The Raven (1935)

The Raven is a 1935 American horror film directed by Louis Friedlander and starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film is based on Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 homonymous poem, featuring Lugosi as a Poe-obssessed mad surgeon with a torture chamber in his basement and Karloff as a fugitive murderer on the run from the police.

Plot

After Jean Thatcher (Ware) has been injured in a car accident, her father, Judge Thatcher, (Hinds) and beau, Jerry (Matthews) implore retired surgeon, Dr. Richard Vollin (Lugosi) to perform a delicate operation to restore her to health. Vollin's insensitivity to human suffering at first refuses, as just then he was too busy negotiating the sale of his Edgar Allan Poe book collection to admit distraction. But a personal visit by Judge Thatcher, who frantically relates to him that in the opinion of Vollin's former hospital colleagues, only Vollin has the brilliance to perform the operation successfully, eventually pleases his vanity enough to change his mind; he saves her life. He befriends the spirited and grateful Jean, in the process revealing his passion for all things related to Edgar Allan Poe, including his homemade collection of torture devices inspired by Poe's works (such as a pit, pendulum with crescent razor, shrinking room, etc.), and identifying the raven as his talisman.

Vollin's increasing attentions to Jean, and her increasing admiration for him, convinces her Father to try and discourage Vollin from jeopardizing her engagement to Jerry. Angered, Vollin hatches a plan when Edmond Bateman, (Karloff, a murderer on the run), comes to his home asking for a new face so that he may live in anonymity. Vollin admits to not being a plastic surgeon, but says he can help Bateman, and asks him to help in exacting revenge on Judge Thatcher, which he refuses. Bateman explains that he feels his violent personality is a result of his having been called ugly all his life, and he hopes a new face may gave him a chance to reform. Vollin performs the surgery, but instead turns Bateman into a disfigured monster, promising only to operate again on Bateman when Vollin's revenge is exacted. Bateman finally reluctantly agrees.

Vollin hosts a dinner party, among which Jean, Jerry, and the Judge are guests. Some are subjected to Poe-inspired traps; others are silenced by sleeping powders. Ultimately, Bateman is shot by Vollin as he rescues Jean and Jerry, but throws Vollin into the shrinking room where he perishes. The guests escape.