Vincent Price is a name that is synonymous with the horror genre. Known for his chilling performances in classic horror, Price was a true master of the horror genre. He is one of my all-time favorite actors and I was first introduced to his voice as a kid in Michael Jackson’s Thriller. As I grew older, I discovered his films and watched every single one of them over the course of my high school years. His contributions to the horror genre are immeasurable.
With so many iconic performances to choose from, it is hard to narrow down the ten best Vincent Price movies. But after a lot of thought, I managed to put together that list. These are some of my favorite Vincent Price movies - read through them and then let us know what some of your favorite films are!
The House on Haunted Hill (1959) - This classic haunted house tale features Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren, who invites a group of strangers to spend the night in a supposedly haunted mansion. The film's suspenseful plot and creative use of special effects make it an incredibly fun and must-see move!
Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: Show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren's associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. But more spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.
The Last Man on Earth (1964) - Based on Richard Matheson's classic novel "I Am Legend," Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan, the last surviving human on a planet overrun by vampires. This post-apocalyptic classic follows the story of Dr. Robert Morgan, the last surviving human on earth after a devastating plague wipes out the rest of the population. Vincent Price is absolutely brilliant as the haunted, solitary survivor, and I loved the film's eerie atmosphere.
Dr Robert Morgan is the lone survivor of a plague that spread across the world. The plague caused the entire population of Earth to die, but the doctor soon realises that they are not going to remain dead.
The Masque of the Red Death (1964) - Based on the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name, this film sees Price taking on the role of Prince Prospero, a man who tries to escape the plague that is sweeping through his kingdom by holding a lavish masquerade ball in his castle. But as the night wears on, it becomes clear that the plague is not the only thing that Prospero has to worry about. The Masque of the Red Death is a creepy, spine-tingling tale that showcases Price's talent as an actor.
The evil Prince Prospero, a medieval Italian prince, devoted to the pursuit of evil and the worship of Satan, enjoys the high life in his eerie country castle as the Red Plague destroys the peasant population around him.
The Tomb of Ligeia (1965) - In this film, Price plays the role of Verden Fell, a man who becomes obsessed with his late wife Ligeia and her resurrection. As he becomes increasingly erratic, a series of strange and unsettling events begin to occur. The Tomb of Ligeia is a creepy and atmospheric tale that showcases Price's acting chops.
Verden Fell is shattered after the death of his lovely wife. But, after an unexpected encounter with Lady Rowena Trevanion, Fell soon finds himself married again. Nevertheless, his late wife's spirit seems to hang over the dilapidated abbey that Fell shares with his new bride. Lady Rowena senses that something is amiss and, when she investigates, makes a horrifying discovery -- learning that Fell's dead wife is closer than she ever imagined possible.
The Raven (1963) - Another Poe adaptation, this horror-comedy classic finds Vincent Price as the mad scientist Dr. Erasmus Craven, who is visited by the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe (played by Boris Karloff). The film's clever blend of horror and humor is a testament to Price's versatility as an actor.
Magician Erasmus Craven is still deeply depressed two years after the death of his beloved wife, Lenore. One day, he's visited by Adolphus Bedlo, who has been transformed into a raven after losing a duel to Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff), an evil wizard. After Craven transforms Bedlo back into a human, Bedlo claims to have seen Lenore's ghost at Scarabus' castle, prompting the two to head to Scarabus' castle to seek Craven's lost love.
The Bat (1959) - The Bat sees Price play the role of scientist Dr. Malcolm Wells, who becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders that take place in his mansion. As a series of bizarre events unfold, it becomes clear that someone - or something - is out to get Wells. The tension builds and builds in this one, culminating in a thrilling climax.
A killer called "the Bat" has claimed many lives in the small town inhabited by novelist Cornelia van Gorder and her maid, Lizzie. As Cornelia implores Dr. Malcolm Wells to help her ailing maid, $1 million in the town's bank goes missing. With greed and fear reaching new heights, police Lt. Andy Anderson goes to Cornelia's house to investigate additional murders committed by the Bat.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) - In this horror-comedy, Price plays the titular character, a mad scientist who embarks on a revenge spree against the doctors he holds responsible for his wife's death. Price's performance is a perfect blend of the macabre and the absurd.
In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. When he learns that his wife died during an operation, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an elaborate revenge to punish them for their incompetence. With the help of a mute assistant (Virginia North), Phibes creates a mask resembling his own face and murders the surgeons one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.
Theatre of Blood (1973) - In this campy horror-comedy, Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes revenge on the critics who panned his performances by staging elaborate murders based on the bard's plays. Price's over-the-top performance is delightful to watch.
Edward Lionheart is incensed that his last season of performances in Shakespearean plays did not win him a prestigious acting award from critics. After an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, Lionheart is rescued by a group of drug-addicted bums. He then sets out to murder all of his critics, each with a different style of death taken from a Shakespeare play. When Lionheart faces head critic Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry), he offers Devlin a second chance to bestow the award.
Witchfinder General (1968) - In this historical horror film, Price plays the titular character, a ruthless witch-hunter who terrorizes a small English village. Price's performance is both frightening and nuanced, making this one of his most well-rounded performances.
A disturbing tale of evil set during the English Civil War. When Matthew Hopkins is appointed Witchfinder General by the Puritans under Cromwell, he is empowered to travel the countryside with his henchmen and collect a fee for each witch from whom he extracts a confession - a policy which is exploited to the full.
House of Wax (1953) - Price stars as Professor Henry Jarrod, a wax sculptor who creates a museum filled with wax replicas of historical figures. But when a fire destroys the museum, Jarrod becomes desperate to rebuild it - even if it means using human bodies as the wax models. The creepy atmosphere and gory special effects make this one a fun horror classic.
Wax sculptor Henry is horrified to learn that his business partner, Matthew, plans on torching their wax museum to collect on the insurance policy. Henry miraculously survives a fiery confrontation with Matthew and re-emerges some years hence with a museum of his own. But when the appearance of Henry's new wax sculptures occurs at the same time that a number of corpses vanish from the city morgue, art student Sue Allen begins suspecting wrongdoing.
These are just a few of the many fantastic Vincent Price movies that have thrilled and terrified audiences for decades. What are some of your favorite Vincent Price movies!?
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