"The Raven" was the second of seven pairings of the popular horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film was the only one of the six in which Lugosi had the dominant role.
A young dancer, Jean Thatcher (Irene Ware) is involved in a car accident in which she is seriously injured. She remains unconscious with the attending physicians unable to do anything. Her father, Judge Thatcher (Samuel S. Hinds) decides to go to the reclusive Dr. Richard Vollin (Lugosi) a renowned surgeon for help. Dr. Volin who is obsessed with the works of Edgar Allen Poe, at first refuses to help but later relents. He saves the girl but falls in love with her.
Judge Thatcher realizing what is happening, goes to the doctor to beg him not to pursue his daughter. Vollin in his maddened state refuses and secretly plots his revenge on the judge.
An escaped convict, Edward Bateman (Karloff) comes to Vollin asking that he change his facial appearance. To force the hapless convict to do his will, Vollin operates on Bateman giving him a grotesque appearance. Vollin promises that he will return Bateman's face to normal only if he will perform a certain service for him.
We also learn that the mad doctor has a Poe inspired torture chamber in his basement. Vollin arranges a reception in his home to which Jean, her stuffed shirt fiancé, Dr. Jerry Halden (Lester Matthews), Judge Thatcher and others are invited. Bateman takes pity on Jean but is forced to comply with Vollin's wishes. Bateman abducts Judge Thatcher and takes him to the torture chamber where Vollin secures him to a table over which is the swinging pendulum from "The Pit and the Pendulum". Vollin starts the swinging pendulum's gradual decent.
Meanwhile Vollin has lured the others to the torture chamber. He plans to murder Jean and her fiancé in a fit of madness. But Bateman seeing this.......................
Director Lewis Friedlander allows Lugosi to go a little over the top in his portrayal of the mad doctor. But all in all, Lugosi gives one of his most terrifying performances, Karloff in a limited role, contributes a couple of terrifying moments as the tragic Bateman. Running but a scant 61 minutes, the film appears to have been cut down. Karloff for example doesn't appear until a third of the way through the story, and even then he just seemingly appears out of nowhere. And we don't learn that Jean Thatcher is a dancer until after her life saving surgery.
Nevertheless, "The Raven" still ranks among the classic horror thrillers of the 1930's.
A young dancer, Jean Thatcher (Irene Ware) is involved in a car accident in which she is seriously injured. She remains unconscious with the attending physicians unable to do anything. Her father, Judge Thatcher (Samuel S. Hinds) decides to go to the reclusive Dr. Richard Vollin (Lugosi) a renowned surgeon for help. Dr. Volin who is obsessed with the works of Edgar Allen Poe, at first refuses to help but later relents. He saves the girl but falls in love with her.
Judge Thatcher realizing what is happening, goes to the doctor to beg him not to pursue his daughter. Vollin in his maddened state refuses and secretly plots his revenge on the judge.
An escaped convict, Edward Bateman (Karloff) comes to Vollin asking that he change his facial appearance. To force the hapless convict to do his will, Vollin operates on Bateman giving him a grotesque appearance. Vollin promises that he will return Bateman's face to normal only if he will perform a certain service for him.
We also learn that the mad doctor has a Poe inspired torture chamber in his basement. Vollin arranges a reception in his home to which Jean, her stuffed shirt fiancé, Dr. Jerry Halden (Lester Matthews), Judge Thatcher and others are invited. Bateman takes pity on Jean but is forced to comply with Vollin's wishes. Bateman abducts Judge Thatcher and takes him to the torture chamber where Vollin secures him to a table over which is the swinging pendulum from "The Pit and the Pendulum". Vollin starts the swinging pendulum's gradual decent.
Meanwhile Vollin has lured the others to the torture chamber. He plans to murder Jean and her fiancé in a fit of madness. But Bateman seeing this.......................
Director Lewis Friedlander allows Lugosi to go a little over the top in his portrayal of the mad doctor. But all in all, Lugosi gives one of his most terrifying performances, Karloff in a limited role, contributes a couple of terrifying moments as the tragic Bateman. Running but a scant 61 minutes, the film appears to have been cut down. Karloff for example doesn't appear until a third of the way through the story, and even then he just seemingly appears out of nowhere. And we don't learn that Jean Thatcher is a dancer until after her life saving surgery.
Nevertheless, "The Raven" still ranks among the classic horror thrillers of the 1930's.