The Raven (1935)

Inspired by (rather than based on) Edgar Allan Poe's poem of the same title, this Universal horror film stars Bela Lugosi as a surgeon whose obsession with Poe has led to him building torture devices as described in the author's writings. While the devices only exist for display, Lugosi nevertheless sets about putting them into action in a scheme to separate the woman he loves from the man she plans to marry. This plot element could have done with a bit more work as it always seems like a rushed, ill-conceived and illogical scheme, but the chief sell point of the movie is a subplot involving Boris Karloff as a murderer on the run. Things turn rather grisly as Lugosi disfigures Karloff's face on purpose with the promise of only fixing his face if he helps him in his torture scheme, and both Karloff and Lugosi excel in their respective roles. In fact, with the way Lugosi so eloquently quotes Poe while clearly growing crazier and crazier, a good case could be made for this being his very finest performance. The same cannot be said for the rest of the cast with Irene Ware especially underwritten as the love interest who goes from being smitten with Lugosi to being prepared to settle for another man within minutes. Overall though, this is arguably a better paced and more wacky horror film than 'The Black Cat', which is often cited as Lugosi and Karloff's greatest collaboration.

One dark and foggy night a young woman named "Jean Thatcher" (Irene Dunne) is driving her car when she suddenly swerves and careens out of control. Because her injuries are too severe for the doctors at the hospital to handle, her father "Judge Thatcher" (Samuel S. Hinds) pleads with an extremely skilled but retired surgeon named "Dr. Richard Vollin" (Bela Lugosi) to operate on her. Sure enough the operation is a total success and about a month after surgery Jean is completely healthy again. Unfortunately, Dr. Vollin has fallen totally in love with her and when he realizes that Jean is engaged to be married to another man and Judge Thatcher subsequently refuses to allow him to see his daughter again he goes completely insane. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk ruining it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a splendid little movie which suffers somewhat from the short running time (only 61 minutes). Of course, being produced during the height of the Great Depression a number of films were similarly abbreviated in order to save money. In this particular case the film seemed to end much too soon. However, Bela Lugosi puts on an outstanding performance as does Boris Karloff who plays his accomplice "Edmond Bateman". In short, all things considered I rate this film as above average and recommend it to anyone who might enjoy a movie of this type.

The best 1930s pairing of horror legends Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. And notice that I put Lugosi's name first--as watching the film, I can't help but wonder why Universal put Karloff's name ahead of Bela on the credits and billing of this particular movie, considering how Lugosi dominates the film.In fact, I think it's 16 minutes into the movie before Boris makes his first appearance. But who knows--maybe in the wake of "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein", some higher-up at Universal thought Karloff's name had a little more cache at the box office.In any event, this is a stellar movie, centering around Lugosi's infatuation with a young girl whose life he saved doing a serious operation & since he can't have the object of his desire--or in this case, his torture--he decides to try and tear torture out of himself by murder.If you like the old Universal horror classics, then "The Raven" is must see viewing.9 stars

As a companion piece to "The Black Cat," "The Raven" comes off as pretty routine. Taken on its own merits however, it's a very entertaining piece of pulp. While the former film cast the actors against type, "The Raven" has Lugosi and Karloff in parts all ready familiar to them. Lugosi is Dr. Vollin, a mad doctor, a genius, obsessed with torture, prone to making grand-standing, long-winded speeches about his plans, always looking down on every around him. Karloff plays a murderous, but pitiful, grotesque, a bank robber who walks with a limp and soon gains a deformed face. (With what has to be one of Jack Pierce's least convincing make-ups.) Lugosi's sadism is self-assured and only grows deeper as the film goes on. Karloff, cursed with an ugly appearance, a low intelligence, and a deeply unconvincing Southern accent, regrets his crimes and is desperate for redemption. Bela laughs manically, Boris growls like Frankenstein.Despite the thinness of the material, both actors bring their A-game. Bela's over-the-top villainy, going way higher then even Dracula afforded, is fantastically entertaining while Boris fills the role to the best of his abilities. This is what TVTropes calls Ham-to-Ham Combat. Good stuff.The rest of the movie? Not much to report. The film uses Poe's writing as not much more then plot dressing. The raven is quoted a few times and the pendulum is prominently featured, repeatedly. I guess you could say Dr. Vollin's unrequited love for the doctor's daughter is vaguely reminiscent of Poe's themes but only sort of. The film is only an hour long and I like that the entire second half takes place over one whole evening. The wacky, comic relief supporting cast is never annoying, if never really interesting. Irene Ware as Jean Thatcher is more interesting when it seems possible that she might reciprocate Lugosi's mad love. Once it become clear she only has eyes for dull hero Spencer Charters, audience interest fades quickly.The movie has at least one great sequence. Upon seeing his grotesque face, a series of mirrors are revealed. An enraged Karloff shoots out each mirror, the camera panning around the room, Lugosi looking down on him, cackling madly. Images of Bela standing underneath a pendulum or reciting the title poem in the shadow of a stuffed raven are pieces of art for classic horror fans. If "The Black Cat" totally subverts expectations for the time period and the genre, "The Raven" is a textbook example. Ain't nothing wrong with that, some times.