Vincent Price

Master of the macabre, Vincent Price was born on May 27, 1911, in St. Louis, Missouri. An academic youth, Price graduated from Yale University with a degree in art history, and then went on to study fine arts at the University of London. In 1935, he made his stage debut in a production of Chicago, followed by a stint with Orson Welles' Mercury Theater.

In 1938, Price made his film debut in Service de Luxe; however, under his contract with Universal, Price was mostly relegated to supporting roles. After his contract with Universal was up, Price switched to 20th Century Fox, starring in various films that still failed to launch him into the spotlight. Price landed his first starring role in the 1946 film Shock!, playing a killer psychiatrist. This kicked-off a series of films in which Price was cast as a villain; a role he both relished and excelled at.

In 1953, Price starred in the macabre House of Wax, which was later remade into a 2005 film starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, and Paris Hilton. The film was a hit, and Price’s portrayal of a menacing sculptor garnered acclaim and led to other horror flicks, such as The Fly in 1959 and House on Haunted Hill also in 1959. Price had not forgotten his first love of theater, however, and went on to perform in productions of Richard III, and Black-Eyed Susan.

Throughout the 60s, Price worked almost exclusively within the horror genre, in such films as The Raven in 1963, The Masque of the Red Death in 1964, and The Conqueror Worm in 1968. Conversely, Price also made a few forays into the teen beach party genre, in such films as Beach Party in 1963, with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello; Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine in 1965; and The Trouble With Girls in 1969, with Elvis Presley.

The 70s saw Price appearing less frequently in films and instead shifting his focus to lecturing on art and publishing books on the topics of art and cooking. Price’s voiceover work on Alice Cooper's debut solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare in 1975, led to another offer to do a voiceover on Michael Jackson's hit song, “Thriller” in 1983, which ends with Price’s trademark evil laughter.

Price’s last significant screen appearance came in 1990, when he was offered the role of the Frankenstein-esque inventor in Edward Scissorhands; directed by one of his biggest fans, Tim Burton. Price had previously worked with Burton in 1982 when he provided the narration for Burton’s six-minute film, Vincent, about a young boy who fantasizes about being Vincent Price.

Price had one son, Vincent Barrett Price, with his first wife, Edith Barrett. With his second wife, Mary Grant, Price also had a daughter, Victoria. His third and final wife was Australian actress Coral Browne, who played one of his characters’ victims in Theatre Of Blood in 1973. Browne died in 1991, and Price followed two years later when he passed away of lung cancer at age eighty-two on October 25, 1993. Price’s ashes were scattered off the coast of Malibu, along with his favorite gardening hat.

YUDDY