Masterful Cinema

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

You might be forgiven for thinking this is another Corman/Poe film, but the funny thing is that it's not. The film is instead based on a story by the master of weird monsters, H. P. Lovecraft, called THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD. The film is a cracking one too, if you've seen any of the other Poe films that Corman churned out then you'll know what to expect. Ruined and crumbling mansions, cobwebs and spiders, fog-enshrouded graveyards and characters who are unable to tear themselves away from the past, and so remain trapped there forever.Vincent Price stars, as per usual, and gets to grips with not just one personality but two in this film. Yep, there's one body and two personalities struggling to gain dominance over the other. This leads to plenty of mental battles for supremacy between the two, giving Price ample opportunity to be pleasant and friendly and sinister and evil too. It's a great role and Price gives it his best, although he is more subdued here than in his other films, more the victim than the perpetrator. Debra Paget appears in her last film before retirement and is a good damsel in distress. And lo and behold, lurking around in the shadows is none other than Lon Chaney Jr. playing the loyal manservant. Chaney has only a small role with little dialogue but his presence is felt in the nostalgic horror fan's heart.I'm probably biased in liking this film, because I love Lovecraft's stories. Although the film is only loosely based on its sources there are still things cropping up familiar to Lovecraft fans, such as the Necronomicon and also a slimy monster living in a pit. When this monster appears at the end of the film the camera is distorted so that we don't see it clearly, this was probably to hide the budget but it just makes things eerier. The mutants too are scarily effective, especially when they appear out of the mist like ghosts to encircle our heroes. Corman relishes the opportunity to burn down his setting once again, and also includes a twist ending which suggests that the survivors might not live happily ever after. And it's been a while since I've seen any torch-wielding villagers running about and burning things down. On top of all this, there are also a few references to other films like THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY and CITY OF THE DEAD. THE HAUNTED PALACE is an enjoyable and brooding horror with the cast and director on top form, and so makes for rewarding viewing.

This has some good actors in it. But it is not a good movie. It does not have a good story line. The ending is awful. It is not very scary. I was very disappointed by this movie. It is the only movie with Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jr. And it could have been so much better. Do not waste your money. And do not wast time. Do not see this movie. It is pooh pooh. 6.8 is overrating. It is not scary at all. Do not see this movie. It is a warlock movie. But there better movies that like this one. I can not believe the man who wrote The Masque of the red death wrote this. The Masque of the red death is so mush better. See The Masque the red death.

Among the lavish literary adaptations that Roger Corman made during the 1960s, "The Haunted Palace" stands out, mainly for not being a Poe adaptation, but rather a film version of the Lovecraft tale "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" (with some utterances of lines, and the title, taken from the Poe poem). Corman was looking for a change of pace, and decided that the writing styles of the two authors were similar enough. Here the filmmaker does typically solid work, utilizing regular collaborators Daniel Haller (production design) and Floyd Crosby (cinematography) and giving the film that wonderful old school atmosphere. Overall "The Haunted Palace" is not as good as the best in the Corman-Poe cycle, but it's still consistently enjoyable.Vincent Price again is in fine form, as he delineates two characters: one a cheery man, Charles Dexter Ward, who comes to the small New England town of Arkham to claim family property, and the other his great-great-grandfather Joseph Curwen, an evil warlock burned alive by an angry group of villagers worthy of a Universal horror flick. Soon Curwen (who, quite naturally, placed a curse on the town and the townspeople who targeted him) is exerting a malevolent influence over his descendant, while Charles's scared wife Ann Ward (gorgeous Debra Paget ("Tales of Terror"), in her final feature film) teams with a well-meaning doctor, Marinus Willet (Frank Maxwell) to try to save her husbands' soul.The film is impressive to look at; Corman had Crosby shoot this film darker than the Poe adaptations, feeling that style suited Lovecrafts' writing better. Ronald Steins' music is wonderful and among his best scores. There are some great horror moments and a monster or two, which we fortunately never get too good a look at. There's also a couple of mutated humans (with decent makeup effects by Ted Coodley) to add to the mix. The cast is certainly a joy. Also to be seen are Lon Chaney Jr. ("The Wolf Man") and Milton Parsons ("The Secret Life of Walter Mitty") as Curwens' villainous associates, Leo Gordon ("The Intruder"), beloved Old Hollywood character actor Elisha Cook Jr., John Dierkes ("Premature Burial"), Harry Ellerbe ("House of Usher"), Barboura Morris ("A Bucket of Blood"), and Bruno VeSota ("Attack of the Giant Leeches").With this much going for it, "The Haunted Palace" is never less than entertaining.Lovecrafts' story would be adapted more faithfully as "The Resurrected" in 1992.Seven out of 10.

Centuries ago in Arkham, New England, the warlock Joseph Curwen (Vincent Price) abducts young ladies from the local village and brings them to his castle to use in experiments with the Necronomicon. The local Edgar Weeden (Leo Gordon) raises a lynch mob that go to the castle and burn Joseph Curwen alive at the stake. Before dying, he curses the village, the villagers and their descendants. One hundred and ten years later, Charles Dexter Ward (Vincent Price), who has inherited the manor, comes to Arkham with his beautiful wife Ann Ward (Debra Paget) to visit the real estate and has a cold and hostile reception by the dwellers. Only Dr. Priam Willet (Frank Maxwell) helps him and tells that the village has many mutants and the villagers believe that it is a cursed town.When Charles arrives in the castle, he meets two former associates of Joseph Curwen that also worship the devil, and Charles is possessed by the evil Joseph Curwen that wants to revenge on the descendants of those who killed him and to bring his beloved mistress back to life. Ann and Dr. Willet try to help Charles to escape from Curwen's power."The Haunted Palace" is a classic Gothic horror by Roger Corman that follows the same style of the Hammer films. The plot is very simple but works perfectly well, supported by Vincent Price and the gorgeous Debra Paget. Further, this is the last feature of this beautiful actress that retired after getting married for the third time. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Castelo Assombrado" ("The Haunted Castle")