The Tomb of Ligeia (Tomb of the Cat) poster & wallpaper
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Vincent Price, Elizabeth Shepherd, John Westbrook, Oliver Johnston, Derek Francis ... see more see more... , Richard Vernon , Ronald Adam , Denis Gilmore , Penelope Lee , Frank Thornton , Richard Johnson

Once again Vincent Price stars for director Roger Corman in The Tomb of Ligeia, the last of Corman's eight Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, a film graced by a script by Robert Towne and moody cinematograp... read more read more...hy by Nicolas Roeg. Price has the creepy lead role of Verden Fell. In 1821, when Verden's wife Ligeia (Elizabeth Shepherd) dies, she is buried in a churchyard, despite the parson's objections that she can't be buried there since she isn't a Christian. Before the grave is closed, abetted by the screech of a black cat, Ligeia eyes shoot open, startling Verden, who becomes convinced that she is not dead. Months later, Lady Rowena (also played by Shepherd) is thrown from her horse and lands at the foot of Ligeia's grave. Verden tends to her and soon falls in love with her. They marry and move into Verden's gloomy Gothic abbey, where Rowena begins to have strange dreams involving Ligeia and a black cat. One night she awakens to discover a dead fox in her bed. When Ligeia's grave is exhumed, instead of Ligeia's corpse, a wax figure is discovered. Then Rowena finds, to her horror, Verden in the arms of his dead wife in a hidden room of the abbey. Having hypnotized Verden before she died, Ligeia had Verden convinced she will live forever. Verden, now possessed by the spirit of his dead wife, takes a torch to the abbey, trapping himself and Rowena in the flaming conflagration. But Christopher (John Westbrook), an admirer of Rowena, endeavors to rescue Rowena from the flames. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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65% liked it

1,187 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

7 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Roger Corman

Release Date: January 20, 1965

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Stats: 104 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (104)

  • flixsterman
    February 6, 2012
    flixsterman
    Nice paring of legends Vincent Price and Roger Corman. Solid '60's Gothic horror.
  • ajv2688
    December 5, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is one of my favourite Corman movies and favourite Price movies. Plus, it's got a cat, I love cats. I love the story too, it's very much like Poe's stories. And it has great atmosphere. I highly recommend it.
  • RCCLBC
    December 31, 2008
    RCCLBC
    All things considered...a very polished looking film. Based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

    Vincent Price is delightfully morose as poor Verden Fell. A widower who (along with his new bride) is haunted by the memory(?) of his deceased(?) wife.

    One of the better Cor... read moreman films in my opinion. Full of creepy fun, cheap scares and over the top acting.

    Oh and an omnipresent "FLYING" cat...can't forget the omnipresent flying cat!
  • rubystevens
    October 30, 2008
    rubystevens
    a really creepy poe adaptation with vincent price as a man whose dead wife won't give him any peace. good performance by elizabeth shepherd as the unlucky woman who marries him. great gothic atmosphere. one of the better corman films i've seen though less known than the pit an... read mored the pendulum and house of usher
  • newvogueravyn
    January 6, 2008
    newvogueravyn
    Really enjoyed this. Sexy, creepy and very stylishly done.
  • thirdway821
    June 6, 2011
    thirdway821
    This is my first Roger Corman picture I have seen. The Tomb Of Ligeia left me with the feeling of eerie dread. Corman makes useful touches of gothic hell and brimstone. Vincent Price plays as Verdon a lonely man who's wife named Ligeia died and he seems to have an obsession or ha... read moreunted by her death. There is annoyance of a dark cat who keeps lurking around the mansion of abbey and taunting Verdon and his new wife Rowena Trevanion played by Elizabeth Sheperd.

    TTOL is often slow and at times was difficult for me to follow. I pretty much knew that this was Corman's intent since he was saving the best for last, and is it ever striking. Corman makes very good use of location, color, sets, camera tracking shots, swish pans, and cast. Corman's picture lacks in character development but he makes it up in the visual department which in my opinion is somewhat key.
  • fb33703014
    December 18, 2011
    fb33703014
    One of Corman's best - it's actually very stylish (not Bava level but close), he really knows how to use the camera to get some atmosphere going just in some of the outdoor scenes, and he somehow gets a cat to be scary - maybe the last time? A script by Robert Towne probably wen... read moret a long way, but Price is very good here too (isn't he always?) and he has a few really awesome scenes with Elizabeth Shepherd, chiefly one where he hypnotizes her and the spirit of his dead love comes back into her in a flash. Almost on par with Masque of the Red Death, which is still the best of the Poe movies, but this has a lot going for it.
  • mkatchan
    November 4, 2007
    mkatchan
    Very creepy adaptation of Poe's poem by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price as a man tormented by his dead wife. A lot of what you;d expect from a Corman/Poe film (stylish though low budget), but with some great thrills.

View All The Tomb of Ligeia (Tomb of the Cat) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tim Brayton
November 2, 2011
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

An excellent conclusion to the [AIP Poe] cycle, and a fine achievement of penny-pinching filmmaking of the sort that Corman did better than anyone else. Full Review

Mark Bourne
April 5, 2006
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com

...visually sumptuous as the fetid ambience of English ruins such as Stonehenge and a 900-year-old abbey fills every widescreen inch.... Price [is] the romantic lead and the (admirably restrained) ves... Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 23, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

interesting in a morbid sort of way. Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
February 12, 2005
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com

A creepy and atmospheric ghost movie. Full Review

Matt Bailey
October 22, 2004
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

This was the last of Corman's Poe films, but it is clear that the well of ideas had not run dry. Full Review

Howard Thompson
May 10, 2005
Howard Thompson, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 3, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Thomas Delapa
April 28, 2005
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly

No review available.

June 12, 2004
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

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