Tomb of Ligeia's main asset is its literate script from Robert Towne, who produces some fine dialogue for Vincent Price to emote. It is a little slow in the middle, however, when not much seems to happen. A difficult Poe story to bring to the screen.
Price is good but Elizabeth Shepherd probably gives the film's best performance as Lady Rowena, fascinated by Verden Fell (Price) whom she meets after falling from her horse at the very grave of his late wife Ligeia (also played by Shepherd in a dark wig). She is very effective.
Director Roger Corman for the first time uses a lot of outdoor location shooting in his Poe movies; the result is a film that feels different from previous entries in the series. It's excellently photographed by Arthur Grant, who did many Hammer Films, and the crumbling Abbey is a splendid location; a real place in Norfolk.
It seems pretty obvious that Ligeia's soul has entered that of her pet black cat, whom in a splendid jump-cut (way better than the ones you get today) scratches Rowena's face just when she is about to kiss Fell for the first time. Ligiea's interest in Egyptology is at the route of it all, I'd say, as they believed souls were often reincarnated in animals.
There are also a few references to Hitchcock's Vertigo thrown in!
Not my favourite of Corman's Poe series but it is a good film; Roger was probably wise to leave off here.
Price is good but Elizabeth Shepherd probably gives the film's best performance as Lady Rowena, fascinated by Verden Fell (Price) whom she meets after falling from her horse at the very grave of his late wife Ligeia (also played by Shepherd in a dark wig). She is very effective.
Director Roger Corman for the first time uses a lot of outdoor location shooting in his Poe movies; the result is a film that feels different from previous entries in the series. It's excellently photographed by Arthur Grant, who did many Hammer Films, and the crumbling Abbey is a splendid location; a real place in Norfolk.
It seems pretty obvious that Ligeia's soul has entered that of her pet black cat, whom in a splendid jump-cut (way better than the ones you get today) scratches Rowena's face just when she is about to kiss Fell for the first time. Ligiea's interest in Egyptology is at the route of it all, I'd say, as they believed souls were often reincarnated in animals.
There are also a few references to Hitchcock's Vertigo thrown in!
Not my favourite of Corman's Poe series but it is a good film; Roger was probably wise to leave off here.