Der grauenvolle Mr. X (1962)
14KDer grauenvolle Mr. X: Directed by Roger Corman. With Vincent Price, Maggie Pierce, Leona Gage, Peter Lorre. Three tales of terror involve a grieving widower and the daughter he abandoned; a drunkard and his wife’s black cat; and a hypnotist who prolongs the moment of a man’s death.
“The fourth venture into Poe adaptations for Roger Corman and Vincent Price sees them taking on the portmanteau format with a trilogy of creepers.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFirst off is Morella, which finds Price as a typecast loner living in a big old mansion with the dead corpse of his wife! Enter his daughter, who at birth was the reason for Morellau0026#39;s death and thus Price originally holds a grudge, but of course there is a twist in the tale.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSecondly is The Black Cat, with Peter Lorre joining Price in the best of the three tales. Price is a wine tasting dandy, Lorre a complete drunk and once Price meets Lorreu0026#39;s beautiful put upon wife, things are going to end badly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFinally is The Case of M Valdemar which pits Basil Rathbone into the mix as a devious hypnotist who uses his powers for what he thinks will be sexually tinged deeds. Price is in this as well, but spends most of the story as a corpse.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a short sharp shock piece of film making, fun and sometimes stylish, it doesnu0026#39;t however have the requisite scares to marry up with the welcome black humour that makes the second instalment the standout.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStill, having three legends of cinema in one picture has to be a bonus, and The Black Cat alone is worth investing time with this one. 7/10”
