Vincent Price took audiences through a watered down set of three Nathaniel Hawthorne stories in 1963's Twice Told Tales. The title comes from a book of short stories by Hawthorne, though only one of the three filmed actually comes from that volume. All three filmed stories lack the moral subterfuge of the originals but they have lovely production design and Price is always, well, priceless.
The first story, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", substitutes the original story's chaotic moral landscape of sinners with a simpler morality tale in which the doctor's discovery of a fountain of youth leads to him being smacked down by fate. His best friend, played by Price, is only now revealed to be a rival lover of Heidegger's resurrected fiancee. Jealousy and violence ensue, and everyone is punished for tampering in God's domain.
Next is "Rappacini's Daughter". Price plays Rappacini and Joyce Taylor his daughter. This one's actually not so different from the original though, as lovely as Taylor and the production design are, they can't match the lovely, perverted romanticism of Hawthorne's prose.
Finally, Price plays the man intent on unlocking the mystery of "The House of the Seven Gables". Apparently Price starred in another adaptation of this Hawthorne novel back in 1940. I'd like to see that one. This one still has that lovely 1960s Vincent Price lustre but is needlessly rushed to fit the anthology format.
It's a fun little anthology film that would pair well with Milk Duds and a make-out session.
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