Edgar Allan Poe's-'THE RAVEN'
American International Pictures (A.I.P.)
Produced & Directed By; Roger Corman
Screen Play By; Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) Executive Producers; Samuel
Z. Arkoff
& James H. Nicholson
Starring; VINCENT PRICE, PETER LORRE, BORIS KARLOFF.
Co-Starring; JACK NICHOLSON, HAZEL COURT & OLIVE STURGESS.
MGM Presents; Midnite Movies; Double Feature which Both Films are Now Streaming
on 'AMAZON-PRIME!'
Hello Again,
My little 'Vernal-Equinox'. Spider Bites!
Tis I, your Glamour Ghoul of the Undead Set, DITA DIRT NAP!
'Spring has Sprung, Hon! So it is with great excitement, I bring you the one and only Horror Icon; VINCENT PRICE! As you know DITA is a huge giddy fan of Mr. Price! As you also know, I come equipped with my own Double-Features right up front! Head lights, if you will, equipped with brights! So I can see on those dark, stormy nights............Silly!!! A-hem! So it is only fitting that this double-feature containing 2 Horror-Comedy Flicks for the Vincent 'PRICE' of One!!! Tee-hee! I know, I know, I crack myself up!
Any-Boo, it contains one of DITA's Favorite Vincent Price Movies called; 'THE RAVEN'> https://youtu.be/gLe7J3cNOCA?si=VPQUuOQgSbM4eoxz and 'COMEDY OF TERRORS'> https://youtu.be/8ARUKfGB6wc?si=Cfk_HlJRxCdFX_52
Now
dah-lings, 'THE RAVEN' reads like a who's-who-of-horror-dom! It stars the
gothic-comedy team of Vincent Price, Peter Lorre & Boris Karloff! What more
could you ask for? Well, how about a classic-gothic poem from the one and only
EDGAR ALLAN POE, Horror/Sci-Fi Director ROGER CORMAN (Dita reviewed his film
'Last Woman On Earth here once here in 'DITA's- DEN.), Infamous Producer Samuel
Arkoff and legendary Writer Richard Matheson! Wow!
This movie has everything DITA loves in a Horror-Comedy Classic! Great Cast, fun-filled scenes, great creepy sets, wonderful improvisational scenes, mainly between Price and Lorre's characters. DITA could listen to Price, Karloff and Lorre's voices alone, all day, perhaps just reading the phone book! The voices are so rich, especially Karloffs! He must have been 'Shakespeare' in another life! DITA can't help but sometimes think of Dr. Suess's; The Grinch, when I closed my eyes while listening to KARLOFF speak his lines! They are all great voice-over artists in their own rights!
The story line has all Three as great wizards. Lorre's character comes in the
beginning of the picture as the famous Raven from Poe's poem knocking at Price's
chamber door. Vincent's character lets him in and the fun begins! First with
Price turning him slowly back into human form. Lorre then cons Price into going
with him to Karloff's magician Castle. By the way, look for the beautiful visual
scene of Price, Lorre and their offspring played by a young, studly/sexy Jack
Nicholson as Lorre's son and Olive Sturgess as Price's damsel daughter, crossing
the bridge over the moat going into the castle.
Nice camera shot at the bridge thinks DITA.
To make a long story short, there's lots of trickery and magic that goes on and ends up with Lorre being turned back into a Raven and the Two finger tip magicians, Price & Karloff battling each other to the end, upon destroying the castle! This magician against magician scene to DITA, is the best and funniest in the movie and is not to be missed! Price in this scene is much fun to watch as he floats around the room in mid air doing magic from his cool-gold-gothic chair! You can tell he's having fun and has a look on has face as if to say ,this is effortless and easy magic that comes from my finger tips! Love it!!!
Another earlier scene in the film has him showing Lorre his dead fathers coffin,
complete with scary-dead dad inside that comes back to life only to say;
'BEWARE! Hmmm! Also he is surprised when Lorre's character sees a picture of his
dead wife, Lenore, played by the busty & beautiful Hazel Court, and tells Price
he has seen her with Karloff at his castle. Price then opens up his wife's
coffin to show the magician her rotting corpse that has a twisted look on her
face with her mouth permanently open!
Kid's ,I'm telling you the look on her dead face is funnier than that 'sneezing
baby panda' that startles it's mother' on 'YOU TUBE'>
https://youtu.be/8d6voO-na6w?si=fWiYyr-DpaiTzr-j So funny, DITA almost
died laughing!!
'DITA!' Uh, yes Derek (The Vampiric Announcer)?
Derek; 'You're already DEAD!'
DITA; Oh, right! I forgot!
There are many count-less things that I love in this fun film but , alas too
many to still mention! So, I will say I wish they still made films like this
with actors as talented as these! At least it's now Streaming on 'AMAZON-PRIME',
beautifully digitally remastered!
DITA will also say that this is the most Horrific fun I streaming a Film like
'THE RAVEN'. Simply because it is a great movie that no longer gets made with a
nice transfer and the right kind of flick to watch w/a hot Slice, of pizza that
is.Con tarantula-sprinkles y mota. LOL!
Now
as I mentioned earlier about the other Price Feature 'COMEDY OF TERRORS' almost
entitled 'GRAVE-SIDE STORY' by Matheson, it fares okay and is worth a look but
can't be, and shouldn't be compared to 'The Raven' except for same casting of
PRICE, KARLOFF & LORRE! Also stars; another infamous Horror Icon; BASIL RATHBONE
as the corpse that would NOT die! That of course leads to lot of comic
situations! It also stars; Joyce Jameson as Price's love-starved wife who sings
Opera so bad that her voice scares the cat, makes flowers wilt and their vase
break as well as make her father played by Karloff think they might of had an
earthquake! Joe E. Brown plays the 'Grave Yard Grounds Keeper' that unlocks the
crypt RATHBONE's corpse then escapes from.........because he has an axe to
grind! Watch, you'll see!
'COMEDY OF TERRORS' has cool, creepy sets and a very cool cadaver-carriage wagon
that DITA envies! Hmmm, wonder if I can get one on 'CRAIG's LIST'?
PRICE & LORRE play a couple of gothic 'LAUREL & HARDY' type Morticians who
resort to killing off local older gentlemen around town when business gets low.
Of course various high -jinks ensue! A side note of why Karloff's character
isn't given much to do in this flick as you may notice is that Karloff was
originally slated to play Rathbone's part of the corpse that wouldn't die, which
was a more physical part. Karloff at that point in his life, had problems with
his legs, there-in having the two actors change roles. 'THE COMEDY OF TERRORS'
is from 1964.
DITA gives this Double-Feature of 'THE RAVEN' & 'COMEDY OF TERRORS' 3 Skulls Out
Of 3 Skulls Score! Watch it with tonight with a big tub of buttery popcorn and
your best ghoul-fiend in the dark!
Click here to see a VINCENT PRICE Tribute Video From Cult-Director JOHN WATERS,
my little coffin-creepers>
https://youtu.be/MUZEh8MJA_s?si=eVjBfjWwn3dwmdO-
DITA wants to send a 'Shout-Out' to Horror Host ,Samantha aka The Magnificent
Madame Mortem!!
Until Next Week, when I bring you a Green-Holiday Treat w/'LEPRECHAUN', Starring; WARWICK DAVIS & JENNIFER ANSITON.
'Chainsaw-Kisses',
DITA ('THRILLER') DIRT NAP
(Click here, Hon to see 'Thriller' performed for the Last time by Michael
Jackson in his; 'THIS IS IT'-Film>
https://youtu.be/ye6tPfJe2kc?si=zvXGSp_aKKusdLN1 )
P.S. Take a look at the NEW Documentary about Cult-Movie Actress; TURA SANTANA,
simply called; 'TURA', as she starred in Flicks like; 'FASTER PUSSY CAT, KILL,
KILL' ,'ASTRO-ZOMBIES' and much more. ,I, DITA DIRT NAP Can't recommend her
Documentary enuff, you will be missed and thanks for sharing ur talent w/the
world! Which btw; 'TURA' is Streaming N-O-W on 'AMAZON-PRIME'>
https://youtu.be/jkf-zrQbC3Y?si=wyx6KKVsGPINngFV
As usual click below to see 'DITA-Suggested Sites as Follows;
www.legendfilms.com
www.vincentprice.com
www.elvira.com
www.thenewbev.com (Check out their
Sexy MARCH-Schedule of which they showed DITA's Favorite ever Cult-Flick w/RAINBEAUX
SMITH & SY RICHARDSON. As well as showing TURA SANTANA's Cultastic Flick;'
FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL, KILL'>
https://youtu.be/LfN4yPIovfY?si=rfVPdG5wDURM6gE1 ,later this month of
March! DITA will be in attendance as usual in cognito.)
www.turasantana.com
www.radiohalloween.com (Year
round Halloween Music!)
Creature Feature © D. Dyszel 2026
and by
Dick Dyszel - Voice Actor
