THE MANY ARTS OF VINCENT PRICE
Vincent Price the Actor
The man had all the qualities a director of Gothic horror films could wish for.
Vincent Price stood 6'4”, with dark hair, dark eyebrows and a wicked pencil moustache. He had an angular face and his cultured voice purred with menace. His laugh stung with terror.
His expressions were subtle, but he was a master of evil. When he lifted those coat hanger eyebrows and stared, horror and mystery were abroad.
His urbanity and poise suggested calm, but his well — bred exterior only emphasised the danger within.
He was the perfect Abominable Dr. Phibes. His performance in The Tingler is still admired. No other man could have played the doomed Roderick Usher in The Fall of the House of Usher so well.
The elegant Price is perfect as the blue — blooded Roderick Usher, waiting for his deceased twin, the lady Madeleine Usher, to open the door. Usher knows that she stands outside the door.
The phantasm opens the door. She is emaciated and her clothes are shredded and splattered with blood. A dark river opens up in the middle of the floor. The walls, Roderick Usher and all trace of the doomed House of Usher crash into the abyss.
The man who became Vincent Price the actor visited the cultural centres of Europe in his youth. He studied Fine Arts and English at Yale. He later went to the Courtauld Institute at London University, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Fine Arts.
During his time in London, his love of theatre led him to begin acting on the stage. But, and this is an important but, he never lost his interest in English or Fine Arts. They were central to his life.
Price performed until the age of 80, in plays and films, on television, on radio and in voice — overs.
Vincent Price was not afraid to take the leap into acting as a career. But never gave up his interests. You too can follow your own vocation, but remember to keep enjoying the other things you love.
Vincent Price the Cook
Price was an enthusiastic and talented cook. His favourite food was French, but he was adept in many cuisines. He co — wrote, with his second wife Mary, A Treasury of Great Recipes and other cookbooks.
He said ‘ There are three things that really turn me on…I’m never really happy when I’m not working, another is art and the third is food ‘.
It’s perhaps not surprising Price became a food lover. It was in his blood. His grandfather, who founded the family fortune, was the creator of Dr. Price’s Baking Powder. He also invented other extracts and flavourings. Price’s father started his own National Candy Company.
In the introduction to his book Cooking Price — Wise, he explained:
‘ The purpose of this book is to invite you to dine, wine, break bread with us, to partake with us our favourite dishes gleaned from kitchens all over the world. It occurred to us that [ it would be lovely]..if we could have a meal such as the one we had in that tiny old restaurant in Spain.. and that is what we really want to try to do for people with this book ‘.
Whilst a dedicated cook, his sense of the ridiculous was applied even to this pastime.
Appearing on Johnny Carson’s Tonight show, he showed the bemused Carson and television audience how to cook trout in a dishwasher:
‘ Tightly wrap trout in foil with lemon, wine, parsley, salt and pepper. Put it through the whole cycle. No soap!’
Vincent Price the Humourist
Price could be hilarious and was not afraid to send himself up.
Of the early days in his acting career, he said he was lucky to be a minor cast member in a long -running play starring a famous actress. He joked that he came with the stage sets.
Another gem of humour from the passionate cook is his instructions on ‘ How to Cook a Small Boy.’ I’ll spare you the details of how he prepares this curry and sets the mood, complete with sitar music. But it’s very funny.
Often, unannounced, he would arrive at a cinema showing one of his films. To the delighted astonishment of the film goers, he appeared in costume.
Look on YouTube and find ‘ Vincent Price Roasts Bette Davis.’ It’s a marvel of comedy and all prepared by Price himself. Unlike Bob Hope, he didn’t need an army of script writers to write jokes for him.
Vincent Price the Art Collector
Price bought his first work of art, a Rembrandt etching, at the age of 12. He joked that he paid for it by instalments for the rest of his life.
All his life, he collected art and became an authority in the field.
Once, he was at Steve McQueen’s home and told McQueen that the well — known painting on his wall was a fake. McQueen became testy and asked Price why he said it was a fake. Price drolly replied that he knew it was a fake because the real one was in the Met.
Vincent Price the Reader and Writer
Price was an avid reader and writer. He regarded Edgar Allan Poe as the greatest American writer.
He appeared in ‘ The Raven,’ ‘ The Pit and the Pendulum, ‘ The House of Usher,’ ‘ Tales of Terror,’ ‘ The Cask of Amontillado,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ and ‘ The Tell — Tale Heart.’
Before he picked up the film scripts, he already knew the stories well.
In time, Price became the author of art books. These books included books such as ‘ I Like What I Know’ and ‘ Treasury of American Art.‘ He also wrote a regular newspaper column on art.
Vincent Price the Adventurer
Price was fearless:
I’ve just done everything, but I feel that I’ve had a good life. I haven’t been as ‘ successful ‘ as some people, but I’ve certainly had more fun.
His daughter Victoria, to whom he was close, said that he was ‘ a man of glorious contradictions.’
After his surprise at spending two years on stage in London in the successful play Victoria Regina, he signed a film contract with Universal Studios. After no films were forthcoming, he had no hesitation in returning to the stage.
When he did finally appear in a film, it was unsuccessful. But he persisted.
In all, he appeared in over 100 films, though only 20–30 were horror films.
When asked if he regretted his image as a master of horror, he answered with the last word of The Raven — ‘ Nevermore.’
So good was he on the stage that, for eight months, he went on a tour of the United States and the rest of the world in the one -man show, ‘ Diversions and Delights ,’ based on the life and works of Oscar Wilde.
He didn’t flinch from the tragedy, as well as the triumph and humour of Wilde. The show was received with acclaim wherever it went.
Throughout his career, Price was happy to appear in many formats, including stage, film, radio and voice — overs.
We have looked at some of his stage and film roles. On radio he was first to play Simon Templar in The Saint, the series which later appeared on television and launched Roger Moore.
He was never afraid to embrace both the high and the low. No wonder he was asked to lend his voice to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. He was happy to join in the fun on The Muppets Show and graciously lent his talents to Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare.
The Generous Vincent Price
Price was always generous, with both time and money.
He donated art to East L.A. Community College and followed it up by donating more art to a specially created Vincent Price Gallery.
As if this weren’t enough, at the college he also gave, free of charge, many lectures on art, cooking and horror films.
Sometimes, when asked how much he wanted for some work he had done, he replied that the cost would be lunch.
He selected thousands of original works of art and reproductions for Sears Roebuck to put in their catalogue. Price’s purpose was to make works of art affordable for the working class. Although born into affluence, Price was always determined to help everyone — not just the rich.
As a native of Missouri, Price kept in close contact with his home state. For about 30 years he returned regularly to give lectures on art — free of charge.
The Modest Vincent Price
Price painted only one painting in his life — a portrait of his mother. In typically modest style, he said ‘ I am an art lover, not an artist.’
He was a man of high intellect, but his modesty meant that he was also a populist. We have seen how he helped working class people through his Sears Roebuck art venture.
Rudyard Kipling, in his beloved poem If , extolled the virtues of simplicity and modesty. One of the things he admired in a person is the ability to enjoy the company of very different people. You will have achieved this, he said :
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch
Price was such a person.
Although a fine cook, he was no food snob. In one of his cookbooks, he described the simple pleasure of a hot dog at a baseball game: ‘ There is nothing more soul — satisfying than the first succulent bite into the juicy frankfurter.’
WHAT VINCENT PRICE TELLS US
This is just a summary of what we can learn from Vincent Price.
Don’t feel daunted. You’re not expected to put them all into action. Use whatever helps you.
Life is play as well as work. Never abandon your interests for work. You know what your interests are. Never let them fade or abandon them. Ideally, your work will also be something you love. If not, it’s for a change.
Keep a sense of humour, especially in hard times.
Read all you can lay your hands on. If you are a writer, you probably do this already. As Churchill said of books, ‘ let them be your friends. ‘
Be fearless. Price was never afraid to try something new. He ventured into the unknown or unfamiliar.
Vincent Price and Dr. Seuss shared the belief that if you look at things anew and take a chance: ‘ Oh! The Places You’ll Go! ‘
It won’t all be plain sailing. The winds of life will give you gentle breezes and fearsome squalls. This is certainty.
Curiosity is critical. Price was endlessly curious. Embrace, revel and delight in your curiosity — whatever you do.
Generosity is a fundamental. Vincent Price was extremely generous in spirit and in deed. He took to heart the teachings of Benjamin Franklin about the wonders of generosity.
So, there you have it. If you don’t know much about Vincent Price, watch a couple of his classic films. If you search, you will find plenty about this extraordinary man.
Most importantly of all, take from the life and work of Vincent Price whatever helps you in your own life.
