Dazzling the Screen Vincent Price

American actor Vincent Price was known to fans for his work in the horror film genre and mostly for portraying villains. Price appeared on stage, TV, and radio in over 100 films. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for TV. Vincent Price died of lung cancer at the age of 82 on October 26, 1993, and after cremation his remains were scattered off Nicholas Canyon Beach, near Point Dume in Malibu, California.

Director Robert Fuest directed the 1971 British comedy/horror film “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”. The film starred Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Hugh Griffin, Terry Thomas, Virginia North, and Caroline Munro.

The storyline revolves around Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price), who blames the death of his wife on the medical team who attended her surgery four years earlier and sets out to exact vengeance on each one. The doctor is inspired in his murder spree by the Ten Plagues of Egypt from the Old Testament.

Director Kurt Neumann directed the 1958 American science fiction horror film “The Fly”. It was based on the 1957 short story of the same name by George Langelaan. It starred David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, and Herbert Marshall. The first installment in The Fly film series was followed by two sequels in 1959, “Return of the Fly,” and in 1965, “The Curse of the Fly”.

The storyline revolves around a scientist who is transformed into a grotesque human–fly hybrid after a common house fly enters unseen into a molecular transporter with which he is experimenting, resulting in his atoms being combined with those of the insect.

Director William Castle directed the 1958 American horror film “House on Haunted Hill”. The film starred Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, and others.

The storyline revolves around an eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren (Vincent Price), who, along with his wife, Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) invites five people to their house for a “haunted house” party. Whoever stays in the house for one night will earn $10,000.

As the night progresses, the guests are trapped within the house with an assortment of terrors.

Director Pete Walker directed the 1983 British horror film “House of Long Shadows”. It featured four iconic horror film stars: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and John Carradine. The film was based on the 1913 novel “Seven Keys to Baldpate” by Earl Derr Biggers.

Kenneth Magee (Desi Arnaz Jr.), a young writer, bets his publisher $20,000 that he can write a novel of the calibre of “Wuthering Heights” in 24 hours. When he arrives at Bllyddpaetwr Manor in a desolate place in Wales, he discovers the house is not empty. There is Lord Elijah Grisbane (John Carradine) and his daughter, Victoria (Sheila Keith), maintaining the house. As the now stormy night progresses, more people arrive: among them Lord Grisbane’s sons, Lionel (Vincent Price) and Sebastian (Peter Cushing). Also a potential buyer of the property is Mr. Corrigan (Christopher Lee).

Director Roger Corman directed the 1960 American Gothic horror film “House of Usher”. It was based on the 1839 short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. The film starred Vincent Price, Myrna Fahey, Mark Damon, and Harry Ellerbe. (pictured above)

The storyline revolves around Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon), who travels to the House of Usher, a desolate mansion surrounded by a murky swamp, to see his fiancée, Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey). Her brother Roderick (Vincent Price) opposes Philip’s intentions. He informs the young man that the Usher family is afflicted by a cursed bloodline which has driven all their ancestors to madness.

Director Andre de Toth directed the 1953 American mystery/horror film “The House of Wax”. It was a remake of the 1933 film “Mystery of the Wax Museum”.

The storyline revolves around Professor Henry Jarrod (Vincent Price), a disfigured sculptor who repopulates his destroyed wax museum by murdering people and using their wax-coated corpses as displays.

Director Otto Preminger directed the 1944 American noir film “Laura”. It starred Vincent Price, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, and Dame Judith Anderson.

The storyline centers on the murder of a beautiful Manhattan advertising executive. Vincent Price portrays Shelby Carpenter, the gigolo boyfriend of the murder victim. Initially, suspicion turns on him as the chief suspect in the killing of his fiancée.

Director Douglas Hickox directed the 1973 British horror/comedy film “Theater of Blood”. It starred Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, and others.

The storyline revolves around Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price), a deranged Shakespearean actor who takes revenge on his critics, using methods inspired by death scenes from the Bard’s plays. His daughter, Edwina (Diana Rigg), is his confidant.