Drive-In Dust Offs: PREMATURE BURIAL

It’s one of those fears I never think about until someone brings it up - being buried alive. Just saying it makes my skin crawl, and not in a scary movie kind of way. Waking up in total darkness, unable to really move, hearing the sound of my heart beating wildly in my chest and this is before the true panic sets in. Check please, and bring the car around, won’t you? This is why I will be cremated, thanks (and save the comments about waking up engulfed in flames – it’ll be quicker, at least). Roger Corman’s Premature Burial (1962), based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe, taps directly into this fear and mines that vein for 81 entertaining minutes.

Released in North America on March 7th by American International Pictures (there’s a story – more on that later), Premature Burial was the 3rd of Corman’s Poe adaptations, a very profitable string of films he made with AIP, and the only one not to star Vincent Price (see AIP mention above – more on that later, as well). As with the other Corman/Poes, Premature Burial rises up due to a smart script, solid performances, great atmosphere, and assured direction by Corman.

Poor Guy Carrell (Ray Milland – Frogs). He lives alone with his sister Kate (Heather Angel – Lifeboat) on a sprawling mansion estate, replete with banks and banks of fog (seriously – Corman must have rented the fog machine for 2 days instead of 1), and always in a constant fear of death. Well, more so than death, he has an intense fear of being buried alive. Along comes Emily (Hazel Court – The Raven), a woman he spurned because of his belief that he suffers from catalepsy, a disease that leaves one in a death like state – of which he is sure his father suffered from, and who was then buried alive. Duh duh DUH! Emily convinces him to let her stay (against Kate’s wishes), and they marry. Guy is soon beset by strange noises, spectral whistling, and visions of grave robbers as well as his own impending doom. Is Guy crazy, or is someone trying to expedite his final journey?

So the story goes something like this: Corman was unhappy with AIP, and decided to do this film with Pathe Labs, film processors looking to get into production. Corman wanted his star Price, of course, but AIP reminded Corman that Price was under contract to them. Instead, Corman went ahead with Milland. When AIP found out he was still proceeding, they paid a visit to Pathe Labs and reminded them that they were one of their biggest customers, and if they continued with the film, they would lose all of their processing business. Pathe sold the film back to AIP before production started, and filming rolled on, minus Price as the star. Hurray for Hollywood! And intimidation!

Of course, none of this distracts from the final product, which is just as good as the other Poe films. Now I’m the furthest thing from a Poe expert (I’ve maybe read The Raven), so I can’t do any kind of comparison between the tale and the film. Nor is that the objective, so I’ll just say that Premature Burial is a great period piece, a low key gothic horror that Corman had become very astute at making. This was his third Poe adaptation, and by now he had the blueprint nailed down so well that success was all but guaranteed. But we’re not just dealing with assembly line filmmaking here - Corman gets way more attention for his business savvy than he does for his talents as a director. This is such a shame, because he was a terrific director. Look at how he frames shots, his beautiful use of Panavision and his detail to color schemes. Premature Burial is a gorgeous film to look at, with foggy hillsides and opulent costumes. Corman was well known for surrounding himself with the best, and here is no exception. Cinematographer Floyd Crosby (Pit and the Pendulum) and composer Ronald Stein (Spider Baby) aid considerably in providing the gothic atmosphere that was at this point, still in vogue with filmgoers (but not for much longer – people started to clamor for more realism after the runaway success of Psycho). Yes, Corman was very good at turning a profit, but he was even better at his craft – a symbiotic relationship too seldom found in Hollywood.

The screenplay by Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell pays homage to the writings of Poe with a slightly purple prose that doesn’t weigh too heavily, and they keep the proceedings moving along with surprising twists and a few effective jolts. They get inside the mindset of Guy quite effectively, including a harrowing dream sequence of Guy experiencing his own death. Beaumont, of course, wrote many classic Twilight Zone episodes for TV, and his sense of excellence in economy shines through.

While it’s true that this material would normally be best suited to Vincent Price’s anguish and flair, Milland acquits himself rather well, bringing a sense of torment not too far removed from his Academy Award winning performance in The Lost Weekend (1945). He brings a weight, and burden, to Guy that anchors the film as his life swirls away from him. The rest of the cast is game, too, with a special nod to Hazel Court as Emily, The Concerned Wife Who Just Wants to Understand (trademark pending). One and all provide the film with the appropriate level of heightened realism that enriches any period piece.

Premature Burial may be known as the Poe that Price didn’t do, but in no way should this take away from your enjoyment. Atmospheric and full of twists, it offers up a good example of Corman’s magical touch, and is sure to please fans of the genre looking for some fog enshrouded fun. And don’t forget: when it’s time for me to go, save the wooden box – and bring the matches.

Premature Burial is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.