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Author
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Topic: The raven/17mins/b.w/sound.
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Andrew Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 784
From: dundonald,belfast,co.antrim,northern ireland.
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted July 23, 2006 04:02 PM
Here's another universal 8 release from years gone by.And here
is my view on it.
After a shorthed title scene,we enter the home of a doctor volin
(BELA LUGOSI)who is asked by an escape convict ed bateman(KARLOFF),
to give him a new face.
The doctor agrees,but only if bateman will do something for him;
murder a few people.
Bateman refuses;and so volin decides to "help" him anyway.
A fade leads us into the docs. surgery,bateman expects a new identiy,and boy does he get it.
Voiln slowly takes off the bandeges to reval..!
Poor bateman is now under the evil doctor's thumb,and agrees to
carry out the doctor's wishes.
Night falls and a strom is rageing outside.
The doctor has held a dinner,and says good night to his guests.
After a talk between the doc. and guests about edgar allen poe,
and the raven he sees them all off to bed.
Everything is now set for the terryfing finale;as voiln and bateman take revenge on his guests.
However,bateman turns on the mad doctor and drags him into the room were the walls close in.
The other guests set the old judge free from the pendulm knife
in the nick of time,as the mad doctor is crushed to death by the
walls.Bateman dies of wounds from a gun.
This was the second time that KARLOFF and LUGOSI were teamed
up togther and it works a treat.
If i was to say anything bad about this two reel digest;its that
the ending is a little adpurt.
Apart from that;its well edited with good print and sound.
Just track one down,if you can.highly recommend.Andy.
[ July 24, 2006, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Wilson ]
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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted November 03, 2007 11:16 AM
Well, I finally found a good used print of this 400 footer. I was plesantly surprised with this digest.
Lugosi's performance is quite over the top, and a bit campy, but much better than his later films. I think Karloff wins the prize for acting in this one. His character is very sympathetic, and the viewer can understand his delima.
The editing is not as fast-paced as the CASTLE 200 footers of the early years, but still is not a bad editing job at all.
Some nice touches in this 400 footer are-
*The scene where Karloff is locked in a room full of mirrors and forced to look at himself, as Lugosi torments him from a window. This is a great scene, and I was afraid it would not be in the digest, but its there.
*The stormy exterior night scenes add a good atmosphere, and show up well here.
*All the cool old props in the torture chamber- the control panel full of levers, the bedroom/elevator, etc., this is classic stuff.
The original titles at the begining (although edited) are a nice touch, too.
I do agree that the ending is very abrupt. Another 20 seconds or so could have closed it out better. But, its not as bad as some of the abrupt endings on some of those Columbia and Ken digests, where the music cuts (almost like ripping a needle of of a record!), and "FBI WARNING" appears. This one at least closes out the music properly, and shows the Universal 8 logo.
James.
P.S.- My print is has a very nice look, with very little grain, and very sharp and good contrast, so quality may depend on the time / location it was printed.
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