Vincent Price conquered both the film industry and art history in his lifetime. He was especially known for his appearances in horror films, though he did make appearances in other genres, like film noir. Audiences recognize him from Laura, Edward Scissorhands, and The Fly, among other noteworthy films.
Price passed away 27 years ago, right around Halloween as irony would have it considering his background in horror films, but his works still have an impact today.
Champagne For Caesar (1950): 7.4
This 1950 comedy film follows a quiz contestant like no other named Beauregard, who goes head-to-head with Burnbridge Waters (Price), the sponsor for the quiz show and owner of Milady Soap. When Beauregard is rejected by Waters due to Waters' dislike of his humor, Beauregard hatches a plan to get even and ends up in a battle of wills with Waters. Though, it ends on a happy note with the two having come up with a deal that worked out for them both. Witnessing Price in a comedic role is definitely a must-see for audiences everywhere.
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948): 7.4
The famous comedic team Abbott and Costello star in this horror comedy as Chick and Wilbur, respectively. The duo run into all kinds of monsters and mishaps; hilariously enough, Wilbur sees all the things amiss but Chick initially fails to believe him.
Bela Lugosi made an appearance as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man, while Price had a cameo, lending his voice as The Invisible Man in the film's conclusion in which he gave Chick and Wilbur one last scare and laughs as they swim away.
Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare (1975): 7.5
Vincent Price got around. He hosted this 1975 concert of Alice Cooper's. Considering Cooper's penchant for his on-stage horror acts, Vincent Price was a good choice for host. Plus, how many horror icons do audiences get to see hosting a rock concert? It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of occurrence. Now that it's summertime, Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare is especially essential, given audiences can watch Price host and Cooper perform "School's Out", among other songs.
An Evening Of Edgar Allan Poe (1970): 7.5
Price recites four different Edgar Allan Poe stories; who better for this job than the man known for his roles in horror films? Price keeps audiences hooked on every word as he delivers "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Sphinx."
If audiences love Edgar Allan Poe and Vincent Price, this is the program they should be tuning into.
The Song Of Bernadette (1943): 7.6
This film is particularly memorable as fourteen-year-old Bernadette sees a woman dressed in white, holding a pearl rosary. The story spreads all over, with Bernadette facing skepticism, criticism, and some believers along the way in regards to her story. Bernadette keeps returning to the grotto where she saw the woman at the woman's request, and as time passes, more of society begins to believe Bernadette, especially when the grotto's water possesses miraculous qualities. Price plays Vital Dutour, one of the non-believers that eventually changes his mind and subsequently prays for forgiveness.
Leave Her To Heaven (1945): 7.6
This film details a whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage for the books, but not in a good way. Ellen meets novelist Richard while on her way to deposit her father's ashes with her cousin and mother, and strikes up a romance with him, despite being engaged to another man named Russell, played by Price. Ellen becomes increasingly jealous, intentionally allowing Richard's brother to drown and causing a miscarriage upon herself to keep Richard occupied with her, and only her.
She even goes as far as ingesting arsenic to frame her cousin Ruth for murder. Russell, a district attorney, prosecutes Ruth for Ellen's murder; however, Ruth is eventually cleared thanks to Richard's testimony regarding Ellen's psychopathic tendencies. Though Ellen left Russell for Richard, she still relied on him to put Ruth behind bars, and he believed her, working hard to get justice for his former fianceé. If not for Richard, Ellen would have succeeded. Russell was just a pawn in Ellen's dastardly plans.
The Ten Commandments (1956): 7.8
Price makes an appearance as Baka in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille film. The film primarily tells the story of Moses. Moses stands up to Baka in the film for his cruel treatment of the slaves, after Moses has saved an elderly woman, whom he does not know is actually his biological mother, from being crushed to death. Following this incident, Moses goes on to provide better treatment of slaves and to increase their productivity. Baka clearly wasn't meant for the job, and to see Price in such a role showed how diverse of an actor he was.
Edward Scissorhands (1990): 7.9
Price makes a brief appearance in this hit Tim Burton film as "The Inventor", the man behind Edward's creation. He clearly loves Edward like a son and treats him as such, homeschooling him, and was prepared to give Edward real hands to replace the scissors.
Unfortunately, The Inventor suddenly succumbs to a heart attack and dies, leaving behind a lonely Edward who is now unfinished given he never received his real hands, but Edward goes on to have the adventure with the Avon saleslady and her family as audiences very well know.
Laura (1944): 8.0
This classic 1944 gem is not only a standout in film noir, but also in Price's career. The film depicts the story of an NYPD detective named McPherson investigating the homicide of a young and beautiful woman, Laura. Price plays Laura's fiancé Shelby Carpenter, who's less than the perfect significant other. He's toxic and not exactly faithful, and it's clear that Laura doesn't love him. Price played the role of the slimy fiancé to perfection, exemplifying his range as an actor.
Vincent Price: The Sinister Image (1987): 8.2
This documentary highlighted the impressive career, which spanned over various mediums including film, television and radio, of Price. The documentary consisted of an interview with Price, conducted by film historian David Del Valle, and included programs that highlighted Price's television career. For audiences that are looking to learn more about the actor, or who are already big fans, this is the perfect documentary to kick back to and watch.