Thriller,Comedy,Horror,Mystery
United States of America
1) The first story is based on Poe's short story "William Wilson." In the film, Peter Lorre plays a man named Montresor Herringbone who is haunted by the ghost of his doppelganger, William Wilson. Wilson had seduced Montresor's wife, leading to her death, and now Montresor is consumed with revenge. He finds Wilson's daughter, who has grown into a beautiful young woman, and takes her home with him, intending to use her to get back at Wilson. However, as the two spend more time together, Montresor begins to feel genuine affection for her. In the end, Wilson's ghost appears and kills Montresor, but the daughter is able to escape.
2) The second story is based on Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." In the film, Vincent Price plays a wine-tasting champion named Fortunato Luchresi who is challenged to a competition by a derelict named Montresor Herringbone (played by Peter Lorre). Montresor claims to have discovered a rare vintage of amontillado, and the two men set off to a wine cellar to taste it. Along the way, Montresor becomes jealous of the attention Fortunato pays to his wife (played by Joyce Jameson) and decides to wall him up in the cellar. In a twist ending, it is revealed that Montresor was hallucinating the entire time and was actually drinking vinegar.
3) The third story is based on Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar." In the film, Basil Rathbone plays a dying man named Carmichael who agrees to be hypnotized at the moment of death by a doctor named Valdemar (played by Vincent Price). The experiment is a success, and Carmichael is able to communicate from beyond the grave through Valdemar's hypnotic trance. However, when Valdemar tries to end the trance, he finds that Carmichael's soul has become trapped in the hypnotic state and cannot be released. The film ends with Valdemar screaming in horror as he realizes what he has unleashed.
