The Raven (1935 film)

Infobox Film | name =The Raven


caption =movie poster
director = Lew Landers
producer =
writer =Edgar Allan Poe (poem)
David Boehm (screenplay)
starring =Boris Karloff
Béla Lugosi
Lester Matthews
Samuel S. Hinds
cinematography =
music =
editing =
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = July 8, 1935 U.S. release
runtime = 61 min
language = English
budget =
amg_id = 1:40373
imdb_id = 0026912

"The Raven" (1935) is a horror film revolving around Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, featuring Béla Lugosi as a Poe-obsessed mad surgeon with a torture chamber in his basement and Boris Karloff as a fugitive murderer desperately on the run from the police. The film disturbed many viewers of the time, and many critics currently agree that it displays Lugosi's finest non-"Dracula" performance. Lugosi had the larger role, but Boris Karloff received top billing in huge letters as "KARLOFF," with his last name displayed in the fashion that Universal Pictures adopted while Karloff's career was at its height. Too strong for 1935 tastes, with its themes of torture, disfigurement and grisly revenge, the film did not do particularly well at the box office during its initial release (much like another 1935 horror movie, MGM's "Mad Love", starring Peter Lorre), and indirectly led to a temporary ban on horror films in England. With the genre no longer economically viable, horror went out of vogue. This proved a devastating development at the time for Lugosi, who found himself losing work and struggling to support his family. Universal Pictures changed hands in 1936, and the new management was less interested in the box office novelty of the macabre.

Outside of being rivals in horror films of the time, both Karloff and Lugosi were united in getting the fledgling Screen Actors Guild off the ground in the mid-1930s. During the production of "The Raven" Lugosi encouraged four additional members of the supporting cast to sign on with the guild.

Almost three decades later, Karloff also appeared in another film with the same title, Roger Corman's 1963 comedy "The Raven" with Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. Aside from the title, the two films bear no resemblance to one another.

Plot summary

After pretty Jean Thatcher (Ware) has been injured in a car accident, her father, Judge Thatcher (Hinds) and beau Jerry (Matthews) implore retired surgeon Dr. Richard Vollin (Lugosi) to perform a delicate operation to restore her to health. Vollin agrees and is successful; he befriends the spirited and grateful Jean, in the process revealing his passion for all things related to Edgar Allan Poe, including his collection of torture devices inspired by Poe's works (such as a pit, pendulum with scythe, shrinking room, etc).

After Vollin reveals his growing love for Jean to her father, the Judge quickly discourages him from the affair. Angered, Vollin hatches a plan when Edmund Bateman (Karloff), a murderer, comes to his door asking for a new face so he may live in anonymity. Vollin asks Bateman to help him exact revenge on the Thatchers, which he refuses. Vollin performs the surgery, but instead turns Bateman into a disfigured monster, promising only to operate again on Bateman when Vollin's revenge is exacted. Bateman finally reluctantly agrees.

Vollin hosts a dinner party, among which Jean, Jerry, and the Judge are guests. One by one, the guests are caught in the Poe-inspired traps. Ultimately, Bateman is shot by Vollin as he rescues Jean and Jerry, Vollin perishes in the shrinking room, and the guests escape.

Marketing

Universal's pressbook heavily focused on Karloff, calling him "the uncanny master of make-up," as well as the connection to Poe. "Was Edgar Allan Poe a mental derelict?" it asks. The pressbook suggests that Poe's characters were "but a reflection of himself." Universal also suggested that cinema owners write letters to local high schools and colleges, urging their teachers to suggest the film to students. [Smith, Don G. "The Poe Cinema: A Critical Filmography". McFarland & Company, 1999. p. 57-8 ISBN 078641703X]

Cast

*Boris Karloff as Edmund Bateman
*Béla Lugosi as Richard Vollin
*Lester Matthews as Jerry Halden
*Irene Ware as Jean Thatcher
*Samuel S. Hinds as Judge Thatcher
*Spencer Charters as Bertram Grant
*Inez Courtney as Mary Burns
*Ian Wolfe as Geoffrey
*Maidel Turner as Mrs. Harriet Grant

ee also

* Boris Karloff filmography
* Béla Lugosi filmography

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0026912|title=The Raven