Price, Poe and The Pit and the Pendulum

Vincent Price was a talented, versatile actor who worked in movies, television and on stage throughout his long career. He appeared in numerous movies, including film noirs, comedies, romantic dramas, and westerns. Beloved by his legion of fans, he’s probably best remembered for his contributions to the horror genre. Price starred in seven of the films in Roger Corman’s “Poe” cycle, the celebrated producer-director’s cinematic adaptations of the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) is the second film in the series, following House of Usher (1960). The story is set in Spain, where Francis Bernard (played by John Kerr) visits the castle of Nicholas Medina (portrayed by Price), who was married to his sister Elizabeth. It turns out Elizabeth died under mysterious circumstances, and Francis wants to learn the truth regarding her death. Nicholas and his sister Catherine initially tell him that his sister died of a rare blood disease. Later, the family physician, Dr. Leon, offers a different explanation for Elizabeth’s passing. Francis vows to stay at the castle until he discovers the truth. Dr. Leon warns him that Nicholas is in a frail mental state, and prodding him about the nature of Elizabeth’s death might send him over the edge. The doctor tells Francis about some traumatic events from Nicholas’ childhood, which have haunted him ever since.

Anthony Carbone & Vincent Price

Strange things and eerie events occur; Elizabeth's room is trashed. Eerie voices and loud noises are heard by Nicholas. He becomes convinced that Elizabeth has returned from the grave to haunt him. As the climax of the story nears, it becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. There will be madness, murder, betrayal and death as the story builds to a crescendo of terror. The cast is excellent, with Price taking top honors, expertly walking a tightrope between calm, manic and completely off the rails throughout the film. Price was often accused of hamminess and over-acting, but I believe that he knew exactly what he was doing, perfectly pitching his performances to match the material. Price is at the peak of his powers here, and I think it's some of his best work in the Poe cycle, along with his performances in the later Masque of the Red Death and Tomb of Ligeia.

The rest of the cast, including Corman regulars Luana Anders (as Catherine) and Anthony Carbone (as Dr. Leon) are quite good, but it's Barbara Steele (in her first role since her iconic turn in Mario Bava's Black Sunday) who makes a truly lasting impression. She is excellent as Elizabeth, who turns out to have some very deadly secrets. Despite the fact that her dialogue was dubbed, Steele's physical performance is terrific. Shes’s ethereal, frightening, and alluring all at once. Her calm, cool and controlled Elizabeth is a perfect counterpoint to Price's emotional, rattled Nicholas. At least, that is, until the film's eerie finale, where the truth is finally revealed, and things take a twist toward the macabre. Richard Matheson's excellent screenplay combines a dash of Poe (the original story is only used in the last section of the film), with tales of ghosts and hauntings, and also tosses in a noir-esque murder plot for good measure. Price made suggestions about changes to Nicholas' dialogue, which he felt improved it's tone. Corman and Matheson incorporated some of his ideas.

The film is florid, haunting and dazzling. The combination of Corman’s assured direction with the excellent camera work by Floyd Crosby, art direction by Daniel Haller and the music of Lex Baxter create an atmosphere of dread that permeates every frame. Corman and his crew were like kids in a candy store while working on these films, making all kinds of interesting stylistic choices, such as the use of odd colors and off-kilter images in the flashback sequences. It's no surprise that the film is often cited as an influence on the Italian giallo genre of horror films, or that it's a favorite of Stephen King, Tim Burton and Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas. What Horror of Dracula is to the Hammer films oeuvre, The Pit and the Pendulum is to the horror output of American International Pictures. The movie set the tone for a large percentage of their genre offerings for years to come.

The movie draws you in, and bears up well on repeat viewings. This is in no small part to the stellar contributions of Vincent Price, who anchors the film with his assured performance. As a long-time fan, it's hard for me to pick a favorite Price role; his stellar work as Mark Cardigan in His Kind of Woman is a favorite of mine, but there are so many others to choose from. This is definitely one of his most memorable roles in the horror genre. If you're going to pick one movie to watch that defines what the Poe series is all about, this is the one to check out. The Pit and the Pendulum is available on DVD and Blu-ray, and is often screened on various cable movie networks. Here's a link to the film's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xzdrffJ91E. This post is part of The Vincent Price Blogathon, hosted by my fellow bloggers over at Reelweegiemidget Reviews & Cinematic Catharsis. I'd like to thank them for letting me participate! Please follow this link to check out the rest of the entries: https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/blogathons/blogathons-2020/vincent-price-blogathon/.