What Is The Comedy of Terrors About?
The premise of The Comedy of Terrors in 341 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the fog‑shrouded town of New Gilead, late‑century New England feels both respectable and oddly untamed. The cobbled streets wind past a lone funeral parlor that has become the reluctant heart of the community, its dark windows reflecting a world where propriety and the macabre sit uneasy together. The film bathes this setting in a richly textured palette of soot‑gray houses and flickering lanterns, letting the absurdity of everyday life seep through the solemn veneer of mourning. A dry, wry humor underlies every exchange, hinting that even the gravest of trades can become a source of chaos when desperation takes hold.
Waldo Trumbull is the proprietor of the somber establishment, a charismatic yet hopelessly inept undertaker whose debts loom larger than the coffins he tends. His marriage to the sharp‑tongued Amaryllis, daughter of his former partner, crackles with tension; arguments flare over money, dignity, and the future of a business that has seen better days. Waldo’s charm is matched only by his penchant for indulgence, and his constant battle to keep the books balanced fuels a restless energy that propels the story forward.
Enter Felix Gillie, a clever former escapee hired as an assistant whose nervous hands and quick mind bring a jittery pulse to the mortuary’s routine. His secret affection for Amaryllis adds a layer of uneasy affection, while his uneasy partnership with Waldo creates a comedy of errors that spirals beyond simple mishaps. Overhead, the looming threat of eviction embodied by the stern landlord John F. Black casts a shadow that forces the characters to contemplate unconventional solutions, each one more wildly improbable than the last.
Together, this ragtag ensemble walks a tightrope between grim business and slapstick calamity. Their interactions carve a tone that is both darkly comic and oddly tender, inviting the audience to watch as ordinary concerns—rent, reputation, romance—inflate into a night of spectacularly absurd entanglements. The film revels in the tension between the solemn and the ridiculous, promising a story where every creaking floorboard and whispered quip could tip the balance toward hilarity or horror.
What Happens in The Comedy of Terrors?
The complete story of The Comedy of Terrors, from the first scene to the last, in 635 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 8 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In the New England town of New Gilead in the late 19th century, a scheming funeral parlor life lies at the heart of a grim tale. Waldo Trumbull, Vincent Price, is an unscrupulous drunkard who has taken over the business from his former partner, Amos Hinchley Boris Karloff. Trumbull’s marriage to Hinchley’s daughter, Amaryllis Joyce Jameson, is strained and unhappy, fed by loud arguments and threats. To shore up his operation, Trumbull hires a former fugitive, the cunning picklock Felix Gillie Peter Lorre, as his unreliable assistant. Together they run a sham operation that proudly tows the line between respectability and murder, reusing the firm’s sole coffin to save money while quietly killing wealthy residents to up the funeral business.
The façade of success begins to crumble as Trumbull grows abusive toward Amaryllis and schemes to hasten an inheritance by poisoning her senile father, deceitfully telling him the medicine is something beneficial. Gillie, who is secretly in love with Amaryllis, makes clumsy passes at her in a bid for her affection, but she remains loyal to Waldo, who spends more on alcohol than on keeping the business afloat. As Trumbull’s greed gnaws away at the practice, the rent piles up and eviction threats loom, delivered by his landlord John F. Black Basil Rathbone. In a bid to placate debt collectors and secure continued business, Trumbull murders a wealthy shipping magnate and arranges for funeral services for the heirs, yet the magnate’s widow soon disappears with her husband’s fortune, leaving Trumbull poorer and more desperate than before.
After one last demand for payment, Trumbull dispatches Gillie to eliminate Black. The would-be assassin flees when Black awakens, swinging a sword and reciting Shakespeare as if in a fever dream; the act leaves Black momentarily dead from a heart attack, and a physician, Douglas Williams, pronounces him dead despite a servant’s warning that Black has suffered periods of death-like sleep before. Trumbull and Gillie haul Black to the mortuary, where a crucial twist unfolds: Amaryllis’ cat Cleopatra Orangey the Cat awakens Black, preventing him from escaping, and he suffers another heart attack. When Black finally revives, Trumbull knocks him unconscious and the funeral proceeds with the family none the wiser—Black is placed in his own crypt as if he never stirred.
That night, Trumbull revels in his supposed profits, counting the fruit of his murderous scheme while Gillie makes a second, crude bid for Amaryllis’s affection. She resists him, but then decides to run away with Gillie, leaving Waldo to plot anew. Fate, however, has other plans: Black awakens, breaks free from the tomb, and stalks into the parlor brandishing an axe. Amaryllis faints, and a chaotic chase ensues around the house. Gillie slips and tumbles down a flight of stairs, losing consciousness, while Waldo shoots Black. The final Shakespearean monologue comes from Black as he dies, a grim reminder of the world’s fickle justice.
Amaryllis regains consciousness and suspects Gillie has died at Waldo’s hand; she threatens to call the police, prompting Waldo to strangle her in a last, desperate attempt to protect his lie. Gillie awakens and, convinced that Waldo has murdered Amaryllis, turns on Waldo with a sword. A brutal struggle ends with Waldo striking Gillie down with a poker, while Black’s loyal servant Luree Holmes arrives, witnesses the carnage, and calls the authorities. Exhausted and defeated, Waldo collapses as Amaryllis and Gillie, battered but alive, revive and flee together.
In the aftermath, Hinchley—who had slept through most of the night—drinks from a vial he mislabels as a cure and watches Waldo slip away into death, realizing too late that he has consumed his own poison. The final odd note comes as Cleopatra—the cat—approaches Black, who suffers an allergic reaction to her presence, a macabre, almost cruelly comic coda to a night of lethal ambition.
The Comedy of Terrors Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Trumbull inherits a funeral parlor and plots profits” to “Cleopatra's final act and Black’s fate”. 13 events name a place, across 10 locations.
- 1
Trumbull inherits a funeral parlor and plots profits
In New Gilead's late 19th-century town, Waldo Trumbull runs a funeral parlor he bought from Amos Hinchley. He is abusive toward his wife Amaryllis and intends to fatten the business by murdering wealthy residents. He enlists fugitive Gillie to help him, hoping the duo can maximize profits by reusing coffins.
When:Late 19th century Where:New Gilead, Trumbull's funeral parlor
- 2
Gillie joins the firm and harbors feelings for Amaryllis
Gillie agrees to work with Trumbull, drawn by money and opportunity. He is secretly in love with Amaryllis and makes awkward attempts to seduce her. Amaryllis remains loyal to Trumbull, resisting Gillie's advances.
When:Late 19th century Where:Funeral parlor
- 3
Poison scheme to hasten inheritance
Trumbull schemes to poison Hinchley by disguising the poison as medicine. He hopes Hinchley's death will fast-track the inheritance he craves through Hinchley's daughter. The plan reveals his willingness to kill to secure wealth.
When:Late 19th century Where:Hinchley's residence
- 4
Threat of eviction and first murder
Facing eviction by landlord John F. Black for overdue rent, Trumbull murders a wealthy shipping magnate to generate funeral business. The magnate's heirs seek his services, but the widow absconds with the fortune, leaving Trumbull unpaid.
When:Evening Where:Parlor / mansion
- 5
Gillie sent to kill Black; near-miss encounter
After another rent demand, Trumbull sends Gillie to murder Black. Gillie finds Black awake and swinging a sword while reciting Shakespeare, and he flees in fear. Black's theatrical display heightens the danger in the plan.
When:Night Where:Black's residence
- 6
Black dies, revived by Cleopatra, then placed in crypt
Trumbull and Gillie transport Black to the mortuary, believing him dead. Amaryllis' cat Cleopatra awakens Black, allowing him to revive briefly. He suffers another heart attack; Trumbull knocks him unconscious and places him in the family crypt, the funeral proceeding as if Black were truly dead.
When:Night Where:Mortuary and family crypt
- 7
Profit, intoxication, and Amaryllis's plan to run away
Trumbull revels in his profits and drinks to excess. Gillie makes another crude attempt to seduce Amaryllis, who, exhausted by the deceit, finally resolves to run away with Gillie.
When:Post-funeral Where:Parlor
- 8
Black awakens, escapes tomb, chaos returns
Black awakens, escapes his tomb, and enters the parlor wielding an axe. He chases Trumbull and Gillie, while Amaryllis faints from the abrupt upheaval. The decayed conspiracy erupts into frantic pursuit through the house.
When:Midnight Where:Parlor / Mortuary vicinity
- 9
Gillie falls; Trumbull shoots Black; Shakespearean death
Gillie falls down a flight of stairs and lies unconscious. Trumbull shoots Black, who delivers a final Shakespearean monologue before dying. The house descends into chaotic silence after the fatal shot.
When:Evening (aftermath of pursuit) Where:House
- 10
Amaryllis confronts Trumbull; Gillie fights back
Amaryllis awakens, believing Gillie dead at Trumbull's hands, and threatens to call the police. Trumbull strangles her; Gillie awakens and attacks with a sword, but Trumbull ends the fight by striking him down with a poker.
When:After Black's death Where:House
Show the other 3 events of The Comedy of Terrors Hide the last 3 events
- 11
Police arrive as the chaos concludes
Black's servant arrives, sees the carnage, and informs the police. Trumbull collapses from exhaustion, and Amaryllis and Gillie seize a chance to flee together, leaving the doomed scheme behind.
When:Police arrival Where:House
- 12
Hinchley’s medicine proves fatal to Trumbull
Hinchley slept through the turmoil but later tries to revive Trumbull with a vial of his own 'medicine'. Realizing it is poison, Trumbull drinks it and dies. Hinchley is left to confront the consequences of his complicity in the murders.
When:Final scene Where:Parlor
- 13
Cleopatra's final act and Black’s fate
Cleopatra the cat approaches Black, who has an allergic reaction to her. The closing moment hints at a macabre irony amid the survivors' escape. The cat remains an uncanny witness to the night's killings and near-misses.
When:Ending Where:Mortuary/crypt vicinity
Who Are the Main Characters in The Comedy of Terrors?
6 characters, among them Waldo Trumbull (Vincent Price), Felix Gillie (Peter Lorre) and Amos Hinchley (Boris Karloff): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Waldo Trumbull (Vincent Price)
Played by Vincent Price
A ruthless funeral parlor owner who blends charm with coercion. He hustles money through dubious practices, abuses his daughter Amaryllis, and schemes to increase profits by murdering clients. His obsession with wealth drives the plot and his downfall becomes inevitable as the body count rises.
- 💰 Greed
- 🔪 Violence
- 🗣️ Manipulation
-
Felix Gillie (Peter Lorre)
Played by Peter Lorre
A fugitive picklock turned Waldo's assistant who moonlights as a would-be seducer of Amaryllis. He is in love with her but inept at winning her heart, and his loyalty to Waldo complicates his conscience. He participates in the schemes and adds a layer of doomed romantic misadventure.
- 💰 Greed
- 🗣️ Manipulation
- 🔪 Violence
-
Amos Hinchley (Boris Karloff)
Played by Boris Karloff
Amid his senile condition, Hinchley is Waldo's former business partner and Amaryllis's father. His fragile state makes the inheritance scheme more volatile, and he becomes the pawn at the center of a deadly financial web.
- 👴 Age
- 💰 Inheritance
- 🕵️ Manipulation
-
John F. Black (Basil Rathbone)
Played by Basil Rathbone
A stern landlord who threatens eviction for overdue rent and ends up entangled in Waldo's murder plot. His sudden heart attacks and apparent death drive the funeral business’s perverse humor and chaos until he is eventually restrained.
- 🏛️ Authority
- 🗡️ Danger
- 💀 Death
- AT
Amaryllis Trumbull (Joyce Jameson)
Played by Joyce Jameson
Waldo's daughter who endures his abuse and resists his plans, considering eloping with Gillie before eventually choosing to run away with him. Her arc centers on autonomy within a coercive marriage and the lure of escape.
- 💔 Love
- 🧭 Escape
- 🕊️ Independence
- C(
Cleopatra (Orangey the Cat)
Played by Orangey the Cat
The household cat whose movements influence the action in the mortuary and home, including awakening Black during the plot’s pivotal moments. Though small, the cat contributes to the eerie, unpredictable atmosphere.
- 🐈 Animal
- 🪶 Minor
Where and When Is The Comedy of Terrors Set?
The Comedy of Terrors is set in New Gilead and New England (Late 19th century). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Late 19th century
The story unfolds during a period of ornate social rituals and burgeoning small-town commerce in rural New England. Death, propriety, and reputation govern everyday life, making the murders and the funeral trade feel both lurid and routine. The era's lack of modern forensic methods amplifies the tension as characters navigate greed and danger.
Where
New Gilead, New England
Set in a late 19th-century New England town, New Gilead is a tight-knit community where a family-run funeral parlor operates as a primary business. The town atmosphere blends Victorian manners with darker undercurrents as money and reputation drive the locals. The parlor's scheme to profit from deaths reveals the town's moral ambiguities.
- 🏘️ Small town
- 🕰️ 19th-century
- 🪦 Funeral trade hub
What Are the Themes of The Comedy of Terrors?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Greed, Deception and Mortality.
-
01
Greed
Waldo Trumbull and Gillie exploit funerals as a profit engine, murdering wealthy residents to inflate business. Their greed drives most of the scheme, even as they bluff innocence and maintain appearances. The plot consistently ties financial gain to life-or-death decisions.
-
02
Deception
Characters wear false faces: Amaryllis remains faithful while Waldo manipulates, Gillie flirts and lies, and the funeral operation hides a deadly truth behind solemn rites. The counterfeit respectability of a family-run business masks criminal acts. The tension hinges on who is pretending and who is caught by truth.
-
03
Mortality
Death permeates every scene—from routine burials to reanimated moments in the tomb. The living contend with mortality as the dead appear to return, and a poison plot culminates in a fatal climax. The story uses death to explore consequences and the fragility of life.
What Kind of Film Is The Comedy of Terrors?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Mixed
A fast-paced, darkly comedic farce that follows a desperate undertaker's murderous scheme as it spirals into a chaotic ballet of absurd mishaps and grim satire, blending horror elements with slapstick humor.
- darkly comedic
- absurd
- macabre
- chaotic
- satirical
- grim
- desperation and greed
- marital strife
- scheming and fraud
- absurd mishaps
Content notes: murder, attempted murder, domestic strife, poisoning, strangulation.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Comedy of Terrors? Test yourself on the story.
