Spooky Scary Horrorthons 3 - Film #14

In 1934 Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi squared off for the first time when they appeared in The Black Cat. The film proved to be a big succes at the box office and the duo of horror icons would appear together in 7 more films, one of which was The Raven, released in 1935, which unlike The Black Cat had some connections to the Edger Allen Poe story that it shared its title with.

Bela Lugosi plays Dr. Richard Vollin, a deranged surgeon with a fascination for Edgar Allen Poe and torture, sounds like the kind guy you want to operate on you right? When he rescues a young women from a severe brain injury, he quickly falls in love, something that the girls father won't approve of. Annoyed and greedy, Richard puts together a plan to kill the father and take the girl as his own. When Edmond Bateman, a wanted criminal played by Boris Karloff, seeks out the doctor to ask for a facial surgery, Richard tricks him and disfigures him to force him into handling his dirty business against his own will.

Much like in The Black Cat, Karloff and Lugosi carry this film with their performances. It's quite interesting that they are playing parts similar to their most famous roles, Lugosi as the elegant & handsome gentleman with a dark secret hidden beneath the surface and Karloff as the hideous and misunderstood monster.

The final half of the film takes place in Dr. Vollin's mansion, an ominous building riddled with various torture devices and hidden rooms. He has invited the girl of his affections, as well as her husband and her father. He plans to kill the father and husband with his torture devices and taking his beloved girl when they are both dead.

In the middle of a rainy night the Dr. puts his plan to work and soon he finds his victims at his mercy. His disfigured slave sacrifices himself however and uses the doctors torture device against him before succumbing to a fatal gunshot.

Despite the short runtime I really liked this film and in fact I think I prefer it over The Black Cat. The first half may not be anything special, but the other half makes up for it with Lugosi's villainous performance kicking into high gear and the devious torture devices making their entrances. I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a classic horror film with two of the biggest legends of the genre.