House of Usher (also known as The Fall of the House of Usher and The Mysterious House of Usher) is a 1960 American horror film directed by Roger Corman and written by Richard Matheson from the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. The film was the first of American International Pictures#List of Corman-Poe films and stars Vincent Price, Myrna Fahey, Mark Damon and Harry Ellerbe.
In 2005, the film was listed with the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." On August 6, 2010, BRIC Arts presented the film in Prospect Park (Brooklyn) with a new score and psychedelic overlays and flashforwards by Marco Benevento in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary. Versions exist on DVD with running times between 76 and 80 minutes.

Plot

Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) travels to the House of Usher, a desolate mansion surrounded by a murky swamp, to meet his fiancée Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey). Madeline's brother Roderick (Vincent Price) opposes Philip's intentions, telling the young man that the Usher family is afflicted by a cursed bloodline which has driven all their ancestors to madness. Roderick foresees the family evils being propagated into future generations with a marriage to Madeline and vehemently discourages the union. Philip becomes increasingly desperate to take Madeline away; she agrees to leave with him, desperate to get away from her brother.
During a heated argument with her brother, Madeline suddenly dies and is laid to rest in the family crypt beneath the house. As Philip is preparing to leave following the entombment, the butler, Bristol (Harry Ellerbe), lets slip that Madeline suffered from catalepsy, a condition which can make its sufferers appear dead.
Philip rips open Madeline's coffin and finds it empty. He desperately searches for her in the winding passages of the crypt but she eludes him and confronts her brother. Now completely insane, Madeline avenges herself upon the brother who knowingly Premature burial. Both die as a fire breaks out, and Philip escapes and watches the burning house sink into the swampy land surrounding it. The film ends with the final words of Poe: "...and the deep and dank tarn closed sullenly and silently over the fragments of the 'House of Usher'".

Cast

• Vincent Price as Roderick Usher
• Mark Damon as Philip Winthrop
• Myrna Fahey as Madeline Usher
• Harry Ellerbe as Bristol

Production

The film was important in the history of American International Pictures which up until then had specialised in making low budget black and white films to go out on double bills.

Differences

The film differs from the short story in significant ways. In the short story:

1. the unnamed narrator (Philip in the film) is Roderick's friend, not Madeline's fiancée.
2. Bristol is not mentioned.
3. Madeline does not attack Roderick, but falls on him, and they instantly die.
4. the house does not burn, but breaks in two before sinking.

See also

• American International Pictures#List of Corman-Poe films
• Midnite Movies

Further reading

Horror Films by Alan Frank

Category:1960 films
Category:1960 horror films
Category:English-language films
Category:American horror films
Category:Films based on The Fall of the House of Usher
Category:Films directed by Roger Corman
Category:American International Pictures films
Category:Gothic horror films
Category:Screenplays by Richard Matheson
Category:United States National Film Registry films