Category Archives: Vincent Price

Celebrate The Raven with a Poe-a-Thon!

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Sadly events beyond my control will prevent my seeing the FREE Edgar Allan Poe marathon at Carolina Cinemas this Friday (4/27). Still there are many Poe films available on instant Netflix. I apologize though as the latter part of this list looks just like my celebrate Roger Corman’s birthday post – unfortunately the Karloff/Lugosi Poe movies are not available at this time.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) – Rated PG-13

“In the midst of preparing his theater troupe for their upcoming production, Cesar (Jason Robards) struggles to soothe his wife, Madeleine (Christine Kaufmann), who’s been suffering dreadful nightmares, and races to figure out who is brutally murdering his lead actors one by one. A loose adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story, this chilling horror tale effectively weaves back and forth between disturbing dreams and reality.”

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1986) – Rated PG

“This adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic 1941 tale of the same name stars the legendary George C. Scott as gumshoe C. Auguste Dupin, who comes out of retirement to take on one last case. Two murders have been committed in Paris, and the clues left behind are so sparse — comprising only a razor and batches of hair — that everyone involved in solving the crime is stumped. Val Kilmer and Rebecca de Mornay co-star.”

Tales of Terror (1962) – Not rated

“It’s a triple threat of terror from the master of the genre: Edgar Allan Poe. This collection of three films — The Black Cat, Morella and The Case of M. Valdemar — offers everything horror fans can’t get enough of, from murder and dementia to live burials, open tombs, resurrection and zombies. And with three of horrordom’s greatest villains (Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone) in the lead roles, the chills are guaranteed.”

Masters of Horror: Stuart Gordon – The Black Cat (2006) – Not rated

“In this stylish thriller, famous American author and master of the macabre Edgar Allan Poe (Jeffrey Combs) is suffering from a severe case of writer’s block. To make matters worse, he’s tormented by an evil black cat that’s slowly driving him insane. Stuart Gordon’s chilling film, part of Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” series, looks at what may have inspired Poe to dream up such fantastic stories and poems full of suspense.”

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) – Not rated

“Francis (John Kerr) visits the gloomy Spanish castle of his late sister Elizabeth’s husband, Nicholas (Vincent Price), to learn the reason for her death. Nicholas fears his wife isn’t really dead and that her spirit wanders the halls at night. Seems Nicholas’s father was a feared leader of the Spanish Inquisition; as a child, Nicholas saw his father torture his mother and bury her alive, and he’s convinced Elizabeth has suffered a similar fate.”

The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) – Not rated

“From director Roger Corman comes this supernatural tale of undying love set in the early 19th century. After the death of his wife, Ligeia, eccentric Verdon Fell (Vincent Price) will do anything to replace her, even if he must sacrifice his new wife, Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd). Plagued by eerie events in her new home, the terrified Rowena seeks help from former suitor Christopher (John Westbrook), but can he thwart Fell’s plan to revive Ligeia?”

The Masque of the Red Death (1964) – Not rated

“At a 12th-century masked ball from hell, dissolute satanist Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) torments his guests, forcing them to participate in a variety of gruesome lethal games in this Roger Corman-directed horror flick based on two stories by Edgar Allen Poe. While most of the games end in someone’s death, those who survive Prospero’s amusements must endure the nightmare of torture and unthinkable depravity.”

 

Boris Karloff – Horror Movie Month

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William Henry Pratt is not a moniker to conjure monsters with but Boris Karloff is a wonderfully spooky stage name for the British actor. Here are some of his instant Netflix films.

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

When Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), son of the infamous madman, returns to the estate to claim his inheritance, he finds the deranged Ygor (Bela Lugosi) hiding in the castle with the comatose monster (Boris Karloff). On Ygor’s pleading, Frankenstein revives his father’s creation. And Ygor takes his revenge on those who condemned him. Lionel Atwill and Josephine Hutchinson also star in this third tale in the classic horror franchise.

The third of Universal’s eight movie Frankenstein series is the last one that can be taken seriously. It is also the last time Karloff would portray the monster. Basil Rathbone is fun as the titular son of Frankenstein but is easily upstaged by Karloff, Lugosi, and even Lionel Atwill. Bela Lugosi is simply wonderful as Ygor and is more riveting than Karloff as the monster. Lionel Atwill steals the show as the suspicious Krogh.

This is the fun Frankenstein – the first two films are better but don’t hold up well to repeated viewings (too many long plot stretches) and the ones that follow this descend into camp. Digression – the same can be said of Alien. Alien is a better movie than Aliens – a whole new world is developed from scratch and explored in a stately manner but Aliens is undoubtedly the more fun movie as the initial concepts do not need to be explained at length.

If you have not seen this but feel a sense of deja vu that is because Mel Brooks drew most of his inspiration for Young Frankenstein specifically from this film with Kenneth Mars doing an uncanny Atwill.

Comedy of Terrors (1963)

A financial crisis forces undertaker Waldo Trumbull (Vincent Price) to start taking extreme measures. Rather than waiting for new clients to show up naturally, Waldo and his assistant (Peter Lorre) attract new business by killing wealthy individuals in their sleep. Now if only Waldo could just do away with his wife, Amaryllis (Joyce Jameson), and annoying father-in-law (Boris Karloff).

This is a Vincent Price and Peter Lorre film and they are wonderful as always but Karloff steals the show as Price’s aged father-in-law. This features much of the same cast as The Raven but is not as funny – or rather the humor in it has not aged as well. Still Price, Lorre, and Karloff have a lot of fun and even Basil Rathbone shows up briefly. It is well crafted if cheaply shot by Jacques Tourneur.

Black Sabbath (1963) – Not rated

In this 1963 trilogy of chilling tales, a beautiful woman’s ex-lover terrorizes her, a father returns home a vampire, and a ghost haunts a nurse. The vampire story — probably the most famous of the three — stars a poignant Boris Karloff, who also plays host for the anthology. Italian horror impresario Mario Bava served as writer, director and cinematographer for the film, and composer Les Baxter serves up the martini-soaked lounge score.

A wonderful film and a great starting point if you haven’t experienced Italian horror. The best Italian horror movies feature incredible atmosphere but are often nonsensical plotwise. This one has both and Mario Bava is a master of mood. The wurdalak segment is easily the best and Karloff gives one of his best performances ever.

 

Price without Poe – Horror Movie Month

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The prolific and fun Vincent Price did not always star in Poe adaptations. I’ve previously discussed his performance in the delightful Theater of Blood as well as The Fly and House on Haunted Hill (all still on instant Netflix and recommended).

Madhouse (1974) – Rated PG

Down on his luck and trying to keep a grip on his precarious mental health, has-been horror-film icon Paul Toombes (Vincent Price) takes a stab at revitalizing his career by starring in a television series based on his famous silver screen persona, Dr. Death. But when people start dying in gruesome ways that resemble Dr. Death’s handiwork, Toombes suspects the evil character has completely taken over his mind. Jim Clark directs this thriller.

Madhouse isn’t bad and makes good use of some Price stock footage from the Poe movies. It is a bit heavy-handed and obvious but guest-stars a gracious Peter Cushing. Robert Quarry is here as well. Quarry was groomed to be a new horror star but his Count Yorga films never really caught on. Madhouse is a mixed bag – fun but not nearly as fun as Dr. Phibes Rises Again, which features much of the same cast.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) – Rated PG

The eminent Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) awakens from several years of suspended animation and heads to Egypt with his mute assistant (Valli Kemp) and the corpse of his dead wife, determined to track down the stolen papyrus scrolls he needs to bring his spouse back to life. In this sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Phibes is up to his usual tricks, murdering people in strange and heinous ways; meanwhile, a team of inspectors is hot on his heels.

Both Dr. Phibes movies are fun with a capital F. The beautiful art deco set design, clockwork contraptions that would have been considered steampunk if they hadn’t predated the term, Campy, quirky deaths, and a wonderful turn by Vincent Price add up to fun, fun, fun. Peter Cushing has what amounts to a cameo here as do several other 60s stars. Robert Quarry is not as good as Joseph Cotten from the first movie but is adequate.

Witchfinder General (1968)

Set in 17th-century England, this chilling tale follows corrupt official Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), who claims an ability to discover witches. But he uses his power to gain money and favors from people he’s fingered in return for declaring them innocent. When he arrests and tortures Father Lowes (Rupert Davies), Lowes’s niece’s fiancé (Ian Ogilvy) decides to put an end to Hopkins’s sleazy practices and goes on a quest to seek vengeance.

Witchfinder General is a bit odd. It tries to say some important things about a particular era in English history while flirting with exploitation. This is actually Vincent Price’s best performance but I need to warn you that the film is not fun – it actually comes across as quite ugly, especially for the era. The other actors aren’t bad but this is another Price showpiece.

Last Man on Earth (1964)

A plague has wiped out most of mankind, and those who survived have become bloodthirsty vampires. The only “normal” human left on earth, Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) — who was spared by a twist of fate — spends his days methodically hunting down the undead mutants and his nights barricaded against their attacks. But when he meets the beautiful but contaminated Ruth, he discovers a secret that will unravel what’s left of his existence.

If this plot description sounds familiar, it is because it is based on Richard Matheson’s I am Legend and was later filmed as The Omega Man (also on instant) and I am Legend and I am Omega. Will Smith is great in I am Legend but the CGI is pretty goofy, Charlton Heston is good in The Omega Man but the movie is bizarrely groovy, and I am Omega is just plain bad.

Last Man on Earth is an Italian production and is very atmospheric. It is in black and white and Price gives a somewhat restrained performance as the titular character.

Poe & Corman & Price – Horror Movie Month

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Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first adult authors I read and I loved how gloomy, scary and depressing his stories were. I was particularly frightened by the thought of being bricked into a wall a la The Cask of Amontillado. Where I saw gloom, guilt and despair, Roger Corman apparently saw fun. All of the below films are available on instant Netflix.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Francis (John Kerr) visits the gloomy Spanish castle of his late sister Elizabeth’s husband, Nicholas (Vincent Price), to learn the reason for her death. Nicholas fears his wife isn’t really dead and that her spirit wanders the halls at night. Seems Nicholas’s father was a feared leader of the Spanish Inquisition; as a child, Nicholas saw his father torture his mother and bury her alive, and he’s convinced Elizabeth has suffered a similar fate.

Oddly Corman’s first Poe adaptation, House of Usher (or Fall of the House of Usher) has no Netflix listing. This is a shame because it is the most faithful of Corman’s Poe adaptations in both plot and mood.

The Pit and the Pendulum is his second effort and is less serious. Most of Corman’s Poe films exist solely to showcase the talents of Vincent Price and this one is no exception.

Tales of Terror (1962)

It’s a triple threat of terror from the master of the genre: Edgar Allan Poe. This collection of three films — The Black Cat, Morella and The Case of M. Valdemar — offers everything horror fans can’t get enough of, from murder and dementia to live burials, open tombs, resurrection and zombies. And with three of horrordom’s greatest villains (Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone) in the lead roles, the chills are guaranteed.

The Black Cat is an adaptation of my favorite The Cask of Amontillado. Unfortunately it’s played for laughs and the ending is from another story altogether but don’t let that stop you from watching. Vincent Price is always a hoot and here he is joined by Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone in their waning years. The other two stories are taken a bit more seriously even if the effects in Valdemar are a bit on the goofy side.

 

The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)

From director Roger Corman comes this supernatural tale of undying love set in the early 19th century. After the death of his wife, Ligeia, eccentric Verdon Fell (Vincent Price) will do anything to replace her, even if he must sacrifice his new wife, Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd). Plagued by eerie events in her new home, the terrified Rowena seeks help from former suitor Christopher (John Westbrook), but can he thwart Fell’s plan to revive Ligeia?

Ligeia evokes a nice sense of dread and Price is quite subdued. The atmosphere is appropriately moody as Rowena finds herself in way over her head. Not much actually happens in the film but it is still entertaining.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

At a 12th-century masked ball from hell, dissolute satanist Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) torments his guests, forcing them to participate in a variety of gruesome lethal games in this Roger Corman-directed horror flick based on two stories by Edgar Allen Poe. While most of the games end in someone’s death, those who survive Prospero’s amusements must endure the nightmare of torture and unthinkable depravity.

Masque is one of my favorites. Vincent Price hams it up (a bad thing for other actors but Price is the ham master) and Hazel Court has a lot of fun as Juliana, taking increasingly desperate measures to keep Prospero.

The costuming is wonderful. Masque has an expensive sumptuous feel in part because Corman was able to use the sets left over from Becket. Corman even manages to squeeze the short story “Hop Frog” in as a small subplot to the overall story. If you pick one of these to watch, this is probably the best one.

Shakespeare week – Theater of Blood

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This is Shakespeare week. Apparently when you fail to give an actor of the Bard his due, you may be in for some trouble. Theater of Blood is currently available on instant Netflix.

WATCH: Theater of Blood (1973) – NR

“Vincent Price channels his peerless talent for playing refined madmen into the character of Edward Lionheart, a proud London actor who goes dramatically bonkers when he fails to receive a coveted award. While riverside tramps foil his attempt to drown himself in the River Thames, the world believes he has met a watery end. The thespian uses this cover to exact grisly — and fitting — revenge on the critics who ignored his genius.”

“O pardon me thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers.”

The concept of having a Shakespearean actor take poetic revenge on his critics is certainly a fun one and this one is milked for all it is worth beginning on the Ides of March. The murders are quite inventive and each is taken from a different Shakespeare play. They were gory for the time but seem quaint today.

Much as Richard III was yesterday, Theater of Blood is essentially a one-man show. If you do not enjoy the theatricality (or hamminess if you prefer) of a Vincent Price performance then you probably will not enjoy this. This is not his best performance (see Witchfinder General – also available on instant Netflix) but ranks up there with Dr. Phibes as one of his most enjoyable.

Diana Rigg acquits herself well in her second billed role as Edwina Lionheart, daughter of Edward. This is probably her best role after her fabulous stint as Emma Peel in The Avengers but no one steals a scene from Vincent.

Actress Coral Browne, who plays Miss Chloe Moon here, first met Vincent Price on this movie. They were married the following year and, unlike traditional Hollywood marriages, stayed married until her passing in 1991.

The rest of the cast reads like a list of Hammer supporting players – Madeline Smith (Vampire Lovers), Diana Dors (Hammer House of Horror), Ian Hendry (Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter), Michael Hordern (Demons of the Mind), Dennis Price (Twins of Evil) and even the voice of Charles Gray (The Devil Rides Out).

This film is a huge amount of fun and could be watched just for the early 70s fashion. The Shakespeare references are plentiful and much of his dialogue is included as well. Theater of Blood is a showcase for Vincent Price and he shines so watch it already. Besides which, where else are you going to see a swordfight on gym equipment?

People Watch: When Vincent Price retired from his stint of hosting Mystery for Masterpiece Theater, his co-star in this film, Diana Rigg, took over hosting duties.

Vincent Price

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Vincent Price is my favorite overactor (perhaps I should say theatrical actor). His most restrained performance in his career is nevertheless one of his best – Witchfinder General (butchered in the U.S. as The Conqueror Worm). After starring in a number of horror movies in the 1950s, Roger Corman hired him for a string of successful Edgar Allan Poe adaptations in the 1960s. Vincent Price is so good in these that to this day they are generally considered “Vincent Price movies” and not Poe or Corman movies. Late in life, those that grew up on his horror movies sought him out for small roles (notably Tim Burton for Edward Scissorhands and Michael Jackson for his famous Thriller narration). Instant Netflix has 5 Vincent Price movies available to view as well as several TV appearances and clip shows

Laura

1. Laura (1944) – “Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) has been murdered, and as New York Det. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates, he finds that everyone seems to be in love with her — and he, too, gradually falls under her spell. But things aren’t always as they seem. Otto Preminger’s classic mystery received four Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Best Director, and won the Oscar for Best Cinematography”

It’s very difficult to describe Laura without spoiling the surprises but the actors are all good (especially Clifton Webb).  Gene Tierney is absolutely gorgeous and lights up the room in every scene that she is in - definitely the kind of woman you can see all three men obsessing over. The dialogue is excellent – the kind of snappy patter that only exists in 1940s movies – one of its Oscar noms is for Best Writing, Screenplay. As long as you don’t mind black & white movies and can appreciate the ‘stagey’ acting that was the standard in the 1940s, you won’t go wrong with this one – especially if you are familiar with the Hays code.

Leave Her to Heaven

2. Leave Her to Heaven (1945) – “This 1946 Academy Award winner stars Gene Tierney as Ellen Berent, a woman who bedazzles writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) when the two meet on a train. Their courtship is sweet and swift, leading to a hasty marriage, but sadness displaces the joy when a series of tragedies befalls the couple. Could these horrid events have anything to do with Ellen’s burgeoning and all-consuming jealousy?”

It sounds like a cheap cop-out but if you enjoyed Laura – a semi-film noir with snappy dialogue and nice twists starring Gene Tierney and Vincent Price then you’ll enjoy Leave Her to Heaven – a semi-film noir in Technicolor with snappy dialogue and nice twists starring Gene Tierney and Vincent Price. Laura is definitely the better film but this one is quite good as well.

House of Wax

3. House of Wax (1953) – “In this spine-tingling film — one of the first 3D movies ever made — Vincent Price thrills as Professor Henry Jarrod, the creepy curator of a wax museum who loses his beloved business to a fire and then rebuilds it. This time, though, he doesn’t use wax models, but a ghoulish alternative: dead bodies.”

Please note that while Netflix lists this as House of Wax/Mystery of the Wax Museum, Mystery is only available on the disc version. House of Wax is fun if a little slow-moving. It lags whenever Vincent Price isn’t on-screen or when they throw in extra scenes just to show off the 3D gimmick (such as the barker with the paddleball). Look for a very young Charles Bronson (Buchinsky) as Igor (with a name like Igor what can you do but be an evil henchman?)

The Fly

4. The Fly (1958) – “Scientist André Delambre (David Hedison) has invented a matter transporter. To perfect his machine, he decides to test the device on a human subject — himself. He steps into the chamber unaware that an ordinary housefly has accompanied him. His head and arm become horrifically switched with those of the fly. Now Delambre and his wife (Patricia Owens) are faced with a gruesome dilemma in this classic sci-fi horror co-starring Vincent Price”

This time around Vincent Price takes a backseat to David Hedison and Patricia Owens who are both excellent as the leads. One of the best double-endings of all time is still chilling to this day. This was clearly an influence on James Cameron’s The Terminator and The Fly spawned two inferior sequels (though still worth watching) and a wonderful reimagining by David Cronenberg in 1986 (which spawned an inferior sequel of its own)

House on Haunted Hill

5. House on Haunted Hill (1958) – “Millionaire Frederick Loren offers five people $10,000 to stay a night in a remote haunted house, giving each of them a loaded gun as a “party favor.” Throughout the night, they’re terrorized by skeletons, disembodied heads and other grisly apparitions. Will any of the guests survive to win the prize? Or will the house scare them to death? The legendary Vincent Price stars in one of director William Castle’s most famous chillers”

The ensemble cast led by Price appears to be having a fun time, never taking anything too seriously. The unbelievably prolific Elisha Cook Jr. (mentioned earlier in Humphrey Bogart post) has a small but juicy role here. Director/showman William Castle throws in almost every haunted house stereotype