KARLOFF reads the top billing on 1935's The Raven, but Bela Lugosi is in fact the star of the show. Paired up for the second time (The Black Cat from 1934 being the first time) Universal Pictures once again puts together a horror classic, in this pre code horror film. After recently watching a Bela Lugosi documentary, I have become interested in his films, not to mention I have begun to collect the Universal Monsters Horror Classics Collection on VHS. These tapes were released in the early to mid 90's in a catalogue form. Available for $14.95 you could pick up great classics like Dracula, House of Frankentein, and today's film The Raven. I currently only posses 9 from this line of movies, but I am always on the lookout for more.
Our film begins with a woman getting into a serious car accident. We learn the woman's name is Jean Thatcher, daughter of Judge Thatcher, a prominent member of the community. With a grave outlook, the judge seeks the help of renown surgeon (now retired), Dr. Richard Vollin (Bela Lugosi). The first time we see Vollin, he is quoting Edgar Allen Poe to a guest in his home. Obviously obsessed with Poe, Vollin keeps a Raven at his desk, which he calls his talisman. After much begging, Vollin agrees to perform the delicate surgery and successfully restores Jean back to health. Time has passed and Vollin begins to have an infatuation with Jean, and believes she owes her love to him for saving her life. Judge Thatcher learns of Vollin's intentions and adamantly discourages the affair.
It is at this point we begin to see Vollin has gone mad over Jean and begins to set a plan into action full of torture and revenge. He employs the help of a man named Edmond Bateman (Karloff), a criminal on the run, who seeks out Vollin's help to change his appearance enabling him to evade authorities. Vollin agrees, but horribly disfigures half of Bateman's face. Vollin does this to make Bateman do his bidding, by killing the judge and her current fiance. Once his bidding his complete, Vollin would fix Bateman's face.
Vollin invites the Judge, Jean, her fiance, and a few more guests to his home for a weekend dinner party. In the still of the night Bateman abducts Judge Thatcher from his room and brings him down to Vollin's Poe like torture chamber, complete with a Pit and Pendulum to which Judge Thatcher gets attached to. It is in these moments of the film, where Bela Lugosi really steals the show. The way Lugosi uses his facial expressions and his maniacal laugh, truly make you believe that his character is purely evil. We reach the climax and as you can expect Bateman has a change of heart and tries to help the characters in distress, which leads to Bateman getting shot by Vollin, giving Jean's fiance the opportunity to lead Vollin to his demise.
Seeing a few of Lugosi's movies as of late, I would say The Raven is the best I have seen so far. There are also close seconds, of course Dracula being one of them, but Lugosi really shines in this feature. It is unfortunate, that Karloff was given top billing in this film, not that his performance is a bad one, but nowhere near as powerful as Bela. Bela would go on to do a few more pictures with Karloff, as well as some other Universal Horror films, but nowhere near the career Karloff had. It is sad that such talent was wasted. Screen this classic when you get the chance, for one of Lugosi's best performances.
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