The Haunted Palace (1963)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (story)
Charles Beaumont (writer)

Release Date:

28 August 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

A warlock's home is his castle...Forever!

Plot:

Charles Dexter Ward arrives at a small village to visit the house he inherited from his ancestor who died there 100 years ago.

Plot Keywords:

Curse | Ancestor | Mutant | Palace | New England

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Charles Dexter Ward / Joseph Curwen
Debra Paget	...	Ann Ward
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Simon Orne (as Lon Chaney)
Frank Maxwell	...	Dr. Willet / Priam Willet
Leo Gordon	...	Edgar Weeden / Ezra Weeden
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Gideon Smith / Micah Smith (as Elisha Cook)
John Dierkes	...	Benjamin West / Mr. West (as John Dierkies)
Milton Parsons	...	Jabez Hutchinson
Cathie Merchant	...	Hester Tillinghast
Guy Wilkerson	...	Gideon Leach / Mr. Leach
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Carmody, coachman (as Stanford Jolley)
Harry Ellerbe	...	Minister
Barboura Morris	...	Mrs. Weeden
Darlene Lucht	...	Miss Fitch
Bruno VeSota	...	Bruno, the bartender (as Bruno Ve Sota)

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace (USA) (promotional title)
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (USA) (original script title)
The Haunted Village

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Norway:16 | UK:18 (Video rating) | UK:X (theatrical rating) (cut) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #20528)

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The footage scene of the castle interior is similar to the scene in The Raven (1963) movie, which was directed by Roger Corman as well. Also the shots of castle from outside under thunder and lightning, and waves breaking of rocks appear in both movies.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film is billed as "Edgar Allen Poe's The Haunted Palace." While Poe did write "The Haunted Palace," the film is actually based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward."

Quotes:

Ann Ward: Charles? You ready?
[comes outside to join him on the balcony]
Charles Dexter Ward: I've decided to stay.
Ann Ward: What?
Charles Dexter Ward: Just long enough to fix the place up. With a little work it could bring a good price. Don't you think?
Ann Ward: I should imagine. I don't know.
[disappointed]
Charles Dexter Ward: I estimate two weeks, perhaps three. To get things started, anyway. Do you mind, Ann?
Ann Ward: No, not exactly. But I can't say it pleases me.
Charles Dexter Ward: Well, then you go home!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Beach Party (1963)

SHAMEFULLY UNDERRATED

Roger Corman's "The Haunted Palace" has very little in common with Poe's poem, with the exception of the title and a few lines recited by Vincent Price. It is in fact based on an H.P. Lovecraft story "The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward". In fact, that was this films' title before it was made an entry in Corman's highly successful Poe series.

That doesn't mean this is a bad picture at all. In fact, this is one of Corman's very best films: a beautifully shot (by Floyd Crosby in Panavision), subtly frightening thriller. Price stars in a double role: Ward and his great-grandfather, an evil Puritan (I guess) who has a hidden secret. Hundreds of years later, Ward inherits the "haunted palace" of the title. You can probably guess what happens next.

But films like "The Haunted Palace" (and the other Poe films for that matter) aren't about plot. It's about style, atmosphere and fine acting, all of which this film has. Price is excellent as usual in his double role, but he also gets strong support from Lon Chaney, Jr. as Ward's servant and Debra Paget as his wife (This was her final film before her retirement the following year)

The sets by Daniel Haller are the best yet in a Poe film. (And this was before his final two Poe assignments. After that, he became a director with "Die, Monster,Die!", ironically also based on a Lovecraft story "The Colour from Outer Space")This is a really classy production with great production values and Corman proves he knows how to get the most for his money on screen. How many people can you say that about?

Note: As with all the Poe films, "The Haunted Palace" is best seen in the letterbox format, which preserves the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of the Panavision photography. With American Movie Classics showing this frequently and MGM releasing the cycle on DVD, viewers now have a chance to see these films the way they are supposed to. Well done.

**** out of 4 stars