The Comedy of Terrors
The Comedy of Terrors
| 22 January 1964 (USA)
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An undertaker who hasn't had any 'customers' in a long time is forced to pay one year's back-rent. To get money he starts to kill people, which brings absurd results.

Reviews
Interesteg

What makes it different from others?

Beystiman

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

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Micah Lloyd

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

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Phillipa

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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dglink

The four veteran stars of 1963's "The Comedy of Terrors" may have been beyond their physical peaks, but their thespian and comedic skills remained undimmed in this often delicious black comedy. With a penchant for the bottle and disdain for his comely wife, Vincent Price chews his pithy lines and appears to be enjoying himself immensely as a funeral parlor director, whose business has fallen on hard times. Price has hired an incompetent coffin maker and bungling ex-con, Peter Lorre, who has developed a crush on Price's wife, a frustrated opera singer with a glass-shattering high note. Once owner of the funeral parlor, Price's demented father-in-law, Boris Karloff, mutters to himself while dribbling food and forgets the names of the deceased during his incoherent eulogies. Price's landlord, Basil Rathbone, indulges in fits of Shakespearean oratory and suffers from occasional lapses of consciousness that resemble death. All four stars, who together or apart have appeared in countless film classics, both horror and non, have their moments in this short, but delectable film, which was directed by Jacques Tourneur, who directed such classics as "Cat People" and "Out of the Past," and written by Richard Matheson, whose work included episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "Thriller," and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." The low-budget American-International film is set in a vaguely Gothic locale somewhere in Europe in an undetermined past era; fog enshrouds the graveyards, horses still rule, and the local gravediggers, like Joe E. Brown, speak in an unidentifiable Eastern European accent. Anachronisms abound; the delightful Joyce Jameson as Price's neglected wife sports a platinum blonde coiffure that is pure 1960's. Desperate as his business slows and the landlord presses for back rent, Price advances from petty coffin recycling to drumming up business in a more sinister manner. Soon, the tall lanky Price and the short squat Lorre prowl the countryside in their horse-drawn hearse in search of customers. Unfortunately, things go awry, and therein lies the fun. "The Comedy of Terrors" will delight fans of old horror films, and is a must-see for those who relish campy turns by Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone.

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SimonJack

What a cast in "Comedy of Terrors!" Only Bela Lugosi of the "monster" actors was dead when Hollywood made this film. And only Lon Chaney Jr. was missing from among those "frightful" players still living. But, "Comedy of Terrors" is a very good showcase for several actors who variously thrilled, scared or bemused audiences for decades. Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone make this a formidable 'Who's Who' ensemble of frightful character film actors from the early to mid-20th century. And, they must have had fun together making this comedy. The plot is a simple but good one. Waldo Trumbull married Amaryllis Hinchley to become a partner with her father in his mortician business. But he has "driven the business into the ground," as Amaryllis says; and he affirms that's where it should be. Now he lives only to drink and verbally abuse his wife and employee, Felix Gillie. Amos Hinchley is still alive but old age has taken its toll. Amaryllis wonders why she married Waldo instead of pursuing an opera career. The answer to that soon becomes clear to the audience. Waldo has barely kept the business afloat and himself in whisky, by an occasional late night visit to some wealthy older person whom he smothers with a pillow. Then he and Gillie just happen to be in the neighborhood when a funeral must be arranged. His business is further threatened by the landlord, John Black, to whom he owes a full year's back rent. How will things work out (or not?) for Waldo Trumbull and the others? That's the question this film pursues in very funny scenes and with outlandishly hilarious dialog at times. The screenplay is more for adults. In places, the dialog is a lesson in bad manners – of what not to say or how to act. Vincent Price's Waldo is "horribly" funny in his role. Peter Lorre's Felix secretly pines for Waldo's wife, Amaryllis, whom he hears Waldo verbally mistreat all the time. Felix also has very bad hearing or some nuts loose, because he thinks Amaryliss sings beautifully. She is played superbly by Joyce Jameson. She gives the best film performance ever of a tone-deaf would-be singer. (Not that studios or performers would be clamoring to make films of such content.) Her two songs toward the end are too much. At funeral services for Black, she croaks out, "He is not dead, but sleepeth." Later, she squawks, "Felix, you've stolen my heart." It's so unbearable to listen to, yet hilarious. Boris Karloff plays Amos Hinchley who has the funniest very long line in the film. His eulogy uses many foreign and archaic terms for coffin – the word he can't remember. Basil Rathbone is John Black who reads Shakespeare aloud in bed, with associated actions. He suffers from catalepsy, which contributes to some very funny scenes. Joe E. Brown tries Irish brogue as the cemetery keeper. The cat, Cleopatra, is shown in the film credits as Rhubarb, and is used nicely in camera shots and shooting of some scenes. The rest of the cast all perform well. This film may not be for everyone. But movie buffs, who enjoyed these actors in any of their films over the years, should enjoy it. The Quotes section under this IMDb Web page for the film has many lines of funny dialog from the film. Here are some of my favorites. Waldo Trumbull, "If you could or would, for one brief moment, shut that vast resounding chasm of a mouth, I should be grateful, madam. Grateful."Amaryllis Trumbull, "I could have been the greatest opera singer in the world." Waldo, "What world? Would the vocal emissions of a laryngitic crow be qualifications? Yes, then maybe you could have been."Waldo, "Allow me madam, in this moment of your most desolate bereavement, to lift from your sorrow-laden shoulders the burdensome task of exequiem sepulture." Mrs. Phipps, "What?" Waldo, "I'll bury him for you."Felix Gillie, "There must be a little more honest way to conduct a funeral business." Waldo, "I might have expected that kind of talk from a criminal."Waldo, "I wonder what idiot ever thought of putting bodies in a crypt instead of in the ground where they belong." Felix, "Yeah, and they fertilize plants too." Waldo, "What a terrible thing to say. Shut up." Amaryllis, "Couldn't you find it in your heart to love me, Waldo?" Waldo, "Get up. You're sitting on my money."

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lemon_magic

"Comedy of Terrors" isn't quite as amazing as you'd think it would be with such an all star cast, but on the other hand, it's still pretty good. I think modern audiences who are accustomed to the rapid-fire gag delivery of Zucker Brother movies might find this one a bit pokey, but that turns out to be part of the movie's charm: It takes its time with the setups to each major zinger, and allows plenty of time between the one-liners so the audience can relax and enjoy the setup.Vincent Price shows once again that he can do a comic character very well indeed, especially when the character doesn't have a single redeeming feature. And it's fun to watch "Waldo Trumbull" get comeuppance after comeuppance as his lazy,mean ways inevitably backfire on him - especially at the end. Boris Karloff steals every scene he is in, and basically steals the movie itself with his rambling, disjointed eulogy for the guy whose name he can't remember. It really is a wonderful moment, worth the entire movie to see. The movie also keeps things fresh by keeping a cat around to act as a "straight man" for some of the goofier stunts and Three Stooges inspired moments. I'm not sure what the deal is giving a cat named "Orangey" film credit as "Rhubarb" and then calling him "Cleopatra" in the movie itself - probably an in joke by the movie's cast and crew.Anyway - a lot of fun if you like this sort of thing, but don't be expecting "Monty Python" or "Airplane!" - this is all about mood and setting and slow burns and good actors playing bad people.

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gavin6942

An undertake with no customers and a penchant for drinking (Vincent Price) falls late by an entire year on his rent. To make ends meet, he does some dirty deeds and makes his business increase.With Vincent Price starring, Boris Karloff is a smaller supporting role, Basil Rathbone as the antagonist, and Peter Lorre as Price's bumbling sidekick, you know this film has to be great. That is as perfect a cast as you can get for a horror film of its era, and on top of this it was written by Richard Matheson and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Oh, and Orangey the Cat (credited as Rhubarb) appears, too, who has done a fine number of films, including playing Neutron in "This Island Earth".There is a Shakespearean undertone (especially given the title is a play on his "Comedy of Errors"), which I think works well for Rathbone in particular, and Price to a lesser degree (both men are classic actors). I almost wish this was more closely tied to Shakespeare, but Matheson can write a great script even without the bard to back him up.

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