Tonight I watched "The Tomb Of Ligeia" (1965), another good one from Roger Corman that I found today at West Valley Libe. Vincent Price stars again in an adaptation from Edgar Allan Poe, and the combination of Price/Corman/Poe seems to be a successful one. Price plays an Egyptologist named Verden Fell (which sounds rife with symbolism if you ask me). As the movie opens, we are at a funeral service for his late wife Ligeia. The clergyman argues with Price over the burial site, at the ruins of an ancient church. A real place called Castle Acre Priory was used as the location, adding authenticity and a decidedly spooky atmosphere. The clergyman protests that it is wrong to bury Ligeia here, for it is consecrated ground. He is implying that her spirit is unclean. Price knows this and doesn't dispute it, he just wants Ligeia put into the ground as fast as possible. Her coffin has a glass window and we can see her face, which looks beautiful in repose, but......
......her eyes are open.
Price lifts the casket lid to close them, explaining that it was merely a postmortem reaction of the body's nervous system. Boy are we off to a good start.
Next, we cut to the verdant English countryside. A fox hunt is in progress. Do the English Aristocracy still engage in this monstrous and cruel practice? I hope not, but at any rate the movie is set in the early 19th century so we shall let it pass. One of the hunters, a spirited young woman named Lady Rowena, cuts into the lead and chases the fox onto the grounds of the aforementioned Castle Acre Priory. Suddenly she is thrown from her horse,and lands hard on a bed of red flowers, where she is found unconscious by Vincent Price, who is lurking about. He is wearing sidewall sunglasses to protect his eyes from the daylight, and explains to Lady Rowena's father, who arrives quickly on the scene, that she has fallen on the grave of Ligeia, his wife, but that she will be okay because the flowers have broken her fall. There is further symbolism in the flowers, but I will leave you to discover it.
Soon, Lady Rowena has healed, and has a desire to visit Price at his Old Decaying Mansion. I mean, c'mon......after all we've seen this Halloween season did you expect he'd live anywhere else? She shows up at his door , and Price is at first furious : "Never visit me unannounced"!, he exclaims. He softens after Lady Rowena shows a genuine interest in him. She asks about his life and career. Soon they are in love and plan to marry, but Price has some conditions Rowena must adhere to. She cannot be with him at night, for instance. That would be a deal killer in most marriages, but she adores him so much she agrees......for a time, anyway. It's the same old situation yet again, where if I tell you, "you must never enter that room"!, you are eventually going to enter it at some point. And eventually, Rowena will seek to find out what Price does at night.
But meanwhile, they are a happy couple. Price's whole demeanor has changed. He is feeling so good about life that he's decided to sell the Decrepit Old Mansion and move with Rowena to the city. She likes this idea, too, but there is a catch. In contacting his solicitor, Price discovers that he cannot sell the mansion because he isn't the legal owner. All the property is in Ligeia's name. "Well, where is her death certificate? We'll show that and the deed will be released to me", Price says. But the lawyer responds that there is no death certificate. Why this is isn't exactly clear, but it presents a problem for the couple's move.
Stepping in to the picture now is Christopher Gough (John Westbrook) a handsome young nobleman. He is a friend of Rowena's father, and treats her like a sister, but methinks he is secretly fond of her. When he hears about the non-existent death certificate for Ligeia, he becomes suspicious. He is already dubious of Price, whose unknown nighttime activities are a weird question mark to say the least. Gough does a little digging and discovers that Price, because of the absence of the death certificate, is still legally married to Ligeia. When he confronts Rowena with this news, her trust in Price begins to erode. Still, she loves him and wants him free of whatever monkey is riding his back.
In this case, it is a Black Cat, a lethal little beast who sprints around the mansion, running up and down cracked staircases and hiding in dark corners, to jump out at Price (and Rowena) at every opportunity.
What is the deal with this kitty, and why does it go down to the Priory to sit atop Ligeia's tombstone?
Price wants the animal destroyed, but his butler isn't able to catch it. I am an animal lover, and in every case but this one (and maybe Cujo's) I would vehemently protest such a wish, and indeed would try to protect the animal in question. But I've gotta confess, with this cat I might make an exception!
I doubt you'd disagree, if you were a character in this movie.
While Christopher Gough is attempting to pry Rowena away from Vincent Price, we are coming to know more about Ligeia, who believed in the power of the human will to triumph over death. She too was fascinated with the subject of Mesmerism (hypnosis), which seems to be a favorite topic of Poe's. Price turns out to be a skilled hypnotist himself, and he asks Rowena's permission to put her in trance. She agrees, if only to get to the bottom of whatever is going on, but Gough and the rest of the men on hand (the doctor, the Lord and the butler) are dead set against it. The session does take place, however. Price has his reasons for wanting to put Rowena under. I can't tell you what they are, but it will all lead to a thrilling, chilling climax.
"The Tomb Of Ligeia" was surprisingly good, with a script by the great Robert Towne. There are beautiful paintings which serve as title cards, and the look of the film is exquisite for what was likely a small budget. Price underplays Verden Fell, which is a good thing because his tendency toward histrionics could've changed the tone of the film and resulted in camp. Actress Elizabeth Shepherd is quite good herself as Lady Rowena, and the supporting cast is ably Brrrittissh and appropriately mannered. The production has the feel of a Hammer film, it's really well done, and I vow to stop denigrating Roger Corman from here on in. It must be that I saw all of his awful films first, before ever knowing there were good ones. But now I do know, and I will continue to look for more.
Two Big Thumbs Up for "The Tomb Of Ligeia", another Gothic winner for this team. ////
It is now time for the weekly ritual known as Tuesday Afternoon. You know the drill and I will leave you to it. I myself will now head out the door to go to Northridge Libe and Trader Josephus's. See you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons and tons of love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
No comments:
Post a Comment