If you don't know the name, you probably know his voice from the eary outro of Michael Jackson's classic "Thriller." "Darkness falls across the land The midnight hour is close at hand Creatures crawl in search of blood To terrorize y'all's neighborhood And whosoever shall be found Without the soul for getting down Must stand and face the hounds of hell And rot inside a corpse's shell"
These are the words uttered by Vincent Price, a man whose name and face are as synonymous with horror as is Boris Karloff (Frankenstein), Bela Legosi (Dracula), and Lon Chaney Jr (The Wolf Man). Although Price did have some reservations about being typecast into the genre, he eventually embraced his place as a symbol of terror, even though he was actually great to work with according to his contemporaries. What is the story of Vincent Price, and how much did his horror career earn him throughout his life?
8 Vincent Price Started As A Character Actor
Vincent Price was born in St. Louis Missouri to a wealthy family. He started acting in the 1930s for the stage and in 1935 joined Orson Welles's Mercury Theater. Soon after he began acting in film in 1938, then in 1944 he began to garner attention from Hollywood after his performance in the classic noir Laura. His first horror role came in 1939 when he acted opposite Boris Karloff for the first time in Tower of London. One year later he got his first iconic horror role in The Invisible Man Returns, the sequel to the Claude Raines classic. Price would continue to work as a character actor, mostly for noir films. It would not be until 1953 that his legacy as a horror icon began.
7 He Became A Horror Icon Thanks To 'House of Wax'
In 1953 Price starred in the remake of House of Wax, widely considered by many to be just as good, if not better, than the 1933 original. From then on Price was sure to land any horror role he auditioned for because his intimidating height, deep yet lulling voice, and his famous mustache all made him just perfect for the genre. Price did more than horror, he even had a role in the Charlton Heston classic The Ten Commandments in 1956, but after House of Wax horror would become Price's genre.
6 Vincent Price Starred In Numerous Horror Classics
The list of horror movies price appears in is extensive and even if we only focus on the iconic roles we could still write an entire book about his career. To list a few, he was in The Fly, Return of the Fly, House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, The Last Man on Earth (which was remade later with Will Smith as I Am Legend), Witchmaster General, and Theater of Blood. Before he had become iconically attached to the genre, Price also reprised his role as The Invisible Man for a cameo in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
5 Vincent Price Used To Worry About Typecasting
It should be noted that Vincent Price was not always excited about becoming solely attached to the horror genre. At first, he was quite hesitant to continue working in the genre because he did not want to be typecast, and he rather enjoyed his time as a character actor. But eventually, Price accepted his fate according to his daughter and biographer, and he settled into the role as the voice of horror. He soon came to enjoy it and embraced his position as the man with the voice that personified terror.
4 He Worked Closely With Director Roger Corman
Among Price's extensive body of horror work, his close association with director and producer Roger Corman needs to be addressed. Corman is one of the most famous b-movie icons to have ever lived, and he has made over 200 sci-fi and horror films. Among them are the original Little Shop of Horrors, Bucket of Blood, and The Undead, but according to his autobiography, Corman is most proud of his series of films adapting the works of Edgar Allen Poe, most of which star Vincent Price as either the hero or antagonist. Price was in Corman's adaptation of The Fall of The House of Usher, The Raven (which also featured Boris Karloff and another horror icon, Peter Lorre), The Pit and The Pendulum, and The Mask of The Red Death.
3 Vincent Price Did Lots Of Television, Including 'Scooby-Doo'
Prices list of television roles is equally impressive as his films. Price embraced his scary image both in serious roles and in comedies. He appeared in The Red Skelton Show, Daniel Boone, F Troop, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, and he had a recurring role as the villainous Egghead in Adam West's Batman. Price, whose rise to fame can be thanked mostly for his haunting voice, also did voice acting. We already mentioned his iconic role in Michael Jackson's Thriller, but Price also loaned his talents to radio programs, like Suspense and Escape. However, he also made stuff for the kids, near the end of his life he amused children in 1989 when he starred alongside everyone's favorite mystery solving cartoon dog Scooby-Doo in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. He also played the evil queen's mirror in the Snow White episode of Shelley Duvall's Fairy Tale Theater.
2 His Final Film Was 'Edward Scissorhands'
Although a few films that he had cameos in were released posthumously, Price's last major film role came in 1990 when he had a supporting role in Tim Burton's classic Edward Scissorhands. Price plays the creator, the man who builds Edward Scissorhands but tragically dies before he has the chance to give his creation real human hands. Sadly, he played the character with failing health so well because his own health was not great. Price died three years later in 1993.
1 Vincent Price Was More Than Just The Voice of Horror
The most iconic face and voice of horror of the 20th century was truly a man of depth. Not only was he a great actor and the personification of a genre, but he was also an avid art collector, a writer and a foodie who wrote several cookbooks, and an advocate for justice. While he was not overtly political, Price was "greylisted" (meaning he was not blacklisted but was also kept watch of) for speaking out against the McCarthyist attacks on left-wing Hollywood actors. He also supported his daughter when she came out as a lesbian and publicly opposed the anti-gay crusades of famous homophobe Anita Bryant. He was truly a benevolent and impressive man. When he died Price was worth approximately $5 million.
