my be annoyed by the light hearted comical Hollywood treatment of "magic."
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© 2003 Henry Tjernlund