The Haunted Palace is a 1963 horror film by American International Pictures directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr. and Debra Paget.
Though it was marketed as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Haunted Palace", the film actually is based more on the plot of the H. P. Lovecraft novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, to the point where it can be considered a straight-up adaptation.
Over a century ago, the townspeople of Arkham stormed the palace of owner Joseph Curwen (Price) after a young girl is lured there for Curwen's sinister purposes and dragged him out to be burned. As he perished, Curwen puts a curse on the town, the inhabitants and their descendants, swearing revenge.
Later, in 1875, Curwen's great-great-great grandson Charles Dexter Ward (also Price) and his wife Anne (Paget) arrive in Arkham after inheriting the palace but aren't warmly welcomed by the residents of Arkham. During their stay, a strange change occurs with Charles as he expresses eerie familiarity with their new home and slowly changes in personality.
Is it possible that Curwen had indeed returned to seek revenge and continue his dark rituals?
The Haunted Palace begins its revenge on these examples:
- Attempted Rape: Curwen, using Charles's body, attempts to do this to Anne.
- Burn the Witch!: A male variant. The townsfolk of Arkham punish Curwen for his practice of evil magic by binding him and burning him alive.
- Crusty Caretaker: Simon
- Curse: Curwen, as he is burned alive, cursed the people of Arkham and their descendants for killing him as he swore revenge.
- Demonic Possession: Curwen gradually takes possession of his descendent, Charles, and uses his body to carry out his nefarious goals.
- Facial Horror: Descendants of the town are disfigured to different extents as a result of Curwen's curse.
- Fighting from the Inside: Despite Curwen's successful possession of his descendant's body, Charles tries to fight off his ancestor's influence.
- Identical Grandson: Charles is noticed right away to resemble his ancestor, Joseph Curwen.
- In Name Only: The Haunted Palace only took the name of Edgar Allan Poe's poem of the same name. The entire film is based on The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, yet is regarded as one of the films in the Poe Cycle.
- Kill It with Fire: Peter Smith's fate as part of Curwen's revenge for his execution.
- Mars Needs Women: Curwen and his followers attempted to offer Anne to the creature housed in the dungeon's pit as part of the ritual to produce a race of superhumans.
- Necromancy: Curwen and his accomplices use this magic to resurrect Hester from the dead.
- Patricide: Edgar Weeden is killed by his monstrously deformed son after Curwen releases him from his locked room.
- Pretending to Be One's Own Relative: Simon and Jabez, two fellow warlocks acquainted with Curwen, reunite with him while using the bodies of their descendants.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Simon, Jabez and Hester escape from the burning palace, abandoning Charles to his fate.
- Setting Update: Inverted. Unlike The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (which is set in the 1920s), The Haunted Palace takes place in 1875 while the beginning of the film occurred in 1765.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Charles is noticed to have an uncanny resemblance to his ancestor, Joseph Curwen.
- Tome of Eldritch Lore: The Necronomicon, mentioned by Dr. Willet in conversation about Joseph Curwen.
- Torches and Pitchforks: The people of Arkham, upon seeing a young girl being led to Curwen's palace, they rallied to retrieve her and confront Curwen, leading to the warlock's execution.
- Centuries later, when the townspeople discover the charred body of Peter Smith, they come together to storm and destroy the palace in an effort to end Curwen's hold on the town once and for all.
