The Raven (1963)

In mourning for his deceased wife (Hazel Court), a master magician (Vincent Price) is told by a man (Peter Lorre) turned into a raven by a rival magician (Boris Karloff) that his wife is alive and the mistress of his nemesis. Very loosely based on the classic Edgar Allan Poe poem and directed by Roger Corman. Of all the Poe adaptations done by Corman and American International, this is my least favorite. Mainly because for some reason Corman chose to do it as a comedy rather than a traditional horror film. I found the "comedy" rather silly and tedious and couldn't help but wish that Corman had taken the material seriously. Sure, it's a thrill to see such genre icons as Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre as well as a very young Jack Nicholson (as Lorre's son) all in the same movie but I wasn't amused. The highlight of the film is a magician's showdown with Price and Karloff dueling with their occult abilities which is enjoyable. With Olive Sturgess as Price's daughter.