On 15 Feb 1961, DV announced that Roger Corman would produce and direct Masque of the Red Death, based on the Edgar Allan Poe short story originally published in the May 1842 edition of Graham’s Magazine. The following day’s DV stated that the project would be one of several releases developed through Corman’s independent production-distribution company, The Filmgroup, Inc., along with his brother, Gene Corman. A few months later, however, Corman released an adaptation of Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum (1961, see entry) through American International Pictures (AIP). According to the 28 Feb 1962 Var, Corman compared its box-office earnings to that of his first Poe feature, The Fall of the House of Usher (1960, see entry), and determined there to be a growing demand for the author’s works. As a result, he decided to extend his deal with AIP to include The Masque of the Red Death, which was expected to begin shooting later that autumn.
       Despite plans for a 1963 release, production was repeatedly delayed as Corman prioritized other Poe projects for AIP such as Premature Burial and Tales of Terror (1962, see entries), and The Haunted Palace and The Raven (1963, see entries). During this time, items in the 15 Aug 1962 and 3 Oct 1962 Var indicated that John Carter (son of American painter Clarence Holbrook Carter) and Robert Towne had written drafts of the screenplay, although contemporary reviews credited Charles Beaumont and R. Wright Campbell for the final shooting script.
       A 14 Sep 1962 DV item stated that the budget had been set at $1 million. On 12 Jun 1963, Var announced that AIP executives James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff had settled a co-financing agreement with a European company, which a 1 Jan 1964 Var production chart identified as Anglo-Amalgamated Productions. Principal photography began 18 Nov 1963 at the Associated British Picture Corporation studios in Elstree, England.
       While Corman succeeded in getting his adaptation to the screen, he faced competition from two rival adaptations of The Masque of the Red Death from Woolner Brothers Pictures and producer Alex Gordon. According to the 6 Oct 1961 DV, Gordon claimed to have also signed Vincent Price for his version, and a 10 Jan 1964 Var article announced that he had filed an injunction against the release of Corman’s film on accusations of plagiarism.
       The suit was unsuccessful, and the 20 Jun 1964 LAT announced that the picture would open in Los Angeles, CA, on 24 Jun 1964. The London debut took place in Jun 1964, and a showcase engagement in New York City began 16 Sep 1964. On 18 Feb 1965, DV reported that a four-day engagement was scheduled at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art in Apr 1965.
       Contemporary reviews listed varying running times of eighty-four, eighty-six, and ninety minutes.