THE
PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)Director: Roger Corman
MGM
THE
PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)1960's HOUSE OF USHER was a phenomenal success for AIP, so further cinematic renderings of Poe stories were immediately in order. Writer Richard Matheson took a short Poe story, augmenting and refining it into an 80-minute dark tale involving death, deception, adultery and inherited madness. Using the same team present for the previous year's Poe opus, Roger Corman mounts an even more ambitious film with one of the genre's most memorable movie sets, and it serves as another showcase for one of the true masters of the macabre--Vincent Price.
Francis (John Kerr) arrives at the castle of Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), demanding to know how his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) died. Still in great pain and deep depression over her demise, Nicholas is hesitant to discuss the circumstances, but a seemingly friendly doctor (Antony Carbone) explains the situation while taking Francis on a tour of the castle's elaborate torture chamber. It seems that Nicholas' late father Sebastian was a wicked torturer who punished victims there during the Spanish Inquisition. As a boy, Nicholas witnessed the death of his adulterating mother and uncle at the hands of his dad--and this is shown as a twisted flashback.
Francis is convinced that foul play was involved in his sister's death, and he points the finger at Nicholas. He learns that she became obsessed with the torture chamber, making nightly visits there. She eventually died of fright, but he is not easily buying that, deciding to break open the crypt and exhume her body. When they discover the shockingly shrieking expression on the rotted corpse's face, they assume that Elizabeth has been buried alive. Medina is now more upset than ever, and even contemplates suicide, but he's stopped by his loving sister Catherine (Luana Anders). Strange noises and voices still pervade the castle, and Nicholas is convinced that his wife's ghost is out for revenge. What is in store for him is the worst--the ultimate journey into insanity.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is an atmospheric film that builds tension slowly to lead up to a most satisfying and disturbing ending. Corman's resourceful direction never reveals the budget restraints, Floyd Crosby has great control of the widescreen photography, and Daniel Haller's sets are remarkably and authentically morbid and elaborate, especially the dungeon where some shots are enhanced by brilliant matte paintings that simulate a deep pit. Les Baxter gives us one of his most nightmarish scores, perfectly accompanying the swift swaying of the deadly pendulum.
Vincent Price is terrific as usual as the film's anti-hero, Nicholas Medina. He gives one of his most sympathetic and elegant performances as a man bent by his wife's untimely death. He also plays Nicholas' limping, crazed father whose characteristics his son soon possesses after he's deceived and betrayed. Kerr, Anders, and Carbone are also very good, and Barbara Steele--with her captivating facial expressions--gives a chilling performance in her first American film role. Steele--who earlier starred in AIP's smash Italian import, BLACK SUNDAY--had her voiced dubbed, as her English accent proved to diverse of the other performers.
If anyone remembers watching this on TV, it had some of the worst pan & scan motions ever, with awkward scene-to-scene transitions. A laserdisc was released some years ago (as a double set with HOUSE OF USHER), and although the transfer was good, the disc was plagued with annoying press defects. Now, MGM's DVD of THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM looks fantastic with rich colors, and the source print is in very nice shape--the best this title has ever looked. It's shown in it's original 2.35:1 Panavision aspect ratio, but it's not anamorphic. The mono audio is playable in English, French, or Spanish, and there's also optional Spanish and French subtitles.
The always well-spoken Corman gives us a fun commentary, telling great anecdotes, and seriously explaining the Freudian themes he purposely injected into the film. At times he takes lengthy pauses, but it's great to hear him watch the film with the viewer, and he seems genuinely amazed at how well it holds up 40 years later. There's a fascinating and unusual extra included on the disc. Labeled "Original Theatrical Prologue," this is actually an introduction tacked on to the beginning of the film to pad it out when it aired on network TV in the 60s. Shot full frame to match the TV aspect ratio, it features Luana Anders reprising her role as Price's sister, now wrongly committed to an insane asylum. Look carefully and you'll recognize Sid Haig as one of the crazed inmates (he grabs Anders as she enters a crowded cell)! Also included is the original widescreen theatrical trailer. (George R. Reis)