Good Things Come In Threes

 

TALES OF TERROR-1962-This trilogy from AIP is based on stories by who else but Edgar Allen Poe. All three star Vincent Price (He also made THE RAVEN with Corman (and Lorre) the same year).

Morella-Daughter Lenora (Maggie Pierce) gets a disturbing unwelcome from her estranged dad Locke (Vincent Price), a recluse in a gloomy cobwebbed mansion where he mourns the death of his wife Morella (Leona Gage). He seems to blame Lenora for her death since she died in child birth. When Lenora finds the mummified body of her mom in bed Dad confesses that excessive partying actually killed her. After it seems Lenora dies, Morella possesses her body and kills Locke but Lenora really did the deed. Morella smiles...

The Black Cat-Drunken Montresor (Peter Lorre) mistreats his wife Annabel (Joyce Jameson) and her black cat. At a wine tasting he meets pompous wine expert Luchresi (Vincent Price). When Montresor gets very drunk, Luchresi takes him home and meets Annabel. They fall in love. Montresor finds out about their affair and walls them up in the basement. After a drunken dream where the clandestine lovers play catch with Montresor's head, the police arrive looking for his wife. Of course the hated cat was walled up with the couple. Uses parts from “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.

The Facts in The Case of M. Valdemar-Carmichael (Basil Rathbone), a hypnotist helps relieve the pain of the dying Ernest Valdemar (Vincent again). His young assistant James (David Frankham) smells treachery. Valdemar agrees to be hypnotized on his death bed as part of Carmichael's weird experiment. James was right of course. The hypnotist will not let Valdemar die unless his wife Helene (Debra Paget), agrees to marry him. When Carmichael tries to molest her, Valdemar rises from his un-dead death bed and kills his tormentor.

Roger Corman (director) and Richard Matheson (screenplay) score again with this great anthology. The acting, direction and SFX are top notch and the middle story inspired Corman and Matheson to make A COMEDY OF TERRORS.

Thanks for reading!