Corman/Price/Karloff/Lorre/Nicholson/Court

"The Raven" (1963) sure has an impressive list of names. Corman directed quite a host of talents for this playfully innocuous comedy which doesn't even dip it's toes in horror. It feels like it could very well dabble in the genre if it wanted to. Sure, Corman does for his "The Terror", made right after, utilizing Karloff's and Nicholson's services from "The Raven". Price and Lorre are such a delightful one-two punch in "Tales of Terror", teaming up again for "The Raven" seems like a no-brainer.

Price and Karloff rival wizards, Hazel Court the woman between them, Lorre instigating the magic rift that ultimately brings about the big duel at the end, Nicholson and Sturgess the young adults sort of dragged into the whole mess as the son of Lorre and daughter of Price, respectfully.

I watched this late last year before October, sort of part of a fun little AIP series prior to kicking off Halloween month in September. It had plenty of some of my favorite horror Titans in one picture together. And because it wasn't exactly horror but featured Karloff and his "precious viper", Hazel, plotting against the naive and innocuous Price, just an easygoing and seemingly nonthreatening wizard who never posed much of a problem except for his magic, there was enough sinister intent involved to bring this in striking distance to the genre. It's got castles, crypts, betrayal and deception, dark magic, stormy night, wicked spellcasting, dungeons and burning coal...all the right ingredients, just toned and presented with a light-hearted spirit that doesn't get too dim even as Price and company are held captive while Karloff and Court mock them. There's even a duel to the death where special effects are wielded such as snakes, bats, daggers, hatchets, cannons, eggs, chandeliers, birds, lasers, light bombs, flame, etc. This is by 1963 special effects standards, though. Take that to account. Because this is a Corman film, a castle burns and crumbles. And Hazel's bosom holds well behind her dress. Karloff and Price together is just a big deal regardless of the silliness of the film and its material. Their star power, regardless of age, remains to me, and I'm certainly sure of the time, value "The Raven" benefits from. But Lorre definitely steals the film as the blathering, squawking failed magician who can't defeat Karloff, helps to unsuccessfully upend Price and is betrayed by Karloff, is turned into a raven twice, and drunkenly browbeats Nicholson.

I always think of "The Terror" when I watch this. While "The Raven" is treated as the A class picture, many consider the no-budget Terror as it's better. I have to admit that over the years, while Price's presence in Raven could carry any film without much effort, I've really become quite attached to Terror. It is a shambled production compiled of lots of shot footage with Corman exploiting four days he had with Karloff, using the young Nicholson as his lead, granted access to the sets Raven still offered them. Still, "The Raven" had treasures "The Terror" just did not. While the latter just felt so dreamlike and outre, a Gothic Ghost Story knitted together reputedly by a number of talents, including heavy editing with a lot of footage piecemeal, the former has advantages. You can just plop Price, Lorre, and Karloff in a film directed by Corman on a box and it can sell. Well in the past. I figure my generation will be the last those legends will likely appeal. I do recall plenty of public domain $1 DVD releases in supermarket aisles featuring "The Terror" so its copyright frailty gave plenty of sellers the chance to highlight Nicholson's name in big letters, but I digress. MGM Channel showed this on a late night so I couldn't resist another revisit of "The Raven", a friendly reminder of Price when he's less madman or villain. And its Poe tie-in, no matter how limited to quoting the raven nevermore and Hazel named Lenore, allows Raven to be a part of the Corman cycle AIP made famous.