THE HAUNTED PALACE is probably the best of Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe pictures. This is due to the fact that it really isn’t a Poe film. It is essentially H.P. Lovecraft’s THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD and was started by Corman as such before American International changed the title for marketing purposes. The film has a strong cast (Vincent Price, Debra Paget, Lon Chaney Jr) and a slightly different look than the previous films. The lighting is darker, the camerawork by F.W. Murnau veteran Floyd Crosby (father of David) is more sophisticated, and the orchestral score by Ronald Stein is outstanding. Price, in what is essentially two different roles, gives an outstanding portrayal that showcases his acting capabilities. Paget is lovely in her final film and rarely has Chaney Jr been this menacing. Because of the source material and the above average execution (the film was incredibly shot in only 15 days), THE HAUNTED PALACE plays even better today than it did back in 1963.
The same cannot be said for TOWER OF LONDON. This remake of the 1939 film (that featured a young Vincent Price) is an odd combination of RICHARD III and MACBETH. It was made for United Artists instead of American International and was a joint effort between Roger Corman and his producer brother Gene. The black and white photography (demanded by the executive producer to save money) lacks depth although the camerawork is creative and the film is well edited. The sets look even cheaper than they actually were, and the performances range from the lively to the wooden. Price is appropriately over the top aided by Michael Pate but it’s not enough. This is a classic example of a film that just didn’t quite work for a number of reasons. It’s not without interest (favorite scene: the ghosts of the murdered princes visiting Richard III) but the original 1939 Basil Rathbone – Boris Karloff TOWER OF LONDON (glimpsed in the battle sequence) is a better movie. It is currently available as part of Universal’s BORIS KARLOFF COLLECTION.
The Capsule Critic 