The Raven

Director: Lew Landers Lew Landers

Overview

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff team up in this excellent 1935 chiller. Lugosi is crazed brain-surgeon Dr. Richard Vollin who is infatuated with the characters and devices found in the Edgar Allan Poe stories. When a local judge brings his beautiful daughter for brain surgery, the doctor falls in love with her and is spurned by the judge when he asks for her hand in marriage. To extract revenge, Vollin invites the judge, his daughter, and her new fiance over for dinner. He intends to try out some of his gruesome Poe gadgets on them. Before he can, enter Boris Karloff, a prison escapee who wants Vollin to do some much-needed plastic surgery on his face. Vollin obliges, but instead of making him handsome, he deforms Karloff and subjects him to his will. Now the evil Vollin can get down to business...

Product Details

Release Date:	08/05/2014
UPC:	0025192139451
Original Release:	1935
Source:	ALLIED VAUGHN
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Language:	English
Time:	1:02:00
Sales rank:	26,160

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Boris Karloff	Edmond Bateman
Bela Lugosi	Dr. Richard Vollin
Irene Ware	Jean Thatcher
Lester Matthews	Dr. Jerry Halden / Dr. Jerry Holden
Samuel S. Hinds	Judge Thatcher
Inez Courtney	Mary Burns
Ian Wolfe	`Pinky' Geoffrey
Spencer Charters	Col. Bertram Grant
Maidel Turner	Harriet Grant
Arthur Hoyt	Chapman
Walter Miller	Bedside Dr. at Judge's Right

Technical Credits

David Diamond	Producer
Lew Landers	Director

Editorial Reviews

The Raven is a real treat for fans of old horror movies. It features two of the top stars of the genre, it's preposterous enough for campy enjoyment, and it isn't a completely dreadful movie either. Granted, it's not in the same league as Bride of Frankenstein, for example, but it's still fun to watch. The filmmakers go to absurd lengths to compensate for the plot's limited connection to Edgar Allan Poe; not only does Dr. Vollin have an insane obsession with Poe's work (although he doesn't seem to understand its meaning), but the film even includes a Poe-inspired interpretive dance. Indeed, the most unbelievable part of the movie isn't Dr. Vollin's crazed plan or the assortment of weird devices in his mansion, but rather the overwhelming ovation that the dancer receives for her performance. In addition to fans of modern dance, people who enjoy watching portentous close-ups of Bela Lugosi's stare should also be pleased with this film, which proves conclusively that this underrated thespian needed only his eyeballs to overact. His performance may be stagy and hammy, but it's also dynamic; he knows how to raise his eyebrows or cackle insanely for maximum effect. Karloff's less theatrical acting style provides a nice balance to Lugosi as well as the film's dollop of pathos. Not surprisingly, the supporting cast is a lot less interesting to watch, a problem that isn't helped by uninspired generic dialogue (e.g., "Oh darling, isn't it wonderful?"). The suspenseful ending seems a bit slow by modern standards, perhaps because the characters have a tendency to face danger by huddling together in apparent fear of stepping on Lugosi's or Karloff's lines. Nonetheless, this movie is fun as long as you don't take it seriously.

All Movie Guide - Todd Kristel