The Haunted Palace

3/29/2022

_**Lovecraft-ian tale of a dark castle with Vincent Price and Debra Paget**_ During the Victorian era, a man and his wife (Price & Paget) inherit an ominous chateau on the coast of New England, but its sorcerous history seems to cast a spell on him and this provokes the leery populace to hostile action (Leo Gordon, Elisha Cook Jr., etc.). Lon Chaney Jr. and Frank Maxwell are also on hand. "The Haunted Palace" (1963) takes its title from Poe’s poem, and quotes it, but the story hails from HP Lovecraft’s yarn "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." AIP insisted on the Poe-connection to capitalize on the recent success of Roger Corman’s Poe movies. Eight of these Poe-inspired flicks were were done by Corman, but others were filmed by different directors, like “The Conqueror Worm” (1968),

5/5/2026

Of course it takes places in the village of Arkham. Of course there is a Tillinghast. Of course Mr Ward is Charles Dexter. The story isn't a Lovecraft-story, but it is a bit like "The Thing on the Doorstep" I suppose. Vincent gets to do his thing and the movie is all the better the more room he has. Some of the rest of the supporting cast is weaker, but then again, everyone looks thin and bland compared to Vincent when sharing the screen. Some of the story could have used a bit more polish, but it is a highly enjoyable Lovecraft-moment of a movie.

7/20/2026

Now we already know something of the provenance of his inheritance so might be shouting at the screen telling "Ward" (Vincent Price) to take his new wife "Ann" (Debra Paget) and avoid visiting the ancient family home that has just come his way. Indeed, even the villagers from whom they ask directions suggest exactly that - but he reckons it's all just superstitious nonsense and off they go to this grand looking hilltop edifice. Barely through the door he espies a curiously familiar looking portrait on the wall followed by an introduction to the rather eccentric retainer "Simon" (Lon Chaney Jnr.) and the scene is set for a mystery steeped in revenge that harks back through the generations and that will stop at nothing until it is satiated. Visually, this is not the most impressive, especial