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.

---

Plot Keywords:

gothic horror | psychotronic film | black cat | wine | hypnotist | 

---

Taglines:

A Trilogy of Shock and Horror!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

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:

$3,270,000

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

In Spain, the film wasn't released until 1968, six years later.

---

Goofs

Lenora's hair changes between shots constantly through the tale.

---

Quotes

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

---

Alternate Versions

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

---

Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Sorcerers (1996)

User Reviews

An enjoyable trip that arrives with few reservations

An excellent film which seems made for the cast that is in it. Each tale excels with Price's presence and I was sad to see the movie end. While not quite as good for Price fans as "Last Man on Earth" or "Pit and the Pendulum," it also is not quite as surreal and comedic as Price, Lorre, and Karloff were in "The Raven." Definitely worth watching and is a great film to introduce younger audiences to possible interpretations of Poe as well as Price, Lorre, and Corman. Recommended