La Comédie de la terreur

Highly recommended to those with a devilish sense of humour. Vincent Price is wonderfully evil as the desperate undertaker. Peter Lorre is disgusting but lovable as the assistant caught between Price's evil ways and his lovely (opera-punishing) wife (played with gusto and terrible audibility by Joyce Jameson). Boris Karloff (who never seems to get his medicine) is excellent as JJ's elderly father.

Honours go to their demanding landlord, Basil Rathbone, who.... well, watch the film and find out.

This film is the comic version of "The Bodysnatcher" or "Mania". It's Burke and Hare with a sense of humor.

Vincent Price actually made quite a number of film comedies, such as "Champagne for Caesar". He is actually quite good in using his normal menace and meanness for comic affect. He is Mr. Trumbull, the junior partner (but actually the active partner) of a decaying firm of undertakers. Trumbull has no single redeemable characteristic - he's bossy to his father-in-law partner (Karloff), he's bossy to his wife, he mistreats and bullies Lorre (his employee), and he kills his subjects. Still some of his problems are sympathetic ones - his wife Amarylis sings at the funerals (listen to her warble "He is but sleeping" at Rathbone's funeral service - Price looks beatific as she sings, and when asked why he explains he hopes her vocal chords will snap). The number of good one liners in this film (spread among the leads) is nice. Karloff being unable to deliver a coherent funeral address, because he can't recall who is being buried. Rathbone dying, again and again, reciting Macbeth. Joe E. Brown wishing the corpses in his cemetery a pleasant night's sleep. And Lorre constantly making comments regarding his unpleasant boss. One of the best is when, at Rathbone's funeral, Price is enjoying the sight of the large amount of money he's being paid for the funeral of Rathbone (whom he hated as a tightwad and landlord). Lorre, noting the arrival of most of the mourners, goes inside to tell Price, who basically tells him they can just wait. Lorre turns around and leaves, stating quite audibly, "Ungrateful employer." The line is delivered like it comes from some left wing play of the turn of the 20th Century.

It is a funny little movie, and well worth watching.

What a great movie! Much despised for years, this film has only recently been acknowledged for the hilarious classic that it is. The film is very handsome, with great color work by Floyd Crosby, and the script is very, very amusing -- perfectly executed by the perfect cast. Les Baxter's maniacal score is a real delight, accentuating every mad moment.

The cast are the high point of this interesting and fun little film. Vincent Price steals the show and is brilliant, and he is supported wonderfully by Peter Lorre whose character spends a lot of time being demeaned by Price and Basil Rathbone, who is a very suave and charismatic actor and his "what place...is THIS?!" is iconic. I was a little disappointed in Boris Karloff, I love him, I liked his character, I liked what he did with it, what let me down in regards to him is that I would have loved to have seen much more of him. My only other complaint is the short length which probably accounts for why the ending was as hectic as it was, otherwise this is a very good film. The cast of course are wonderful, but there is also a deliciously witty and bleak script, a fun story, skillful photography, nice minimalist production values, efficient direction from Tourneur and an interesting sending up of past horror clichés. All in all, I like this film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I just couldn't resist a film that boasts Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre all together, all in one film! Their chemistry is amazing, and they all come off as seasoned actors who are just having a really good time. Price and Lorre are the perfect duo of undertakers in search of their next job. Price consistently insults, threatens and demeans Lorre (and everyone else-he is so delightfully despicable!)

Peter Lorre, who I consider to be a neglected comic genius in his own right, plays the perfect bumbling and lovable assistant. The scenes between him and Joyce Jameson (an argument for hearing protectors if ever there was one) are beautiful and absurd in their ingenuousness, as if the 60 year old Peter Lorre was but a smitten schoolboy mooning over a damsel.

The scenes at the dinner table are perfect in their comic timing, the decrepit Boris Karloff sitting peacefully unaware of Vincent Price's palpable loathing of him and his daughter, occasionally coming out with gems like "The Egyptians used to pull the brains out through the nose with a hook!" before returning to drinking his milk in a charming and doddering manner.

Basil Rathbone, however, is the hammy fist of the production, so to speak. He plays the inflexible and imperious landlord who owns the establishment out of which the funeral home of Hinchley and Trumbull operates, and he plays it up to the hilt, using every ounce of overacting he saved up from his Shakespearian stage days to render Macbeth like it has never been heard before! This is perhaps Basil Rathbone's finest hour, and you must watch the film to see why. Trust me on this one!