Tomb of Ligeia, The (1964)

Tomb of Ligeia, The (1964)

“She will not rest, because she is not dead — to me.”

Synopsis:
A nobleman (Vincent Price) remains obsessed with his dead wife (Elizabeth Shepherd), whose spirit appears to his new wife (also Shepherd) in the form of a black cat.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Edgar Allan Poe Films
  • Ghosts
  • Historical Drama<
  • Psychological Horror
  • Roger Corman Films
  • Vincent Price Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “stylish Gothic tale” — the last of Roger Corman’s eight Poe adaptations — is “a classic example of how… Corman managed to disguise the fact that nothing happens until the very end.” Indeed, while some critics feel that Ligeia is one of Corman’s best outings — and represents a new level of maturity for the filmmaker, given his novel use of outdoor sets — I must say I disagree; there simply isn’t a whole lot going on here except plenty of atmosphere, and — as Peary points out — one of the great cinematic non sequiturs of all time (voiced by Price, naturally): “Not ten minutes ago I tried to kill a stray cat with a cabbage.” With that said, Ligeia is worth watching simply to see Vincent Price’s era-bending appearance as a 19th century nobleman wearing wrap-around sunglasses like a cool ’60s dude — as always, Price is The Man.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Vincent Price as Verden Fell
  • Elizabeth Shepherd as The Lady Rowena and The Lady Ligeia
  • Atmospheric direction and set designs
  • Nicholas Roeg’s cinematography

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look.

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One thought on “Tomb of Ligeia, The (1964)

  1. Not a must.

    This Poe/Corman flick is a deadly dull dud. You know things are bad when even our dear Vincent can’t help. Here his character is ‘in chains’ – and so is his performance.

    Trust me – you won’t miss a thing by letting this one pass. ’nuff said.

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