Gothic imagination in the fall of the house of usher. Thats a shame, because this is an interesting little movie in its own right, a film where every penny of the budget has been put on screen. With gwen watford, kaye tendeter, irving steen, vernon charles. Scary, strange, and maybe a little silly, house of usher represents an early high mark for vincent price and a career triumph for director roger. New fall of the house of usher film the ushers to be.
The fall of the house of usher things you didnt know course. I remember watching, as a child, in the early or mid 1980s, what i thought was a film adaptation of edgar allen poes the fall of the house of usher. Caligari more than once during its 1921 new york city run. It was the first of eight films which corman directed that were inspired by the works of edgar allan poe. Bmovie king roger corman kicked off a run of poe adaptations in 1960 with the richard mathesonscripted house of usher the film starred vincent price and changed the dynamic of the story by turning price into a kind of paternal big brother, and casting madeline as a prisoner of the estate from which her. House of usher also known as the fall of the house of usher and the mysterious house of usher is a 1960 american horror film directed by roger corman and written by richard matheson from the short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. It was possible, i reflected, that a mere different arrangement of the particulars of the scene, of the details of the picture. The vast library of fall of the house of usher movie adaptations most famously includes vincent price in the lead role of roderick usher for roger cormans 1960 film. The actors are herbert stern, hildegarde watson and melville webberavantgarde experimental film, the visual element predominates, including shots through prisms to create. The fall of the house of usher combines european influences with something home crafted.
There have been many versions of usher, from another 1928 silent film through to roger cormans excellent 1960 version with vincent price. The fall of the house of usher is a short silent horror film adaptation of the 1839 short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. It concerns jonathon irving steen, lifelong friend of roderick usher kaye tendeter. The film was the first of eight cormanpoe feature films and stars vincent price, myrna fahey, mark damon and harry ellerbe. Jean epsteins the fall of the house of usher 1928 a. The fall of the house of usher nbc matinee theater 1956. So, where am i with this version of the fall of the house of usher. Fall of the house of usher, edgar allan poes macabre tale of family curses, premature burial, and horrible revenge, was adapted for television in 1958. Because the mansion, as well as both usher siblings, have been destroyed in the collapse, the fragments of the house of usher refer to the remains of the building as well as madeline and roderick. Available from film video library, this adaptation runs 29 minutes and is in black and white. Even the reading of the poe story seems secondhand, taken more from the classic roger corman film adaptation the house of usher 1960 than the actual poe story. The fall of the house of usher s firsttime director was 22 yearold hastings native george ivan barnett, whose only professional credit at that time was as a cameraman for the british railways industrial short down to the sea in trucks 1947.
Three actors wanted for student short film the fall of. Dec 06, 2019 the film is a short film adaptation of the edgar allen poe short story the fall of the house of usher. The film radiates an appalling cheapness, from the bad colour processing to the cardboard facade of the exterior of the house. Actors wanted as roderick usher fall of the house of usher. What adaptation of the fall of the house of usher did i see. The fall of the house of usher stars vincent price as roderick usher, who is the heir not only to the large estate that has remained in the usher family for generations but also to an evil than he believes has survived through the years and that he will now bring to an end. I understand what they were trying to do, i appreciate the work and craft, i just cant seem to get terribly excited about it. The best known film adaptation remains the 1960 american movie house of usher, also released as the fall of the house of usher and the mysterious house of usher, directed by roger corman. The film was the first of eight cormanpoe feature films and stars vincent price.
The fall of the house of usher 1928 is a short silent horror film adaptation of the short story, the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. The poem attributed to roderick usher was actually a poem by poe that had been published as the haunted palace several months before the appearance of the fall of the house of usher. An impressionistic adaptation of edgar allan poes short story of the same name. The fall of the house of usher was adapted to film in 1952. Feb 14, 2019 the fall of the house of usher is the first of seven poe adaptations that roger corman would commit to film. Jean epsteins the fall of the house of usher 1928 a silent. Written in 1984, the usher waltz by nikita koshkin is koshkins interpretation of the story. It is an adaptation of the famous story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. It tells the story of a brother and sister who live under a family curse. The fall of the house of usher 1950 is presented as a tale told at a gentlemans club. Directed and produced by ivan barnett, this black and white, 70minute film starred kay tendeter as roderick usher and gwen watford as madeline usher and is available from vigilant distributors. Remix of the 1928 silent film adaptation directed by james sibley watson.
What adaptation of the fall of the house of usher did i. The music is cast in a single movement, it is a motoric waltz whose careering harmonic progression around a minor threatens, and ultimately succeeds, in tearing the music apart. The fall of the house of usher 1948 the fall of the house. Credited with the adaptation was dorothy catt, headmistress of hastings orchard school of speech and. In the hall of the great house in which he lives, roderick has all but. The adaptation of the edgar allan poes short story into film. Watson had seen the german expressionist film the cabinet of dr. The fall of the house of usher 1928, france film tv tropes. Not only is this edgar allen poe adaptation one of the most obscure british horror films, it is also arguably one of the strangest. Perhaps the best known of these is the 1960 version directed by roger corman and starring vincent price, which kicked off an entire series of edgar allan poe adaptations. Pretty much where i am with the other 1928 adaptation. Mar 18, 2010 the fall of the house of usher is a short silent horror film adaptation of the short story, the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. The fall of the house of usher 1949 turner classic movies.
The fall of the house of usher, made in 1928, the last great year of silent films, was based on a poe story that is more atmosphere than plot, anyway. A very intriguing role roderick usher is an incredibly conflicted and intriguing character, he is an upper class man who slowly loses everything her cares about and was taught was important to him until he descends into madness. Double meaning in the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe if there is one thing that is widely agreed upon in regards to edgar allan poes the fall of the house of usher it is surely the fact that the short story is one of the greatest ever written. Actors wanted as roderick usher fall of the house of. Filmed in 1950, this british adaptation of edgar allan poes fall of the house of usher made the u. A traveller arrives at the usher mansion to visit his old friend, roderick usher. Another dramatization of the story was taped in 1976 by encyclopaedia britannica educational corporation. Casting a tenminute thrillerdrama short film adaptation of the short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. Roger corman decision to hire vincent price for his american international pictures adaptation of edgar allan poes classic tales resulted in a critical and commercial success story way beyond his expectations and his first attempt in the fall of the house of usher originally entitled house of usher, is one of his finest films. The actors are herbert stern, hildegarde watson, and melville webber.
You may like it better and thats fine but i remain unmoved. New fall of the house of usher film the ushers to be shot. The fall of the house of usher is the inspiration for this guitar piece. Also produced by britannica in 1976, the fall of the house of usher. Acting is terrible, though the worst thing is the complete absence of any kind of atmosphere whatsoever, despite the thunders, the torture chamber, the old mansion and whatnot. It is a silent movie, with a run time of just thirteen minutes, and offers an interesting interpretation of the story. It is generally considered to be a poor adaptation of poes story.
The analogy of house as both home and lineagea clever double entendreis made once again explicit in the final sentence. The fall of the house of usher is a low budget british adaptation of the storyline that has been somewhat eclipsed by the lush and colourful roger cormanvincent price version of the tale. House of usher also known as the fall of the house of usher and the mysterious house of usher is a 1960 american horror film directed by roger corman and written by richard matheson from the 1839 short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. Jean epstein uses a number of techniques including slow motion and superimposition to give the film a gossamer, hypnagogic quality, conjuring up a phantasmagoria of billowing curtains, dripping candles and sinister creatures in the moonlit woods around ushers gothic pile.
Poe fanatics who prefer only pure and literal interpretations of his stories will dislike cormans house of usher. Myrna fahey as madeline usher in the 1960 film house of usher the best known film adaptation remains the 1960 american movie house of usher, also released as the fall of the house of usher and the mysterious house of usher, directed by roger corman. The film is an adaptation of the short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe as a thrillerdrama short film of about 10 minutes. Mystery and imagination the fall of the house of usher. A traveller arrives at the usher mansion to visit his old. A young man seeks the woman he has fallen in love with at an isolated old house, and comes into conflict with her neurotic brother. He could thus afford to hire vincent price, who had shot to horror. The fall of the house of usher 1960 rotten tomatoes. A man is asked by his childhood friend to meet again at his house after years being apart as the sister of this friend is.
Jonathon arrives at the title dwelling, finding his friend morose, convinced that he is suffering from a strange, debilitating affliction. The fall of the house of usher 1950 directed by ivan. With david buck, susannah york, denholm elliott, mary miller. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 short silent horror film adaptation of the short story, the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. Marshall thompson plays the tormented roderick usher, whose sister has died under mysterious circumstances.
Reduces the fall of the house of usher to a relatively meaningless horror story which serves principally as a case study in morbid psychology and lacks any quality of pathos or tragedy. The fall of the house of usher is considered the best example of poes totality, wherein every element and detail is related and relevant. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 film from france, directed by jean epstein, with a screenplay cowritten by epstein and a young luis bunuel. Essentially an amateur production though its nonunion participants. The fall of the house of usher 1948 the fall of the. Published by amber lane press, it was performed at the edinburgh festival in 1974 and subsequently at the hampstead theatre club in 1975.
It is an adaptation of the famous story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe an old man named allan arrives at the spooky, crumbling mansion occupied by roderick usher and his wife madeline. You can find out more about the fall of the house of usher at a passion for horror. The movie was codirected by james sibley watson and melville webber, and starred herbert stern, hildegarde watson, and melville webber who also wrote the screenplay 1. The fall of the house of usher is a short silent horror film adaptation of the short story, the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. An interesting bit of trivia related to the poems title goes along with the cormanpoe adaptations mentioned above. Corman adapted no fewer than eight of poes stories into films, the 1960 adaptation of the fall of the house of usher being the first of his poe cycle. This is definitely the worst adaptation of the fall of the house of usher ive seen, drained of everything that makes poes story one of the greatest of the genre. The ushers have gone on to be celebrated in film, book, and audio media. The fall of the house of usher has been brought to film over a dozen times, not counting cryptoadaptations like guillermo del toros crimson peak 2015. The fall of the house of usher 1928 directed by jean.
The fall of the house of ushers firsttime director was 22 yearold hastings native george ivan barnett, whose only professional credit at that time was as a cameraman for the british railways industrial short down to the sea in trucks 1947. The fall of the house of usher is the first of seven poe adaptations that roger corman would commit to film. The story itself has been adapted into film numerous times. House of usher was the first of 8 edgar allan poeadaptations that the great roger corman pit and the pendulum 1961 did with his american international pictures. The film is a short film adaptation of the edgar allen poe short story the fall of the house of usher. The fall of the house of usher 1928 video dailymotion.
1266 1228 115 1451 1498 621 949 1391 1198 194 503 1181 85 1179 113 86 581 725 557 583 329 1192 1493 737 1163 619 668 1018 720 1042 1294 762 1256 670