The Comedy of Terrors

1964 1h 24m EN

😐

6.5

MID

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 172🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes★6.5IMDB · 7,334

ComedyHorrorCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An undertaker who hasn't had any 'customers' in a long time is forced to pay one year's back-rent. To get money he starts to kill people, which brings absurd results.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Vincent Price
Waldo Trumbull
Peter Lorre
Felix Gillie
Boris Karloff
Amos Hinchley
Joyce Jameson
Amaryllis Trumbull
Joe E. Brown
Cemetery Keeper
Beverly Powers
Mrs. Phipps
Basil Rathbone
John F. Black
Alan DeWitt
Riggs

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Writers: Richard Matheson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jacques Tourneur, shot by Floyd Crosby. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Les Baxter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anthony Carras shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Vincent Price and Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0056943 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jacques Tourneur directs. Floyd Crosby behind the camera. Les Baxter scores. Anthony Carras cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
262 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Jacques Tourneur, shot by Floyd Crosby. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Les Baxter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Anthony Carras shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Vincent Price and Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0056943 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "funeral", "cat", "poison", "coffin".

The technical file

Cinematography: Floyd Crosby
Original score: Les Baxter
Editing: Anthony Carras
Production design: Daniel Haller
Costume design: Marjorie Corso
Makeup / hair: Carlie Taylor
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Comedy of Terrors (1964)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.5/10 · 7,334 votes
MPAA: Approved

Also by

Jacques Tourneur

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wiccaburr2020-10-05
★ 8/10
This was quite the fun and good movie. I'm loving Vincent Price as an undertaker. The movie from start to finish is crazy. Especially the finale of the movie. It was hard who was stealing the show, everyone was doing some great performances in this horror comedy. It might not be for everyone but this was right up my alley. Let's not forget Cleopatra (the cat) in this movie. Definitely worth watching if you want some spooky atmosphere with your dark comedy.

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