Six Pack To go

The last post of this year will be a fitting set of tales: Tales of Terror/Twice-Told Tales (1962/1963), two horror anthologies by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price.

Terror is a trio of stories based on Poe. The first, Morelia, has young Maggie Locke visiting her father, Price, in his mouldering New England mansion. Her mother died in childbirth and he never forgave her. Now she has come back to say she is dying. It turns out her mother never forgave her either, and Price has been keeping her mouldering body in the bedroom.

The Black Cat is probably our favorite. It features Peter Lorre as an abusive drunk with a beautiful wife, Joyce Jamison. To get some free drinks, he crashes a wine tasting event and challenges wine champion Price to a drink-off. Although he gets very drunk, he can identify any wine - I think it ends in a tie. But when Price takes Lorre home, he meets Jamison, and sparks fly. Lorre winds up plotting to brick them together in a wall. Since he is named Montresor Herringbone and Price is Fortunato there is a bit of Cask of Amontillado in this tale - allowing Lorre to intone the immortal line, “yes, for the love of God!”

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar has Price in the title role, with Basil Rathbone as the mesmerist who soothes the pain of his mortal illness. He also uses his powers to prolong the moment of death indefinitely. But can he control this undead creature he has created?

Twice-Told Tales is based on a stories by Hawthorne. The first is Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment. Two old scientists get together, Sebastian Cabot and price. They visit the corpse of Cabot’s betrothed, who died before they could be wed. They find her perfectly preserved, and deduce that the mineral water dripping from the ceiling of the vault has special powers. They drink it and become young, and even revive the girl, Mari Blanchard. But it comes out that Price was her lover, and it doesn’t end happily.

In Rappicini’s Daughter, Price keeps his daughter, Joyce Taylor, in a garden of poisonous plants so that no man will ever love and betray her. Her very touch is as poison as the weird plants in the garden. Brett Halsey woos her, but how will he overcome her curse. We liked this one a lot, due to the crazy garden.

The final tale is The House of Seven Gables, in somewhat abbreviated form. Although I have visited the actual house in Salem, I’ve never read the story. Here, Price comes back to the house, even though all the men in his family who stay there die due to an old curse. It is not the best story, but it does feature the lovely Beverly Garland.

So, two movies, six tales, filled with Price and other horror faves. Worth it if only for drunk Peter Lorre. In the busy holiday season, we had to watch one of two at a time, then get back to work or go to bed. A great way to end the season. Happy Holidays!