House of Usher (USA, 1960) 79 min color DIR-PROD: Roger Corman. SCR: Richard Matheson, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. MUSIC: Les Baxter. DOP: Floyd Crosby. CAST: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Harry Ellerbe. (American International Pictures)
After the shameless penny-pinching of The Last Woman on Earth, Corman returned to America to direct the first in a cycle of relatively expensive Edgar Allan Poe-inspired films that would change AIP and set Corman on a path to critical approval that would continue throughout the sixties. House of Usher was a risky film in many ways. Unlike Corman’s other horror films, House of Usher lacked a clearly defined monster (by inserting the line, “The house lives. The house breathes,” Corman convinced Arkoff and Nicholson that the house was the monster) and was based on an old novel that wasn’t exactly a popular favourite among the whippersnappers buying movie tickets. Furthermore, the film was shot for $250,000.00, which was by far Corman’s largest budget at that time.
Corman’s faith in the power of Poe’s story turned out to be accurate, as House of Usher became a box office hit and picked up good notices from critics (said Variety, “The fall of the House of Usher seems to herald the rise of the House of AIP”), and inspired a long string of Poe-inspired horror films by Corman and others. Actually, the success is no wonder: House of Usher is one of Corman’s best movies. Where slow pacing and wooden acting weighed down some subsequent Poe adaptations, this film stays consistently entertaining, thanks to high production values and Corman’s excellent direction. Usher’s enormous gothic mansion is one of the most atmospheric and memorable locations in any Corman film (and would also serve as the basis for the castles in later Poe films). Vincent Price also gives one of his very best performances as the intense Roderick Usher. Be sure to check out his entrance – it’s unforgettable.
Collectors should take note that MGM’s Midnite Movies DVD label expands the title to Fall of House of Usher, which was Poe’s original title. The DVD is in glorious 2.35:1 Widescreen, thus making it infinitely preferable to the faded pan-and-scan prints formerly available on TV and VHS.
Originally published in The Roger Corman Scrapbook.
Will Sloan
Will Sloan first encountered ESR at Word on the Street circa 2004 (age: 15) and started contributing not long after. He is now a fully-grown writer and raconteur, and hosts two film-related podcasts: The Important Cinema Club and Michael & Us. You can follow him @WillSloanEsq on Twitter and at willsloanesq.wordpress.com.