In addition to having bad hearts and fragile constitutions, most Ushers suffer from an acute 'allergy' to all sense stimulation - sound, light, taste. Philip insists that the only problem with Madeline is the unhealthy, morbid environment, prompting his host to give more details of the family curse. Roderick fails to explain the blight on the locality and the strange condition of the house - which seems to be cracking and crumbling in response to Philip's presence. When Roderick can't convince Philip to leave immediately, he allows him to see Madeline, who seems to have become passive and distracted. He's blocked by the hostile hospitality of her effete and sinister brother Roderick Usher (Vincent Price). Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) rides across a misty wasteland to the Usher mansion, to collect his sweetheart Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey), whom he wishes to marry. Matheson and Corman retain quite a few of Poe's original ideas. Those that were made were unrecognizable, like Jean Epstein's 1928 version. Except for some short subjects, Edgar Allan Poe hadn't seen many film adaptations. Roger Corman's earlier B&W fantastic films always had a good basic idea and an interesting wrinkle or two, but House of Usher is arguably the first time that he tackled respected literature that would certainly draw serious critical attention. Griffith for the trendier, better established Richard Matheson, and taking on American-International's unofficial new house composer Les Baxter. The step up meant ditching his dedicated writer Charles B. With House of Usher Roger Corman took a major step up to color and CinemaScope, bringing with him most of his crack team of low-budget artisans: cameraman Floyd Crosby, editor Anthony Carras, production designer Daniel Haller, AD Jack Bohrer and even the costumer to the cheapies, Marjorie Corso. On a mostly black field, men carrying candles descend a crooked stairway to the bottom of the poster, where a screaming woman appears to be trapped within a sealed coffin. Although I was too young to see the movie, the effective ad artwork was in itself chilling. Usually shortened to House of Usher, the posters and ads were everywhere. The first big thrill movie of summer 1960 was a Gothic horror picture, The Fall of the House of Usher. Written by Richard Matheson from the story by Edgar Allan Poe Starring Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Harry Ellerbe. Street Date Aug/ £13.92, or £17.41 (steelbook packaging) 1960 / Color / 2:35 enhanced widescreen / 80 min.
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