Twice-Told Tales

So what was my main attraction to Twice-Told Tales? Vincent Price, one of my favourite actors and one who brings 100% no matter what the movie is like. Nathaniel Hawthorne is another good reason also. I actually enjoyed Twice-Told Tales. It does have some sparse production values, has moments where it is very stagy and talky and has ponderous pacing. It is in the third segment The House of the Seven Gables where these problems are especially prominent. The photography, some good effects and the acting, especially from Price, make the segment worth the watch at least, but it felt dull to me and tries to cram far too much in, which undermined the story-telling severely. Thankfully the other two segments really made up for it. On the whole the photography is lush, the dialogue provoking more thought and the stories much more interesting. Sidney Salkow's directing does show signs of efficiency, particularly in Rappacinni's Daughter. I wholly concur with the general consensus that the second segment Rappacinni's Daughter is the best one of the three, it is creepy and atmospheric, the most lush in look, is the most emotionally complex and has a really well-told story(it is also the most faithful to Hawthorne's writing). The first segment Dr. Heidegger's Experiment also has an effectively macabre feel, and I liked its more hopeful ending. The cast are very good in what are essentially examples of ensemble acting. Beverly Garland doesn't have a lot to do but makes the most of it. Richard Denning plays it straight and he is also not so bad. Sebastian Cabot brings to the table a very sympathetic performance, even if he has been better before, his rapport with Price is beautifully and subtly done. Jacqueline De Wit is a joy here, and the best of the support cast for me. Vincent Price is the film's best asset, he commands the screen effortlessly and all three of his roles play to his strengths. Overall, has a weak final third but two thirds of it, especially the second segment, are excellent. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is a stately, intelligent, three part horror omnibus feature adapted from stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It's good enough to compare favourably with the best films in the Price / Roger Corman / A.I.P. series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. The slow pacing and length of the film may not sit well for some people, but others will take delight in the atmosphere, the performances, the story telling, and all the trappings of the genre. This also benefits from some decent special effects and capable direction by Sidney Salkow (who also guided star Vincent Price in "The Last Man on Earth").

In "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", Price stars with Sebastian Cabot as they play elderly friends Alex Medbourne and Dr. Carl Heidegger. One dark and stormy night, they enter the crypt of Carls' long dead wife Sylvia Ward (Mari Blanchard), who is restored to life and youth by some miraculous, strange liquid seeping into the crypt. It also restores youth to Alex and Carl when they sample the liquid, but there are consequences for their actions - as well as some secrets that will be exposed. The single most enjoyable aspect of this segment is Cabots' wonderful, heartfelt performance.

Price plays Giacomo Rappaccini in "Rappaccini's Daughter". In addition to his lovely daughter Beatrice (Joyce Taylor), Giacomo has a rather lush garden - and Beatrice has something in common with the dangerous plants and flowers in this garden. Well intentioned young Giovanni Guasconti (Brett Halsey) yearns to be her suitor, but Giacomo seeks to interfere. This portion of the picture can boast a clever and interesting premise.

Price is the villain, Gerald Pyncheon, in an abbreviated version of "The House of the Seven Gables". (23 years earlier, he'd played the hero in a feature length adaptation of this story.) Gerald and his younger wife Alice (Beverly Garland) arrive at the family home so he can search for the treasures hidden on the premises. Alice is witness to supernatural phenomena and learns of a feud between the Pyncheon and Maulle clans. Handsome Richard Denning co-stars as the heroic Jonathan Maulle. Garland is very appealing, and Price has fun just as he always did with his villainous roles.

Fans of old school horror, anthologies, and the actors involved will likely have a good time with "Twice-Told Tales". While Salkow and company dare to take their time with the pacing, patient viewers will be pleased with the results.

Eight out of 10.

Trio of horror stories based on works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first story is "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," about two elderly friends, Dr. Carl Heidegger (Sebastian Cabot) and Alex Medbourne (Vincent Price) who discover magical water that they use to become young again. Heidegger decides to use the water on the corpse of his long-dead love Sylvia (Mari Blanchard), with surprising results. The second story is "Rappaccini's Daughter." Giovanni Guasconti (Brett Halsey) falls in love with beautiful Beatrice Rappaccini (Joyce Taylor) at first sight. Beatrice is the daughter of scientist Giacomo Rappaccini (Vincent Price) and, much to Giovanni's horror, her father has injected her with plant toxins that make her deadly to touch. The third, and most famous, story is "The House of the Seven Gables." Gerald Pyncheon (Vincent Price) returns to his ancestral home with his new bride (Beverly Garland). Ignoring warnings of a family curse he scours the house looking for a treasure reportedly buried somewhere inside.

All of these stories are loosely adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne stories. The segments are of varying quality but they are all watchable and enjoyable enough. The first story is probably my favorite, helped in large part by Sebastian Cabot's sensitive portrayal of Heidegger. The second is my least favorite and the third is OK. Price is in all three and, as usual, is excellent. Price was also in the 1940 film adaptation of "The House of Seven Gables." It was far superior to this version so please check it out if you can. Twice-Told Tales is an enjoyable time-killer but nothing exceptional. Vincent Price fans will love it more than most.

TWICE-TOLD TALES is an anthology of three Gothic horror stories, loosely based on the stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each stars Vincent Price.

DR. HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT- The title doctor (Sebastian Cabot) finds his decades-long mourning of his late "new bride" interrupted by his discovery of what appears to be the fountain of youth. Ironically discovered in her tomb, Heidegger and his friend (Price) are both astonished and frightened by their good fortune. What seems like a blessing soon becomes a curse. Filled with treachery and betrayal, this is a nice fear fable.

RAPPACCINI'S DAUGHTER- Beatrice Rappaccini (Joyce Taylor) lives an oddly secluded life with her father (Price), until falling in love with a man (Brett Halsey) who lives nearby. Love blooms, but there's a deadly catch. This one shows the cost of love in a whole new light.

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES- Gerald Pyncheon (Price) returns to his ancestral home to search for a fortune hidden somewhere on the grounds. Meanwhile, his wife (Beverly Garland) uncovers a ghostly secret to augment the family curse. Greed and death ensue. Mr. Price is particularly good here. Co-stars Richard Denning. A very brisk, entertaining trio of tales. Everyone is great. Price is, as always, amazing!...

Nathaniel Hawthorne is not Edgar Allan Poe. His stories do contain elements of horror and terror, but much of it is fodder for the religious symbolism that tears through much of his work. That being said, some will find the three tales used in Twice-Told Tales comparitively slow to those of Poe. What they lack in speed, however, they more than make up for in thematic exploration, symbolic meanings, and suspenseful pacing. The first story is Dr. Heidegger's experiment. Vincent Price and Sebastion Cabot play two very old friends that get together on the good doctor's birthday. Both men talk about the harsh realities of growing old, but Cabot talks of his growing old more as a means to be with the one he loved so many years ago, the woman who died on their day to be wed, and now reposes in a crypt nearby outside. A storm opens the crypt, the two men investigate and find that the body of the girl has not aged at all thanks to some trickling water that seems to keep it in its natural state upon death. The doctor takes the water and experiments with its powers on himself, his friend, and the corpse. The end result becomes Hawthorne's look at human beings...given a second chance. Would they change or do the things that brought them unhappiness any different? The story, although changed greatly from the original Hawthorne story, is visualized very nicely with Price turning in one of his more subtle performances and Cabot doing a splendid job. The second story is Rappicinni's Daughter. It tells of a girl that has been altered by her scientist father to not touch any living thing. This way she will always be pure....innocent of the evils of men and, in particular, unknown to the touch of men. The story is highly symbolic and beautifully directed. Price plays the scientist who specializes in plants of unknown origins. A well-crafted selection to be sure. The third story is easily the weakest because it tries cramming a novel into an anthology sized space. The House of the Seven Gables tells of sins of a past family against another and how these sins have been borne by the family manse. Some of the special effects here are rather good, but the acting by Richard Denning and Beverly Garland is not so good. Price carries the segment with his slightly over-the-top performance and a real acting gem is given by Jacqueline de Wit as his sister. All in all, the three tales are very representative of Hawthorne's unique vision, his religious background, and taut narration. This is a good film, but it's not a Poe film...once that is realized maybe some viewers can appreciate it on its own merits rather than a constant intentional or unintentional comparison to the king of horror.