The Raven (1935)

 

I found a passage I wrote back in October of 2015 about “The Raven” that covered some of the main thoughts I consider still about the same as Saturday evening’s viewing. I really wasn’t in the right state of mind to really enjoy it as I have in the past although Lugosi being second billed to Karloff in this film from 1935 is ridiculous. And when Karloff is the star, I get giving him top billing. But Karloff, despite being a very sympathetic victim (although he burned someone at a bank during a robbery with a torch to the face and killed two guards escaping prison) whose face is altered on one side by master surgeon Lugosi, forced into doing some of his evil bidding (although his Ed Bateman decides that lives are far more worth saving than his ugly visage), still has some great moments in “The Raven”. But this is Lugosi’s film. He is the dominant central character in the film, the Poe enthusiast who eyes Ware, having saved her from brain catastrophe. Lugosi is rejected not as much by her (although she’s engaged to Matthews’ Dr. Jerry Halden) as her judge father (Samuel Hinds of “It’s a Wonderful Life”). Although not based on a Poe story, “The Raven” has plenty of conversations about the author and his work, especially the torture devices Lugosi has built in a secret chamber inside his gimmicked house (how an entire room can be shifted to bring a character to Lugosi’s chamber is quite inventive). Lugosi even references Poe in relation to his own “torture”, as the judge realizes he’s insane, feeling he must free and clear his mind of anything Ware related in order to function without distraction (love, as Lugosi considers Ware his Lenore). Karloff does give us that Frankenstein growl and pitiful face when he is allowed to see by a laughing Lugosi what has been done to him. The makeup work assures that when Karloff walks into a room guaranteed female screams result. Lugosi leaning over to mock Hinds who is in the pit/pendulum trap, and through a window as Karloff shoots out mirrors in the surgical room proves how far gone his mental state really is. “The Raven”, despite its innovative gimmicked Poe house, wouldn’t be as entertaining and memorable without full bore Lugosi theatrics…he really seemed to enjoy himself in this film. While I think Ygor is perhaps the best performance, with Dracula his most iconic, “The Raven” is right up there with his very best characters. 5/5