I saw this movie years ago and bought the DVD. It is NOT a horror film but a slick, quirky comedy about a wife-hating, drunken, slothful mortician [superbly played by Price] and his meek, incompetent, wife-coveting assistant [the brilliant Peter Lorre]. As I recall, it was written by the master Richard Matheson. Very dry humor. Not mentioned in the cast here is Joyce Jameson as Price's much maligned wife. She is an aspiring opera singer with a voice of a chain saw! Boris Karloff is very funny as her deaf father. The incredible Basil Rathbone plays the potential "next customer" for the funeral home and that proves to be a hilarious series of lessons in how not to commit a murder. This is a rare gem of a film, not only because of the unusual story but also because of the fantastic cast in such unexpected roles. Give it a try for your own pleasure!

A nice dark comedy about a couple of people who run a funeral home and kill people just to get more customers. It ends up being very amusing, with a lot of chaotic mischief. Really great for a cheesy old film.

This is the original Scary Movie lol.

Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone all in one movie. Need I say more?

I've been looking for this movie for quite some time. I'm so glad I found it here. I love the dark humor, and it's great star studded cast.

I have no idea how I missed this! I must have been put off by the title. It's a rare treat to discover something of this quality, with this much mainstream appeal, and an all star cast to boot, at my age! As The Raven is one of my favorite fantasy films, the pleasure is doubled! The effortless chemistry and talent of the cast is a sensual delight. I thought the singing shtick went on a bit long and loud, but that's a minor quibble. There is a wickedly adult undercurrent to the story. The "reanimation" sequences could easily have been influential to the Cohen Bro's brand of cascading slapstick horribleness. I hope that all fans of film making, acting, and storytelling give this a chance.

Some trivia concerning "Comedy of Terrors"
(1) This movie stands as one of a handful of films to feature such a fanciful gathering of horror greats, namely Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone (with Joe E. Brown an inspired bonus).
(2) The actions of the main characters may have been inspired (in part) by a series of real-life murders. In 1827, Irish immigrants William Burke and William Hare killed a number of people by smothering them, then sold their corpses to medical colleges for dissection. The technique became known as "burking", meaning to suffocate, or compress the chest of the victim until dead.
(3) At one point in the film, Mr. Trumble (Vincent Price) is startled by an eerie portrait of his father-in-law (Boris Karloff), which he sees in a flash of lightening. The portrait is a cinematic nod to Karloff's appearance in the horror trilogy, "Black Sabbath".
(5) Price, Karloff and Lorre also appeared in "The Raven", an off-the-wall spoof of the Edgar Allen Poe poem by the same name. The film also features a young actor destined to become one of the most memorable performers of our time: Jack Nicholson. (Nicholson also co-starred with Karloff in "The Terror").
(6) Karloff was originally slated to portray the Shakespeare-spouting Mr. Black but his illness (arthritis) prevented him from taking on the vigorous role.
(7) You can catch glimpses of Vincent Price' stunt double during the dueling scene with Peter Lorre.
(7) Favorite Line: "He not only collects curious objects Madame, he also fathered one."
Discussions, additions or corrections to any items posted here are welcome. Many thanks to Hulu for resurrecting this comedy classic.

Great humor and a great cast. It's comedy full of some the greatest horror movie stars ever. I love the names on the tombstones: Dan Polecat and Julian Ruffskin.