Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This 8-minute animated version "The Tell-Tale Heart" was nominated for an Oscar in the 1950s, but lost to Disney's music lesson. It comes from United Productions of America, which is not really a name to many anymore, but also created many Mr. Magoo short films for example, a quite established and prolific company back in the day. The famous story is written by Edgar Allen Poe and narrated by James Mason shortly before his first Oscar nomination for "A Star is Born". The animation is pretty odd, occasionally creepy, but as a whole I wasn't really as scared as I hoped I would when watching this short movie. I wonder if people back in the 50s felt otherwise.I thought the parts with the evil eye and the beating heart could have been construed in more frightening manner. Mason did a fine job though in conveying the character's state of mind and my favorite was the comment early on on how the insane never realize their defective state of mind. Without him, it would have been even worse. I just wish the animation could have been better. It's simple (not necessary a bad thing if executed convincingly) and repetitive and does not do the story justice. Only one to watch for the biggest Poe enthusiasts and animation lovers.

bbowman-7 I saw this short back in 1953 when I was just a kid. Had nightmares about it for a long time after. I haven't seen it since and have always wondered why. Was there some reason it was taken out of circulation? The mood and atmosphere with the juxtaposition of UPA animation (cartoons in those days-mostly associated with Mr.Magoo and Gerald McBoing Boing.) and thriller-style mood piece was groundbreaking. Since then I've been a fan of Poe's and especially that story. If anyone knows where it is or how I might see it again I'd love to know where I could get a copy. Anyone? Pleeeez? Is there other thriller-type animation out there? (No I'm not talking about Scooby Doo!)

José Luis Rivera Mendoza (jluis1984) United Productions of America, one of the most original and ground-breaking animation studios of the U.S., achieved the peak of their "limited animation" style (an abstract style that champions symbolism over realism) with this short film based on Edgar Allan Poe's famous short story of the same name. With their minimalistic approach to animation and their total dedication to the art, this small company changed American animation forever and the magnitude of its influential was felt many decades after its creation."The Tell-Tale Heart" is the story of a man (voiced by James Mason) consumed by a bizarre and sick obsession with his old landlord's "strange" eye. An obsession that will take the man to murder the old man and hide the body, but the horrors are not finished with that. It's a story of madness and obsession told from the point of view of the madman who calmly retells his story and how he reached that state of insanity.In barely 8 minutes the short film captures the haunting atmosphere of the Gothic novel and Poe's tale of madness becomes vivid with fluid animation and frightening images of chaos reflecting the madman's mind. The limited animation technique used by UPA never found itself more at home that here, where its artistic conception can (and is) explored to its max creating the image of a real painting in movement. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is so beautifully conceived and so perfectly crafted that it feels as if one was truly watching the dark dreams of a psycho.Now, James Mason's voice-work is what truly takes this film from high class art to masterpiece proportions, as basically the film revolves around his first person narrative. Every line is delivered with a deep emotion that conveys the narrator's frightful experience with amazing believability. Writers Bill Scott & Fred Grable, as well as director Ted Parmelee and the rest of UPA's team crafted one of animation's finest films when they did "The Tell-Tale Heart", a very different animated experience.Maybe nowadays UPA's achievements have been overshadowed by the many other studios that had more commercial success, but their influence is not forgotten. This terrific short film is without a doubt a classic of animation and a masterpiece of the horror genre, a film that must be seen at least once. 10/10

Anyanwu I don't know how this one does not rate a 10. Outside of the Exorcist it is the only movie/film that really scared me. James Mason is masterful in this animated re-telling of the Poe classic. The still animated style and use of shadow and eery music is too good. I have to own this and show it to my kids when i get some. In the dark, there is nothing scarier than Poe.