Vincent Price. I think a lot of people disregard him as an actor due to the type of movies in which he usually starred: low budget horror and science fiction films. It's a shame, because I believe him to be one of the finest unknown American actors to ever live. He had an undeniable screen presence and probably the most unique voice in all of cinema. Here's my top 10 favorite Vincent Price movies (of the ones I've seen. I haven't made it through his entire filmography yet).
10. The Tingler (1959)
This movie is a perfect example of how an amazing actor can carry a terrible film. It isn't THAT bad, but it was filmed specifically for the theater and does not translate very well on the TV screen. Director William Castle was (in)famous for extending the film experience from the film into the audience, including shock gimmicks in the seats and tagging the film as being shot in "Screamarama." The basic premise is Price, as Dr. Warren Chapin, tries to find the source of fear in humans. He concludes, and successfully proves, that a living creature grows on your spine as you get scared, and it will kill you if you do not release the fear through screaming. So, he extracts one of these creatures (which looks like a rubber centipede), it gets loose, and starts wreaking havoc in a movie theater of all places. The whole film is contrived to create these Screamarama tricks. Still, Price manages to stand out amidst the absurd film. He exhibits fear beautifully, and delivers some just terrible dialogue and manages to make it believeable. I would love to time travel back to the original release and witness this in "Screamarama," it would probably be ten times better.
9. Tales of Terror (1962)
This is the first Vincent Price/Roger Corman team-up on the list (but not the last). Price really gained fame from these low-budget, gothic horrors directed by Roger Corman. This film is a trilogy of shock and horror (per the dvd box) that also stars Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone. He is paired up with these two amazing actors and manages to outshine both of them. Price really stretches his acting legs in this one, taking turns playing both comedic and serious roles, and playing both of them perfectly. In the second story he plays Fortunato, a professional wine taster who is challenged by the local drunk (Peter Lorre) to a competitive tasting, an exciting event that I never knew existed. Price is genuinely funny in this, as opposed to a rather absurd turn by Lorre. This is worth watching just for the second story, but it is bookended by two solid horror tales that show just how versatile Price can be.
8. Laura (1944)
This is not the typical role for Price. Here he is in a supporting role in a film noir. Price naturally fits into the noir prototype: smooth-talking ladies' man with an aura of mystery around him. Again, he is paired up with two more great actors in Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews and manages to shine. He brings excellent depth and range to his performance and almost steals the show from the leading actors. His performance adds to what is probably the best movie that he has been in (of the ones that I have seen at least). Overall, it is a fantastic entry into the film noir catalogue, filled with mystery and keeps the viewer guessing all the way to the end. If you are new to Vincent Price the actor, this is probably the best place to start; you get a great idea of his abilities and also get a very accessible film.
7. Theater of Blood (1973)
One could criticize this Price role for being too over the top, but that is what I love about it. First of all, he is playing a deranged Shakespearean actor who is exacting revenge on his critics. If that person actually existed, they would be the biggest ham in the world. Second, his acting style fully complements the outrageous acting and plot that makes up his world. The entire film plays out as a Shakespeare play AND it is about Shakespeare. CRAZY!!!!!! This is one of the few Price films that uses excessive blood and gore. His character Edward Lionheart sets up these elaborate death scenes for his critics and the film becomes a great stage for these set pieces. Also, the film has the greatest sword fight ever captured on TV film. Erroll Flynn be damned!!
6. House of Wax (1953)
This is the movie that made wax museums an unsettling place to be (forget the 2005 remake, that shit is weak yo!). Price plays Professor Henry Jarrod, a brilliant sculptor and artist but he is a little strange. He talks to his figures as if they were alive, and I reckon that he fondles some of them off screen. His partner burns his work to the ground and in the process horribly disfigures the Professor. He also apparently burns his last shreds of sanity away, resulting in a murderous rampage in order to recreate his art. He takes corpses, ya see, and throws a bunch of wax on them and calls them statues, which I consider cheating. Anyhow, Price turns another great madman seeking revenge performance, and his make-up is really well done. The big reveal scene in the film is quite shocking (I think it made some list for one of the scariest movie moments ever). The remake can't say that, can it?!?!?! After watching this movie, you probably won't want to be near anywhere near Madame Tussaud's anytime soon.
5. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
This is another Price/Corman team-up. It is also another movie based on the stories of Edgar Allen Poe for which Price has become famous (although this is less about the pendulum story and more about another Poe story called 'The Premature Burial'). Price plays Nicholas Medina, the descendent of an infamous torturer during the Spanish Inquisition, who is mourning the loss of his wife. He lives in the house where his father performed these atrocious crimes and still feels the guilt of his father's actions. Here we get two different characters from Price. The first is a pathetic, sorrowful man who is being taken advantage of by the people who are closest to him. The second is a deranged lunatic who uses the torture devices, most notably the pendulum and an iron maiden, to exact his revenge. This is one of the best portrayals of a descent into madness I have ever seen.
4. The House on Haunted Hill (1959)
This is probably Price's most famous role. He plays a millionaire who invites several guests to his supposedly haunted mansion. He offers $10,000 dollars (HOLY SHIT!!) to any of them who can stay the night. It is also a party for his fourth wife; the other three all died mysteriously. There is an air of mystery around Price's character Frederick Loren and no one is sure if they can trust him. This is one of the best haunted house films out there. There is an eerie, disturbing atmosphere from the onset when the guests each pull up to the house chauffered by hearses. This is another William Castle production, but it is much more watchable than The Tingler because it is self-contained on the screen and doesn't rely on off-screen shenanigans. This is the movie that made me fall in love with Vincent Price (as an actor, not sexually).
3. Masque of Red Death (1964)
Yet another Price/Corman production. I almost feel lame putting this many Corman films on this list, but they are really some of Price's best works. Think Herzog/Kinski or Kurosawa/Mifune, except in the small, B-movie horror genre. Epic teams that produce fantastic work. Here, Price is Prince Prospero (ALLITERATION!) and he is 100% pure evil. How evil you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Evil enough to turn his house into a giant church to Satan! Evil enough to force his house guests to perform all sorts degrading behavior for his own amusement! Evil enough to kill the last living members of the local town who have come to his castle for sanctuary from the Red Death with a CROSSBOW! Evil enough to eat a whole nursery of babies! (this last part doesn't happen in the film, but I speculate that Prospero certainly could do this). There is a point in this movie that I literally was yelling death threats at the screen because Prince Price the Prick was being such an asshole. If only every actor could ilicit such a reaction from their performance.
2. Witchfinder General (1968)
This movie is AKAed as "Conquerer Worm," which I think is a much more badass title. Price plays Matthew Hopkins and he truly is the conquerer of worms. And by worms, I mean those lousy, stinking peasants. Hopkins is a reknowned witch hunter who rides about the country passing his judgement on many wenches as the rest of the country is torn by civil war. We again find Price playing a truly evil character. He knows full well that he is falsely accusing people and putting them to death (there is a particularly harrowing scene at the onset of the film where a woman is burned at the stake), but he is just trying to get paid, like a rapper. He also enlists a sadistic henchman who rivals Hopkins in evilness. Spoiler alert: Price dies in the end, and it is one of the most fantastic death scenes ever.
1. The Abonimable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Hands down, this is my favorite Vincet Price movie and his best role. The plot is very similar to Throne of Blood, but it is executed much better. Price plays the eponymous Dr. Anton Phibes, an organist and scholar who was killed in a car crash while racing to his sick wife's side. OR WAS HE!?!?!?!? (hint: he wasn't). Soon, a string of elaborate murders takes place all based on the 10 biblical plagues. All of the victims happen to be doctors that unsuccessfully performed surgery on his ailing wife, resulting in her death. Coincidence?? (hint: NO). It soon becomes a race against the clock as a detective and the last surviving doctor try to put a stop to Phibes' madness. Everything about this movie is so wonderfully done: the ham-fisted acting, the sets, the death scenes, the makeup (Phibes is horribly disfigured in his crash and has to speak through a voicebox). All of this is held together by Price's brilliant performance, a manic organist that would make the Phantom of the Opera shit in his pants. All of the movies I've listed are essential Price viewing material, but this should be at the top of everyone's list with a bullet. A DEATH BULLET!
There you have it. This list is by no means exhaustive. Vincent Price has a huge body of work (that I hope to complete soon) and not all of it is horror. But really, his bread and butter are the classic horror films in which he starred in the 50s-70s. I hope that something on this list inspires you (read: any person who foolishly stumbles on this mediocre blog) to examine more closely this master of the macabre. BOO!
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