Roger Corman decided to do an H.P. Lovecraft story as a break from his Edgar Allan Poe series while keeping the elements that made it successful. American-International took no chances. It gave the film a Poe title and marketed it as another in the series.
The title derives from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe which is contained within the text of his classic short story "The Fall Of The House Of Usher," where the ruined palace serves as a metaphor for the mind of the protagonist, Roderick Usher. Roger Corman had, of course, filmed "The Fall Of The House Of Usher" (with Vincent Price as Roderick) in 1960, the first film in his Poe series.
This film represents the first time that a literary work by H.P. Lovecraft was adapted for the screen. The author completed it in 1927, but it was not published until after his death.
The last theatrical film appearance of Debra Paget.
Despite appearances, Lon Chaney Jr. was not that much older than Vincent Price. They were born only five years apart, Chaney in 1906 and Price in 1911. Chaney's much older appearance is partially due to makeup, but also due to poor health and rough living. Chaney would pass away ten years after this film, while Price lived another thirty.
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