Premature Burial (1962)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (writer)
Edgar Allan Poe (story)
(more)

Release Date:

7 March 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Within the Coffin I Lie...ALIVE!

Plot:

Emily Gault arrives at the Carrell mansion determined to rekindle an old relationship with Guy Carrell...

Plot Keywords:

Fear | Buried Alive | Obsession | Revenge | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Guy Carrell
Hazel Court	...	Emily Gault
Richard Ney	...	Miles Archer
Heather Angel	...	Kate Carrell
Alan Napier	...	Dr. Gideon Gault
John Dierkes	...	Sweeney
Dick Miller	...	Mole
Clive Halliday	...	Judson
Brendan Dillon	...	Minister

Directed by
Roger Corman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Beaumont		writer
Edgar Allan Poe		story
Ray Russell		writer

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	producer
Gene Corman	....	executive producer
Roger Corman	....	producer

Original Music by
Ronald Stein
Les Baxter		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby

Film Editing by
Ronald Sinclair

Art Direction by
Daniel Haller

Costume Design by
Marjorie Corso

Makeup Department
Lou LaCava	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack Bohrer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francis Ford Coppola	....	assistant director

Art Department
Richard M. Rubin	....	props
Burt Shonberg	....	paintings

Sound Department
John Bury Jr.	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Garnell	....	lighting technician
Charles Hannawalt	....	key grip

Other crew
David Blangsted	....	film assistant
Betty Crosby	....	script supervisor
Jonathan Haze	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Santa Clara Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1967) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Divisa Home Video (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (with "Masque of the Red Death")
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:M | Finland:(Banned) (1963) | USA:Unrated | Norway:16 (1962)

Filming Locations:

Producers Studios - 5330 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Roger Corman was having a minor dispute with American International. He decided to do this "Poe" picture elsewhere. He was able to get financing from Pathe Labs (which wanted to go into distribution). When Samuel Z. Arkoff learned of this, he traveled to New York to talk with the owner of Pathe Labs. Arkoff felt that Pathe was stepping into American International's business. Pathe's was not moved until Arkoff pointed out that American International was one of Pathe Labs' largest customers and that if it was going into competition with AIP, all of AIP's lab work would be pulled. Pathe sold the production to American International before principal photography began.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the cemetery Emily picks up a bunch of blue flowers twice.

Quotes:

Guy Carrell: Can you possibly conceive it. The unendurable oppression of the lungs, the stifling fumes of the earth, the rigid embrace of the coffin, the blackness of absolute night and the silence, like an overwhelming sea.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fantastic Fantasy Fright-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Molly Malone

Under Appreciated Poe Adaptation!

Most of the reviews and comments on "The Premature Burial" tend to dismiss this film as second rate. I don't agree. In fact I think it is as good or better than many of the other Roger Corman produced/directed Edgar Allan Poe adaptations.

The basis of the story is man's fear of death and more specifically of somehow being buried alive. Guy Carrell (Ray Milland) is one such person. He believes that his father was a victim of a premature burial and as such thinks that he will suffer the same fate. He goes so far as to construct a crypt that has many fail safe escape devices in case that he does suffer the same fate as his father.

Carrell marries the beautiful Emily Gault (Hazel Court) and with her help, tries to overcome his fears. Also involved in the mystery is Carrell's sinister sister Kate (Heather Angel), family friend Dr. Miles Archer (Richard Ney) and Emily's father Dr. Gault (Alan Napier). Guy begins to hear eerie sounds and is seemingly tormented by two grave diggers (John Dierkes, Dick Miller) that he encountered earlier. Are there plans afoot to drive poor Guy mad? Who in his household could be behind such a plan? Does he ultimately suffer the fate that he fears most?

Ray Milland was chosen to play the lead because Roger Corman was in a dispute with American International Pictures (AIP) at the time and decided to make the movie with another studio. Vincent Price who starred in most of Corman's Poe adaptations was under contract to AIP and therefore, could not play the lead. Ultimately the dispute was resolved and the picture was eventually released under the AIP banner.

Milland is surprisingly excellent in the lead. He conveys the building paranoia of Guy Carrell very convincingly. The lovely Hazel Court was a veteran of many films in her native England and nicely complements Milland and Heather Angel provides an air of mystery as Guy's sister/

Some useless trivia:

1. Ray Milland and Heather Angel had starred together some 25 years earlier in "Bulldog Drummond Escapes" (1937).

2. Miles Archer was the name of Sam Spade's partner who was murdered at the beginning of "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).

3. Alan Napier achieved greater fame as Alfred the butler in the "Batman" TV series of the 60s.