Plot Tales of Terror

1 plot

1.1 morella
1.2 black cat
1.3 facts in case of m. valdemar

plot

the film uses anthology format, presenting 3 short sequences based on following poe tales: morella , black cat (which combined poe tale, cask of amontillado ), , facts in case of m. valdemar . each sequence introduced via voiceover narration vincent price, appears in 3 narratives.

morella

when lenora locke (maggie pierce) travels boston reunited father (vincent price) in decrepit , cobwebbed mansion, finds him drunk, disordered, , depressed. refuses company, insisting killed mother morella (leona gage) in childbirth. lenora discovers mother s body decomposing on bed in house. lenora cannot return boston , remains in house care father. feelings soften towards when learns has terminal illness. 1 night morella s spirit rises, , kills lenora in revenge childbed death. morella s body resurrected, becoming whole , beautiful in life. in exchange lenora s, decomposing morella lay. morella strangles horrified husband fire breaks out in house. morella , lenora return original bodies, lenora smiling lies on dead father, rotten morella cackling flames consume house. cast includes edmund cobb coach driver.

black cat

casting call black cats black cat segment in tales of terror, 1961

montresor herringbone (peter lorre) hates wife annabelle (joyce jameson) , black cat. 1 night on ramble town, happens upon wine tasting event , challenges world s foremost wine taster, fortunato luchresi (vincent price), contest. herringbone becomes drunk. luchresi escorts him home , meets wife. time passes, , annabelle , luchresi become intimate. cuckolded herringbone entombs them alive in alcove in basement. authorities become suspicious , 2 policemen (john hackett , lennie weinrib) visit house investigate. hearing screeching behind basement wall, knock wall down discover dead lovers — , annabelle s black cat, herringbone had accidentally walled lovers. cast includes wally campo bartender wilkins , alan dewitt wine-tasting chairman.

facts in case of m. valdemar

dying painful disease, m. valdemar (vincent price) employs hypnotist, mr. carmichael (basil rathbone), alleviate suffering putting him under various trances. remains between world of living , dead. in trance, valdemar begs carmichael release soul can die carmichael cruelly refuses. months pass , valdemar s putrefying body remains in bed under complete control of carmichael. hypnotist tries force valdemar s wife helene (debra paget) marry him. when refuses, attacks her. valdemar s putrid body rises bed , kills carmichael. helene rescued valdemar s physician (david frankham) , carried scene of horror.