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The Raven is a 1963 American independent B movie/horror-comedy filmproduced and directed by Roger Corman.[5] The film stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff as a trio of rival sorcerers.[5] The supporting cast features a young Jack Nicholson as Lorre's character's son.
It was the fifth in the so-called Corman-Poe cycle of eight films largely featuring adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories produced by Roger Corman and released by AIP. The film was written by Richard Matheson, based on references to Poe's poem "The Raven".
Three decades earlier, Karloff had appeared in another film with the same title, Lew Landers's 1935 horror film The Raven with Bela Lugosi.
Set during the 15th century, the sorcerer Dr. Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) has been mourning the death of his wife Lenore (Hazel Court) for over two years, much to the chagrin of his daughter Estelle (Olive Sturgess). One night he is visited by a raven, who happens to be a transformed wizard, Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre). Together they brew a potion that restores Bedlo to his old self. Bedlo explains he had been transformed by the evil Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff) in an unfair duel, and both decide to see Scarabus, Bedlo to exact revenge and Craven to look for his wife's ghost, which Bedlo reportedly saw at Scarabus' castle. After fighting off the attack of Craven's coachman, who apparently acted under the influence of Scarabus, they set out to the castle, joined by Craven's daughter Estelle and Bedlo's son Rexford (Jack Nicholson).
At the castle, Scarabus greets his guests with false friendship, and Bedlo is apparently killed as he conjures a storm in a last act of defiance against his nemesis. At night, Rexford finds him alive and well, hiding in the castle. Craven, meanwhile, is visited and tormented by Lenore, who is revealed to be alive and well too, having faked her death two years before to move away with Scarabus. As Craven, Estelle, Rexford and Bedlo try to escape the castle, Scarabus stops them, and they are imprisoned. Bedlo panics and begs Scarabus to turn him back into a raven rather than torture him; he flees the dungeon by flying away. Craven is forced to choose between surrendering his magical secrets to Scarabus or watching his daughter be tortured. Bedlo secretly returns, frees Rexford, and together they aid Craven.
Craven and Scarabus sit facing each other and engage in a magic duel. After a lengthy performance of attacks, counterattacks and insults, during which Scarabus sets the castle on fire, Craven defeats Scarabus. Lenore tries to reconcile with him, claiming that she had been bewitched by Scarabus, but Craven rejects her. Craven, Bedlo, Estelle and Rexford escape the burning castle just as it collapses on Scarabus and his mistress. The miscreants survive, but Scarabus has lost his magic forever.
Bedlo tries to convince Craven to restore his human form. Craven tells him to shut his beak, and says, "Quoth the raven - nevermore."
The Raven | |
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Theatrical release poster by Reynold Brown
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Directed by | Roger Corman |
Produced by | Roger Corman |
Written by | Richard Matheson |
Based on | "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe |
Starring | Vincent Price Peter Lorre Boris Karloff Hazel Court Olive Sturgess Jack Nicholson |
Music by | Les Baxter |
Cinematography | Floyd Crosby |
Edited by | Ronald Sinclair |
Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
| 86 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $350,000[1][2] |
Box office | $1,499,275[3][4] |