The devilish apex of Roger Corman’s many Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH is both vibrant and vicious. Vincent Price takes his villainous role as Prince Prospero to new heights, turning in a career-best performance as a man living in 12th century decadence and debauchery while the nearby village succumbs to a foretold plague, “The Red Death.” The great Nicolas Roeg serves as cinematographer, capturing Prospero’s devotion to Satan in flamboyant reds, blues, and yellows that roar across the screen, perfectly complementing Corman’s expertly woven ebb and flow between horror and fantasy.
The 4K restoration of THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH was based on the 35mm original picture negative, on loan to the Academy Film Archive from MGM Studios, a 35mm British Technicolor print, and the 35mm original sound elements. Missing censored scenes from the American release were replaced using shots from a 35mm Technicolor print from the Dante/Davison Collection at the Academy Film Archive. Scanning and image restoration was completed by Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank. The audio was restored by Audio Mechanics in Burbank.
Restored by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
Presented in The Film Foundation Restoration Screening Room Courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios.
Tessa Idlewine Interview
Before/After Image Gallery
Before/After Restoration Demo
Catholic Legion of Decency Correspondence
*Courtesy of the Catholic University Archives, Office of Film and Broadcasting Collection
US Continuity Script With Notes
Hazel Court in THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
Video Extras
Director Roger Corman discusses his Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, including THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM and THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH for the BFI via YouTube.
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH - Q&A with Roger Corman for The Glasgow FIlm Festival via YouTube.
Jeremy Isaacs interviews Roger Corman on Face to Face. From 24th May 1990. Via YouTube.
Vincent Price interview with British chat show host Terry Wogan from 1982. Via YouTube.
Episode of CUNY TV's Day at Night featuring Vincent Price, actor and horror star. Via YouTube.
Vincent Price appearance with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, Sept. 27th, 1973. Via YouTube.
The Official Trailer for THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH via YouTube.
TCM Intro for THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH via YouTube.
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
READING LIST (BOOKS)
How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime, Roger Corman, Da Capo Press, 1998
Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography, Victoria Price, Dover Publications, 2018
Roger Corman: Interviews, Roger Corman, University Press of Mississippi, 2012
Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy, Vincent Price, Calla Editions, 2017
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
READING LIST (ONLINE)
"'The House Is the Monster': Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle" by Geoffrey O'Brien for Criterion
Roger Corman's Top 10 for The Criterion Collection
"'Death Has No Master' – Roger Corman and The Masque of the Red Death" for Senses of Cinema
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
THE FILM FOUNDATION ON LETTERBOXD
TK
Presented in The Film Foundation Restoration Screening Room in October 2023 in partnership with the Academy Film Archive, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, and STUDIOCANAL.
