Sixth of eight Roger Corman movies based on Edgar Allan Poe is not based on Poe at all. It took title from Poe's poem, but plot is based on novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft. If you are familiar with work of H.P.L. it will be very obvious during whole movie. But it can pass for Poe, to be completely honest. Recognizable Corman's directing, phenomenally creepy Vincent Price and deeply disturbing atmosphere typical for H.P.L. achieved almost without any special effects and explicit horror, combination that never gets old.7,5/10I hate "your review does not contain enough lines" warning. Why would I have to spoil perfectly nice review with additional nonsense just to reach senseless limit...

Vincent Price, Debra Paget, Frank Maxwell and Lon Chaney Jr. star in Roger Corman's 1963 horror film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." This begins in 1765 in New England town, Arkham where we meet wealthy man, Joseph Curwen (Price) who gets confronted by the townsfolk for being a warlock. He places a curse on the people and town before they burn him alive. 110 years later, we meet Curwen's great grandson, Charles Dexter Ward (Also played by Price) and his wife, Ann (Paget) who come to Arkham where they inherit Curwen's palace which makes some of the townsfolk suspicious. Soon, Charles' behavior changes and Ann is concerned. She seeks help from doctor, Marinus Willet (Maxwell) and they learn that Charles may be possessed by Curwen's spirit. Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man) plays Simon Orne, the caretaker of the Curwen palace. Price was great in this usual and Chaney Jr. was also great and creepy. I recommend this good horror flick.

One hundred and ten years after his great-great-grandfather is burned at the stake for being a warlock, congenial husband Vincent Price inherits his ancestor's castle, which the tavern-dwelling townspeople tell him is cursed. Turns out they're right; Price becomes possessed by the ghost of his insidious relative, and hopes to mate his own wife with a creature dwelling down in the cellar. Adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" (with a title borrowed from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe), begins as a ghost story and revenge thriller (with Price eliminating names from a list) before morphing into a monster movie. It doesn't quite hang together, despite a decent production and Price having fun playing both good guy and villain. Less talk and more hocus pocus might have helped generate some excitement in this 'Palace'. Not even the (mild) twist ending makes much sense in the context of this muddled stew. **1/2 from ****

I don't consider The Haunted Palace one of Vincent Price's or Roger Corman's best. I do put Pit and the Pendulum, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher and especially Masque of the Red Death above it, but it is a very good film and worth checking out. It does get a little ponderous at times in the middle and while eerie in tone the music score is over-the-top. However it is well photographed and has beautiful sets. The writing has some fun and macabre moments and the story delivers its suspenseful atmosphere and creepy scares wonderfully even if the enacting terrible revenge angle is familiar territory. Corman's direction is secure also. The acting is very good. Debra Paget before she retired is beautiful and not too bland. Lon Chaney is wonderful, and his entrance is one of The Haunted Palace's creepiest moments. Even better is Price, he is in a double role here and he is deliciously evil. All in all, very good and very enjoyable, I just wish that it had more attention. 8/10 Bethany Cox