The Haunted Palace Movie Review

The Haunted Palace is a 1963 horror film directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price, Debra Paget, Lon Chaney Jr. and Frank Maxwell.

The movie begins with a girl walking at night in the village of Arkham. Two locals follow her to an old house. They think that the house is evil. She is brought inside by a man and a woman. The man is called Joseph Curwen(Price) and the woman is Hester. Curwen performs a rite on the girl and he is going to sacrifice her to a creature he has in a pit. The locals turn up looking for her. They question the girl but she is in a trance. The locals take matters into their own hands. They burn Curwen alive as they think that he is the Devil. They leave Hester alone. Before he dies, Curwen curses the people in the town and he swears revenge on them and their descendants.

110 years later, a great-great grandson of Joseph Curwen shows up. His name is Charles Dexter Ward(Price) and he is with his wife Anne(Paget). They go to the local tavern and the locals look at them. They are looking for a house that has been left to Charles. The locals tell them to stay away from the house but Dr. Willet(Maxwell) tells them the way. They look around the house. There is a large portrait of Curwen hanging in there. He looks the same as Charles. The caretaker of the house is called Simon(Chaney Jr.). Anne is spooked by the house and Simon. There is a creature in the village
who is fed by a local man. Charles is drawn to the portrait and it speaks to him. He decides that he wants to remodel the house and sell it. Anne isn't happy.

The couple walk around town and they see disfigured people. They surround them then walk away. Dr.Willet tells them that the people have been mutated. He tells Charles about Joseph Curwen. He took local girls from the village. He had a book called the Necronomicon. He was able to summon dark gods. The locals believed that Curwen wanted to create a new race with gods and humans and this is why he wanted girls and why some of the people became mutated.Charles hears voices at night and he goes to look at the portrait. He is possessed by the spirit of Curwen. He is using Charles to come back to life. Simon welcomes him back. A friend of Curwen's called Jabez(Milton Parsons) is there to help too. Curwen has the Necronomicon and he plans to bring Hester back to life. Anne becomes worried about Charles as he seems different. Charles tries to fight Curwen and stop him from taking over his body.

Charles tells Anne that she has to leave. Curwen wants her out of the way. He is trying to get Hester back but it isn't working. Charles can't remember what happens when Curwen is in control. He wants to leave the house with his wife. Simon tries to stop him. Charles is leaving when the portrait possesses him again. He tells Anne that they are not leaving. Anne goes to the doctor and tells him about the change in Charles. Curwen decides that he wants revenge. He finally resurrects Hester and the gang are together again. The descendants of those who burned Curwen start to die. The locals are riled up and ready to get Charles. Anne and the doctor look for him to save him from the locals. They find Curwens lair and he catches them. He is going to feed Anne to the creature that he has. The locals are burning the palace. They burn the portrait. Charles comes back to himself and he tells the doctor to save his wife. He is left inside the burning palace by Simon, Jabez and Hester. The doctor helps him to escape and  Anne and Charles are reunited. The movie ends with us seeing that Charles has been replaced by Curwen. He has not been destroyed after all...

This is a decent film with Vincent Price stealing the show. I enjoyed the story and it was very entertaining throughout. I want to make my way through all of the Price/Corman movies. I have watched House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death and now this one. I recommend this if you enjoy Vincent Price films or if you are a fan of Lovecraft and Poe. I will give this a 6/10.