The Raven (1935)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Lew Landers

Writers:

Edgar Allan Poe (poem)
David Boehm (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

8 July 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

While this mad surgical genius chanted "The Raven," horrible screams rose up from his torture chamber below!

Plot:

A wealthy judge coaxes the brilliant but eccentric neurological surgeon Dr. Vollin (Lugosi), who also has an obsessive penchant for Edgar Allen Poe...

Plot Keywords:

Surgeon | Torture | Bach's Toccata And Fugue | Party | Revenge

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Edmond Bateman (as Karloff)
Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Richard Vollin
Lester Matthews	...	Dr. Jerry Halden (Credits) / Dr. Jerry Holden
Irene Ware	...	Jean Thatcher
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Judge Thatcher
Spencer Charters	...	Geoffrey (Credits) / Col. Bertram Grant
Inez Courtney	...	Mary Burns
Ian Wolfe	...	Col. Bertram Grant (Credits) / Geoffrey 'Pinky'
Maidel Turner	...	Colonel's obese wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne Darling	...	Autograph hound (scenes deleted)
June Gittelson	...	Autograph hound (scenes deleted)
Joe Haworth	...	Drug clerk (scenes deleted)
Mary Wallace	...	Autograph hound (scenes deleted)
Raine Bennett	...	Poe (on stage in the interpretive dance) (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	The crook (uncredited)
Nina Golden	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Bedside Dr. - at Jerry's right (uncredited)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Chapman - buyer of Poe memorabilia (uncredited)
Walter Miller	...	Bedside Dr. - at Judge's right (uncredited)
Bud Osborne	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Madeline Talcott	...	Bedside nurse (uncredited)
Cyril Thornton	...	Dr. Vollin's butler (uncredited)
Helen Ware	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Lew Landers		(as Louis Friedländer)

Writing credits
Edgar Allan Poe		(poem)
David Boehm		(screenplay)
Florence Enright		(dialogue) uncredited
Michael L. Simmons		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Dore Schary		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Guy Endore		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Clarence Marks		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Jim Tully		(contributing writer) uncredited and
John Lynch		(contributing writer) uncredited

Produced by
David Diamond	....	associate producer
Stanley Bergerman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Clifford Vaughan		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles J. Stumar		(as Charles Stumar)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino

Makeup Department
Otto Lederer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup designer (uncredited)
Hazel Rogers	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Scott R. Beal	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Victor Noerdlinger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	process photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Gilbert Kurland	....	music supervisor
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	conductor (uncredited)
W. Franke Harling	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Florence Enright	....	dialogue director
Theodore Kosloff	....	dance arranger
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures Corp.
George DeNormand	....	double: Bela Lugosi (uncredited)
Ed Haskett	....	supervising secretary (uncredited)
Moree Herring	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Monte Montague	....	double: Boris Karloff (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures (1936) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Magna Pacific (????) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #790)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When Judge Thatcher goes to Vollin's home to plead his case, the shadow of Vollin's stuffed raven changes position. First, it is in front of Thatcher's shadow, then behind, then in front again.

Quotes:

Dr. Richard Vollin: Your monstrous ugliness breeds monstrous hatred. Good! I can use your hate.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Le vampire déchu (2007) (TV)

KARLOFF AND LUGOSI DO THEIR WORST!!

Followers of horror melodrama will get a full evening's entertainment out of THE RAVEN... it has some hair-raising situations.. All that has been left of the famous...Poe poem is the title. A statuette of a raven, which Lugosi kept on his desk was the excuse for the use of the title. A situation that will give shudders is when Lugosi removes bandages from Karloff's face, which he had disfigured horribly. Director Friedlander has kept the pace at a nice pitch, stripping it down to its fundamentals and letting the shock troupers, Karloff and Lugosi do their worst. Universal's high batting average for year 1935 with the shockers, only this one looks the least costly of 'em, without any obvious cheating. However, this film is a classic and worth viewing if you are lovers of Lugosi and Karloff...