Entertaining

Comedy/horror starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, and Boris Karloff, directed by Jacques Tourneur (Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie). Price and Lorre are undertakers, who turn to creating their own 'customers' when business is slow. Rathbone is the ruthless landlord to whom they owe considerable back-rent, whilst Karloff is the original owner of the business - and Price's father-in-law. The plot almost writes itself, and plays out rather like a traditional 'Whitehall farce', with lots of running from room to room and tripping over each other. Cinematography (by Floyd Crosby) is impressive, from dark, fog-shrouded cemeteries to gaudy mansion interiors. The four leads are clearly having fun, whilst co-stars Joyce Jameson and the spectacular Beverly Hills (seriously!) look like finalists in that year's 'Miss Heaving Cleavage' contest (ably assisted by costume and camerawork). It's predictable, but it's fun watching these legends. 6/10