Triumph and Tragedy with Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allen Poe (aka "Edgar Allan Poe") (1909)
Starring: Herbert Yost, Linda Arvidson, Arthur V. Johnson, David Miles, and Anita Hendrie
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Writer Edgar Allan Poe (Yost) is struggling to make enough money to purchase the food and medicine needed by his ailing wife (Arvidson). Can he find a publisher for his latest peom before it is too late?

 "Edgar Allen Poe" is a fictionalized version of the circumstances surrounding the creation and publication of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous work, "The Raven". It condenses several key events in Poe's life to make them occur simultaneously, but what it lacks in historical accuracy it makes up for with heightened drama and tragedy.

One mildly amusing fact about the film is that Poe's name is misspelled in the title--no, for once I did not make a typo in the heading, the film is actually titled "Edgar Allen Poe". This error is typically explained by the fact that the film was rushed to market in order to capitalize on the centennial anniversary of Poe's birth (he was born in Feburary 8, 1809, and the film began playing in theatres on Feburary 8, 1909), having been filmed over two days in January of 1909. By the time the error was noticed, copies of the film had already been made and were shipping out to movie theaters.

This film is far superior to what it's rushed production schedule might seem to infer. It is another innovative entry in Griffith's unfolding invention of much of what remains technical standards in filmmaking today--in this specific case, it was how Griffith lit the scenes.

Whether you have an interested in Edgar Allan Poe, silent movies, or just well-made dramas, I think you might find the few minutes it takes to watch this film. Click below and sit back.

An artsy take on a classic horror story

The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
Starring: Hildegarde Watson, Herbert Stern, and Melville Webber
Directors: Melville Webber and James Sibley Watson

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A traveler (Webber) is drawn into the existential nightmare-made-real shared by a brother and sister (Stern and Watson).

This 13-minute short film was the first screen adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher". Its creators were more concerned with capturing what they saw as the essence and mood of the story than they were with retelling its plot. As such, this film will make little sense if you're not familiar with the story it's adapted from.

That said, while the film's creators assumed viewers would know the story even if you're not familiar with it watching this film will be an interesting and worthwhile experience. This goes double if you have an interest in film history and cinematic techniques.

What's even better? This creeptacular classic is bound to awaken and/or strengthen the Halloween Spirit within you . The version embedded in this post is one of the visually sharpest ones we could find, and it's got a modern, highly effective score that was composed specifically for it.

Musical Monday with Rachmaninoff

In 1927, actor and filmmaker Castleton Knight created a short horror film that drew its inspiration in equal parts from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Premature Burial" and Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor", which the composer stated was inspired by a nightmare about a premature burial.

       

 

Knight's film, "Prelude", was created to run as Rachmaninoff's "Prelude" was being played, either on a recording or live. As such, Knight ended up creating the first music video in history!

And now, to help you build up the proper Halloween spirit, we present this historic milestone, as it was meant to be seen by its creator! Click below, turn up the volume, and sit back and watch this well-crafted film unfold!

Prelude (1927)

Starring: Castleton Knight

Director: Castleton Knight

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

In honor of Poe -- "The Conqueror Worm"

Edgar Allan Poe was a poet, writer, editor, and an American writer who not only helped shape the horror genre as we know it, but also the short story format. He passed away at the entirely age of 40 on this day, October 7, in 1849.

This is the third post today in which we honor his memory with pictures, posts, songs, and more. Here's another song, inspired by Poe, from the great goth musician and satirist Voltaire.

Did we say "inspired by"? That was a mistake. If that song sounded familiar, it's because it IS Poe's famous poem "The Conqueror Worm" set to music. Given that it is quite literally written like song lyrics, it's surprising that no one has done this before. (There's been entire concept albums based on the works of Poe, but no one previously do Voltaire thought to actually write music to go with any of the poems that lend them to it. Some artists have come close, but none had taken the plunge until 2014. If we are wrong on this, please correct us in the comments. We can spotlight those artists we just slighted next year on October 7!)

Meanwhile, here's Poe's "The Conqueror Worm" for your reading pleasure. Perhaps you can restart the music and sing along with these lyrics!

THE CONQUEROR WORM
By Edgar Allan Poe

Lo! ’t is a gala night
   Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
   In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
   A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
   The music of the spheres.

Mimes, in the form of God on high,
   Mutter and mumble low,

And hither and thither fly—
   Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
   That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
   Invisible Wo!

That motley drama—oh, be sure
   It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore
   By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
   To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
   And Horror the soul of the plot.

But see, amid the mimic rout,
   A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
   The scenic solitude!
It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs
   The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
   In human gore imbued.

Out—out are the lights—out all!
   And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
   Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
   Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, “Man,”
   And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.

In memory of Edgar Allan Poe--"The Raven"

Edgar Allan Poe passed away on October 7, 1849, at the age of 40. In his short life, however, he wrote many dark poems and short stories that form part of the foundation upon which modern horror stories stand. We suspect that if you're reading these words, you're already family with one of Poe's most famous works, "The Raven". If not, you should take a few moments to read it now. And if you are familiar, it can't hurt to read it again. Perhaps you should read it out loud, so you can get the full experience of the rhythm of the sentences. 

Or you can just drop down to the bottom of the post for Jandzi Lorber's fabulous animated tribute to the poem. Made with cut-out animation, it took Lorber ten weeks to make the two-minute film.

THE RAVEN

By Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
   While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
''Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door -
         Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
   Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
   From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

     And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
   So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
   ''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
         This it is, and nothing more,'

  Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
    But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
   And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
         Darkness there, and nothing more.

  Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
   But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
   And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, 'Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, 'Lenore!'
         Merely this and nothing more.

  Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
   'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice;
   Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
         'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

  Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
   Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
   But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
         Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
         Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

  Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
   For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
   Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
         With such name as 'Nevermore.'

  But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
   Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
   Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
         Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.'

  Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
'Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store,
   Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
   Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
         Of "Never-nevermore."'

  But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
   Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
   Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
         Meant in croaking 'Nevermore.'

  This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
   This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
   On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
         She shall press, ah, nevermore!

  Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
   'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
   Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
         Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

  'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
   Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
   On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
         Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

  'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
   Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
   It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
         Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

  'Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
   Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
   Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
         Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

  And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
   And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
   And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
         Shall be lifted - nevermore!

--

Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven

Director: Jandzi Lorber

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

In honor of the great Edgar Allan Poe

The great writer of chilling poetry and horror short stories, Edgar Allan Poe, passed away on October 7 in 1849 at the young age of 40. Please enjoy this song from Voltaire in his memory, and as part of our effort here at Shades of Gray to get you in the proper mood for Halloween! (As an extra treat, we've picked a fan-made video to feature. You can click here if you want to visit YouTube for the version uploaded by Voltaire himself.)

Great adaptation of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

The Tell-Tale Heart (1941)
Starring: Joseph Schildkraut and Roman Bohnen
Director: Jules Dassin
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A young man (Schildkraut) murders his abusive employer, but is then himself driven insane by his own guilty conscience.

This 1941 short film is a superb adaptation of the famous Poe short story. It is not only faithful to the mechanical elements of the plot, but the director manages to convey the psychological horror aspect of the original story more effectively than most others who have taken a stab at bringing the tale to film. The biggest change is that this adaptation alters the relationship between the characters from the story, but it results in Schildkraut's character being more sympathetic and results in a stronger movie.

Much of the film's success can be credited to the performances of Joseph Schildkraut, as the tormented protagonist of the story, and Roman Bohnen, as the abusive, eventual murder victim. However, an even bigger part of its success can be credited to the sound design. The sound of titular "tell-tale heart" ends up permeating every aspect of the film's final few minutes, even the soundtrack music. It's a great example of how close attention to sound can build suspense and horror as effectively as camera angles and lighting. (And this film benefits from excellent cinematography as well.)

The murder scene is perhaps the film's only real weakness. The killing basically happens off-screen, and, while artfully done, I think the director might be leaving just a little too much to our imagination. I think he was trying to avoid over-used B-movie cliches like shadows on the wall and such, but the murder just didn't seem to have the same intensity as the scenes that led up to it, nor those that followed. It is almost like a lull just past the film's halfway point.

This 1941 version of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is included as a bonus feature on the "Shadow of the Thin Man" DVD along with a vintage cartoon. The combination lets you stage an old-time movie experience, with two shorts before the main feature. (This is the case with most of the "Thin Man" DVDs... the extras on the discs are almost as fun as the main features. They are excellent added value if you pick up the Thin Man boxed set. Which I recommend that you do if you like classic comedies and mysteries.)

Lugosi and Universal Do Poe (Sort of)

Bela Lugosi appeared in a trio of very loose Edgar Allan Poe adaptations for Universal in the wake of his success in "Dracula". They're interesting films, but I wouldn't recommend them as shortcuts when writing that report for English class.


Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Leon Ames, and Sidney Fox
Director: Robert Florey
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

When Pierre Dupin (Ames) and his gorgeous girlfriend, Camille (Fox), visit a traveling carnival, they attract the attention of the insane Dr. Mirakle (Lugosi). Mirakle is attempting to prove that man evolved from apes by injecting beautiful women with blood drawn from his strange pet ape, Erik. Will Pierre manage to protect the love of his life from Erik, Mirakle, and Mirakle's menacing unibrow?!


"Murders in Rue Morgue" is a VERY loose adaptation of the Poe mystery tale that is goofy from beginning to end. Although well-filmed, the way the film uses close-ups of a cimpanzee to supposedly represent Erik, who in long and medium shots is a guy in a gorilla suit, is giggle-inspiring, and the silent-movie-esque acting and make-up used thoughout the movie is also excessively stylized for the modern viewer. (I found myself wondering at times if this film started out as a silent movie, and was then converted to a "talkie" ala what Hitchcock did with "Murder.")

On the upside, however, there are a several chilling moments in this brief horror film, foremost among them being when the audience is first exposed to the nature of Mirakle's "experiments"; and when Mirakle and Erik later invade the home of Camille and her mother.

One of the most worthwhile reasons to watch "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is that this movie is a great example of Lugosi's acting talent. During the 40s, it seemed almost as if he fell into a rut, and every character he portrayed seemed to be flat and identical to every other... but here, he displays a range of emotions and can convey a wide range of emotions with just facial expressions and gestures. He even manages to be supremely menacing, despite a rather amuing hairdo and the unibrow that he sports.

I'm not sure this film is all that suitable for most modern viewers, but I think that if you've liked Lugosi in other movies, you owe it to yourself (and to his memory) to view him in this short film. I think you'll be amazed at the range he displayed early in his film career.



The Black Cat (aka "The House of Doom" and "The Vanishing Body") (1934)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Boris Karloff, and Jacqueline Wells
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Honeymooners Peter and Joan Allison (Manners and Wells) are stranded in an isolated house in a Hungarian backwater. Here, they become drawn into the evil Satanist Hjaldmar Poelzig (Karloff) and the revenge-plans of his one-time friend Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Lugosi). As the story unfolds, the depth of Poelzig's evil and perversion is revealed in its fullest, and it seems there will be no escape for anyone.


"The Black Cat" is a stylish, incredibly creepy B-movie. It takes place almost entirely within a house built upon the site of a ruined WWI fortress, with the lower levels being the decaying remains of the original structure and the upper floors consisting of a sleek, ultra-modern home. Both sections of the structure lend to the tone of dread that permeates the entire film--with the well-lit, clean rooms of the upper levels of Poelzig's home being even creepier than that the shadow-haunted lower levels thanks to some fine camera work--although the revelation of Poelzig's "exhibit" of beautiful women below has got to be the most terrifying moment of the film. (In fact, I'm hard-pressed to think of a more evil and perverted character present anywhere in these classic horror films than Poelzig: Satanism, treachery, mass-murder, pedophelia... you name it, Poelzig's done it/is into it. (Karloff doesn't have a lot to do acting-wise, other than to just be sinister... but, boy, does he do that in spades here!)

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this film is Lugosi. First, those who watch "The Black Cat" will get to see that he was, in fact, a great actor at one time. The pain Dr. Werdegast feels when he is told his wife and daughter died while he languished in a Russian prison is conveyed with incredible strength, as is the mixture of pain and rage when he later learns the truth about their fates, as he and the Allisons manage to seize the initiative from Poelzig and his cultists. Second, it's interesting to see Lugosi playing a hero for once, even if a deeply flawed hero.

On a quirky note, I often complain that horror movies from 30s through the 60s and early 70s often just end: The story resolves and the credits roll without providing the audience with the nicety of a denoument. "The Black Cat" DOES provide what I wish more films would, yet here I almost wish that last minute or so hadn't been included. This is a film that probably should have ended while still in darkness.

While "The Black Cat" has absolutely nothing to do with the Poe tale that "suggested" it--it's got more in common with "The Fall of the House of Usher", I'd say--I think it represents a high point of the horror films that Universal was making in the 30s. I don't see it mentioned often, and I think it's a shame. It's a film that's worth seeing.



The Raven (1934)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Irene Ware
Director: Lew Landers
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

After saving young dancer Jean Thatcher (Ware) from certain death through a miraculous feat of neurosurgery, the mentally unstable Dr. Vollin (Lugosi) becomes obsessed with her. When her powerful father makes it clear that Vollin is to stay away from her, Vollin forces a wanted murderer (Karloff) into assisting him in eliminating Jean, her fiance, and her father in hideous death-traps modeled after gruesome scenes from the writing of Edgar Allan Poe.


"The Raven" isn't really an adaptation of the Poe work by that name, but is instead the tale of a thoroughly evil and utterly insane man so rich and so obssessed that he's built a house full of secret doors, secret basements, and entire rooms that serve as elevators... all so he can reinact scenes from Poe's writings.

There is plenty of potential in this B-movie, but tepid direction and mostly uninspired lighting and set design leave most of it unrealized. Lugosi is completely over the top in this film, taking center stage as the perfect image of a raving madman. He is ably supported by co-star Karloff who plays the role of the tortured, remorse-filled murderer trapped into serving Vollin with the promise of a new life in the exact opposite direction of Lugosi--remaining subdued as he slinks through each scene he's in. Ware is very attractive in the scenes she's in, but that's about all she is. In fact, the only actors in the film who aren't just so much set decoration are Lugosi and Karloff.

The "torture room" is nifty, and the climax where Dr. Vollin has houseguests trapped in a Poe-world of his making is excellent. All in all, an entertaining film, but it would have been much better with a more inspired supporting cast and more creativity on the technical side of the camera.