Friday, July 18, 2025

219) Tomb of Ligeia (1964)


Director
Roger Corman

Cast
Vincent Price - Verden Fell
Elizabeth Shepherd - Rowena Trevanion/ Ligeia
John Westbrook - Christopher Gough
Derek Francis - Lord Trevanion
Oliver Johnston - Kenrick
Richard Vernon - Dr. Vivian
Frank Thornton - Peperel the butler
Ronald Adam - the Minister


I'm finishing up Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe series with this eighth movie in the series. Some consider "The Oblong Box" (1969) to be the final movie. It stars Vincent Price who stars in the previous Poe movies, and it also stars Christopher Lee. It's also based on a story by Poe. Plus it's produced through American International Pictures (AIP), which produced Corman's Poe movies except for "Premature Burial." AIP did eventually purchase the distribution rights for "Premature Burial." Anyways, Corman isn't involved in the production of "The Oblong Box" so it's not a part of his series. Still, I may review it at some point but I'm not including it in this thread. 
"The Tomb of Ligeia" deals with death, reincarnation, and love. Common themes in these Poe movies. Plus, there's also a big house, a coffin, and flames. The formula continues!
The story starts with a funeral at none other than Castle Acre Priory. I guess you can't start a horror movie without something centered on death. 
The funeral is for Ligeia (Elizabeth Shepherd) who's the wife of Verden Fell (Vincent Price). Being as young and beautiful as she was. Ligeia's casket comes with a window so her face can be seen even after she's dead. During the funeral, a black cat comes out of nowhere and jumps on her coffin. It looks as though this random cat is taking her soul. 
As expected, her death looms over Verden. He's especially troubled at the possibility of her soul being someplace that's hot and filled with all sorts of creative forms of torture. 
Ligeia made some blasphemous comments about God, and she was also an atheist. That would definitely land a soul in Hell. 
"Man need not kneel before the angels, not lie in death forever, save through the weakness of his feeble will," are Ligeia's words which Verden reads at the funeral.
"Blasphemy!" the minister says. 
So, she didn't believe in God's existence yet was still mad at God. So much so, she felt it necessary to hurl a few insults at God whom, again, she didn't believe existed. But now she's dead. She definitely believes there's a God now! 
Anyways, Verden's mourning and fear drives him to becomes reclusive in his mansion, which used to be a medieval monastery.
While wandering the cemetery on the grounds, he meets a woman named Rowena (also Elizabeth Shepherd) who's just passing through riding on horseback. The scene thus proves cemeteries really are a prime place to pick up girls.
Vincent Price as Verden Fell in "Tomb of Ligeia."
She happens to be engaged to Verden's friend, Christopher Gough (John Westbrook). However, that doesn't stop her from marrying Verden. 
This makes Ligeia's spirit pretty upset. Since she's dead, there's really little she can do accept haunt the place. So, she haunts the place. Ligeia manifests here and appears over there. And that black cat from the funeral starts showing up and freaking everyone out...as if the apparitions of Ligeia weren't freaky enough. 
In fact, Rowena thinks this cat is trying to kill her. It probably is! 
Well, Rowena is just not having any of it. Verden takes it upon himself to destroy this cat! 
Spoiler - the cat is actually Rowena in cat form. 
The duel between Verden and the cat culminates to Verden fighting the soul of Ligeia.
Like the rest of Corman's Poe movies (except for "Masque of the Red Death," their fight leads to the tomb burning down with Verden and Ligeia inside. It's not a Poe film by Corman unless something burns down. 
At least, he manages to strangle that damn cat! 
Now that he's dead, Rowena and Christopher hook back up and... the end. 
After coming off the previous "Masque of the Red Death, unfortunately "Tomb of Ligeia" comes across a little too weak and more of the same with tropes seen in Corman's previous Poe movies. 
The effort to make a gripping Gothic horror flick is ever present, but the story is too predictable. On the flip side, Corman has great care and respect for Poe. He clearly doesn't try to make a cheap spectacle. "Tomb of Ligeia" has a solemn tone that's respectable, and something I appreciate. 
In Ed Naha's book, "The Films of Roger Corman," Corman is quoted as saying, "I tried to make this last film as different from its predecessors as possible." 
It manages to feel like the rest. Despite the formula being on repeat for the eighth time, I find this entertaining enough.  
The creepy set designs, the unsettling camera angles, and Vincent Price's unsettling performance fit for Gothic horror make for truly classic horror.
Price still has that sinister vibe. His appearance reminds me of his role as Roderick Usher in the first of Corman's Poe movies, "House of Usher." 
Like Usher, his character is sensitive to light. However, in this movie he wears sunglasses throughout the story. It adds an otherworldly quality to Price as they make it difficult for the audience to read his face. Plus, it gives him a badass look! Maybe Price wanted to go full circle here by playing a similar role to his first movie in the series? 
As much as I love Vincent Price, especially in his Gothic horror roles, I enjoyed watching him more in the earlier Poe movies. It's business as usual for Price in this movie. In other words, he's played this kind of role again and again.
"Tomb of Ligeia" builds up suspense satisfyingly well. It's that Corman know-how at work!
I mentioned the possibility of reviewing the unofficial ninth movie "The Terror" but I've seen it before, found it boring, comically plotless, and I honestly don't feel like sitting through it again. At least, not right now. I have other movies I'm anxious to get to. Maybe that short mention just now will have to be my review of "The Terror."  
As for Roger Corman's Poe movies, they all have a real nightmarish quality to them. All of them. Even this last one. I love the Gothic style. The camera work. Vincent Price's performances. 
While some of the movies are better than others, and some certainly capture Poe's spirit better than the other adaptations, I found each one to be entertaining. I looked forward to each movie, and I mean that sincerely. The grand set designs in each one of these movies is fantastic and truly, truly the stuff of classic horror! 
I think these movies may have been even more entertaining and memorable had more of them been anthology movies like "Tales of Terror." Still, collectively, Roger Corman's Poe series really hit the spot for me as far as vintage horror goes. Each movie carries with it a remarkable cast. Some legendary faces in the horror genre show up along the way. It's fantastic. I think my favorite scenes throughout the entire series involved Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff going at it in "The Raven." Legendary! 
When it comes to the eeriest of these movies, I'd have to go with "The Haunted Palace." It's the most unsettling of the Poe movies. And it has Lon Chaney, Jr. - another horror legend! 
Vincent Price's performance in "Masque of the Red Death" is his most evil and intimidating one out of all these movies. It's the best of his performances in these Poe films. 
All in all, these movies have a well-deserved spot in horror. Roger Corman knew how to do a lot with a few gems! They're brilliant to watch, and deserve a lot of praise.

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219) Tomb of Ligeia (1964)