The Comedy of Terrors (The Graveside Story) (1964)

86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(620 ratings)

On the verge of bankruptcy, undertaker Vincent Price hits upon a novel method of drumming up business. Together with his cringing assistant Peter Lorre, Price sneaks into the homes of wealthy old men under cover of night and smothers the sleeping occupants to death--then collects a hefty commission… More On the verge of bankruptcy, undertaker Vincent Price hits upon a novel method of drumming up business. Together with his cringing assistant Peter Lorre, Price sneaks into the homes of wealthy old men under cover of night and smothers the sleeping occupants to death--then collects a hefty commission when the victims' relatives come calling. At home, Price is continually frustrated in his efforts to poison his senile father-in-law Boris Karloff, who owns the undertaking business. Meanwhile, Price's neglected wife Barbara Nichols takes quite a shine to the shy Lorre. The homicidal undertaker's best-laid schemes go terribly agley when his latest "customer," wealthy Basil Rathbone, doggedly refuses to stay dead. Joe E. Brown has a cameo as a cockney graveyard attendant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Jacques Tourneur
Written By: Richard Matheson
Genres: Horror, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 22, 1964 Limited
On DVD: Aug 29, 1995
Studio: American International Picture

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's hard to believe, but the horror spoof goes under despite this awesome cast.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
The film is grand slapstick, and the performances are funnier the more often you see it.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
There's some terrific comic interplay, and director Jacques Tourneur (Night of the Demon) keeps it all looking good and moving forward. Nonetheless, this is an 84-minute film spun from 42 minutes worth of material.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
MGM's "Midnite Movies" double-feature disc delivers both films in their original 2.35:1 (anamorphic). They look marvelous. Each shows off rich color and exquisite, nearly flawless prints. Audio comes in DD 2.0 monaural that's perfectly strong and clear.
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
You can't go wrong with the creepy combo of Price, Lorre, Rathbone, and Rhubarb the Cat!
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Some of it is a little forced -- all of it is marred by the typically overbearing Les Baxter musical score -- but it's a lot of fun.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Harmless and silly slapstick comedy bolstered by a who's-who cast of horror legends.
Pierluigi P

Richard Matheson showing again (after the excellent "The Crow") his talents in comedy, writing for four legends of horror cinema, all members of Roger Corman's troupe of Poe adaptations, but here directed by the other old master Jacques Tourneur.
AJ V

Another fantastic movie with Price from the 60s, it's a black comedy with the perfect cast for the genre: Price, Lorre, Karloff, and Rathbone. This movie is hilarious, it's one of my favourite movies, and I highly recommend it.
Robert C

While the premise is fun and the cast is impressive...the laughs are few and far between. Most of them revolving around Peter Lorre, the perfect horror film "side-kick" / comedy "straight man". Not a GREAT film, but fun for fans of classic horror. It did leave… More
While the premise is fun and the cast is impressive...the laughs are few and far between. Most of them revolving around Peter Lorre, the perfect horror film "side-kick" / comedy "straight man". Not a GREAT film, but fun for fans of classic horror. It did leave me with one BURNING question: "Who is/was Beverly Hills"?
Anthony V

Not as good as The Raven, but does have its moments.