The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (writer)
R. Wright Campbell (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

LOOK INTO THIS FACE - SHUDDER... at the blood-stained dance of the Red Death! TREMBLE... to the hideous tortures of the catacombs of Kali! GASP... at the sacrifice of the innocent virgin to the vengeance of Baal!

Plot:

A European prince terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the "Red Death" plague that stalks the land.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Plague | Death | Castle | Refuge

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Prince Prospero
Hazel Court	...	Juliana
Jane Asher	...	Francesca
David Weston	...	Gino
Nigel Green	...	Ludovico, Francesca's father
Patrick Magee	...	Alfredo
Paul Whitsun-Jones	...	Scarlatti
Robert Brown	...	Guard
Julian Burton	...	Señor Veronese
David Davies
Skip Martin	...	Hop Toad
Gaye Brown	...	Señora Escobar
Verina Greenlaw	...	Esmeralda
Doreen Dawn	...	Anna-Marie
Brian Hewlett	...	Lampredi

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Germany:16 | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) (1972) | Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-18 (re-rating) (1972) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Norway:16 (cut) | USA:Unrated | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

This was the final movie shown on New York's WNEW (now WNYW) Channel 5's "Drive-In Movie" program, dated 2 July, 1988.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the end of the movie before Prospero sees the man in red, you see a blond woman dancing from left to right, the frame then jumps and the blond woman is once again on the left without having walked by.

Quotes:

Francesca: [after Gino has been ordered to be removed from the castle] Prince Prospero let me go with him.
Prospero: You?
Francesca: Please.
Prospero: You , oh no my dear I couldn't bear to think of... No
[to the crowd]
Prospero: you will go to your rooms now and prepare for the masque, you will not appear in your costumes until... midnight.
Prospero: [turns to see Francesca following him] Why do you follow me?
Francesca: Bring Gino back and I will do whatever you wish.
Prospero: You would destroy yourself for him?
Francesca: Yes.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monster Mania (1997) (TV)

The first Poe adaptation that I've ever seen.

Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe story in which evil and decadent Prince Prospero (Vincent Price, obviously enjoying himself tremendously) presides over a court of equally decadent revelers. Not only that, but he and his female companion (Hazel Court) are Satan worshippers as well.

In contrast to other Roger Corman films adapted from Poe's works, this is pretty elaborate and benefits from a bigger budget and longer shooting schedule than his other Poe-based films. The film has some atmosphere, is nice to look at, and also has an enjoyable cast. It's a decently entertaining picture all around. Best of all, Price makes his villainous character thoroughly entertaining.

One effect that this picture has had on me is a desire to seek out and read Poe's classic stories and poems; it's a gleeful celebration of depravity and the macabre. I haven't seen many of the Poe adaptations (I saw "The Raven" quite some time ago, but don't remember much about it.) but this was obviously a good place to start.

7/10