Flying out of The Locker today is the 1963 Roger Corman classic, The Raven, featuring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and a fabulously wicked Hazel Court! Also, of note, is a rather dashing young actor named Jack Nicholson who looks quite debonair in his tights! The plot revolves around Price’s Character, who’s father was a Grand Master in the local Wizarding Guild, and his continued longing for his dead wife, Lenore. When he goes to confront the current Grand Master regarding a “sighting” of Lenore at his castle, magic and mayhem ensue. 

While doing research for this review, I discovered that Corman and Price, fresh off the heels of doing a couple of other Poe-related films, discussed departing from the somber and dark nature of the previous films and giving this flick a “lighter” and more humorous treatment. The actors were on board with this idea, although they had to convince Corman. As a “horror-comedy” it certainly is more of a comedy than a horror flick. As I have said before, it was about as frightening as dryer lint! BUT.. It was pretty funny and campy as hell! I chuckled several times at some of the preposterous lines, mostly delivered by Price and Lorre, who played well off each other.  I was admittedly pleasantly surprised at the treatment of the film by these “horror greats” and felt that they delivered fantastic performances. As a film it was moderately entertaining and certainly fun to see a novice Jack Nicholson in action.