The Fall of the House of Usher

 Year of Release:  1960

Director:  Roger Corman

Screenplay:  Richard Matheson, based on the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

Starring:  Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Harry Ellerbe

Running Time:  79 minutes

Genre:  Horror

19th Century America:  Philip Winthrop (Damon) travels to the lonely decaying House of Usher, to visit his fiancée Madeline Usher (Fahey) who lives alone in the mansion with her brother Roderick (Price) and their servant Bristol (Ellerbe).  Madeline and particularly Roderick both suffer from hypersensitivity.  Roderick strongly disapproves of his sister's engagement, because he believes that the Usher bloodline is cursed, and is determined that the family end with him and his sister.

Director Roger Corman and distributor American-International Pictures were known at the time for churning out super low-budget, black-and-white "B" movies, for drive-ins, and grindhouse cinemas, as well as filling out the bottom half of double-bills and kid's matinees.  However the feeling was that the market for those movies was starting to decline, and Corman convinced AIP to put a bit more money behind this film and make it in colour, with some attempt at decent production values, and based on a respected literary source.  Acclaimed horror writer Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend (1954), The Shrinking Man (1956) and numerous episodes of The Twilight Zone) adapted Edgar Allan Poe's short story into a literate and intelligent script.  Although it was expensive by Roger Corman and AIP standards, this was still a low-budget film, and takes place entirely within the confines of the mansion with only four speaking roles, and the meat of the drama is the struggle between Roderick and Philip for Madeline, whether she likes it or not.  Vincent Price is the standout, turning in a sensitive, quiet performance as the tormented Roderick, making what could be a straightforward villain, pitiable and sympathetic.  Also, he believes that he is doing the right thing, no matter how unpleasant it may be.  Myrna Fahey is effective as the unhappy Madeline.  However, Mark Damon is never really more than the typical square-jawed hero.  The film is directed with style, and Corman manages to get every bit of melodrama from the story.  The house itself becomes a character in the story, with it's constant creaking and crumbling, as it moves toward it's final dissolution.  It really needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible in high definition, to get all the impact from the beautifully designed sets, and such, vibrant colour photography.

Also released simply as House of Usher, it was quite a big hit in it's day, and became the first of eight movie based on Edgar Allan Poe stories that Roger Corman made with Vincent Price.

Mark Damon and Vincent Price in The Fall of the House of Usher