How time flies. It was on this day (25 October) in 1993 that 82-year-old Vincent Price lost his battle with lung cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles. Actor, art lover, gourmet, loving parent and granddad, and a hero to many around the world, long may his legend and legacy continue. Let's make 25 October Vincent Price Day.
Here a five fab moments from Vinnie's 60-year career that I'll be watching this weekend.
An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe (1970) gave Vincent Price the chance to recite four classic Poe stories unplugged, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Sphinx, The Cask of Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum. Pure Price, pure Poe, pure brilliance. Les Baxter did the great score.
Diary of a Madman is a 1963 horror film adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's 1887 short story Le Horla about a malevolent entity that takes possession of Price's respected magistrate. It's not perfect, but I have a real soft spot for this horror cheapie.
The Masque of the Red Death (1964). The quintessential Poe/Price/Corman film with Vinnie as the satan-worshipping Prince Prospero vainly trying to prevent the Red Death from conquering his castle.
In 1982's House of the Long Shadows, British director Pete Walker succeeded in bringing the masters of terror - Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine - together, alongside the wonderful Sheila Keith, for this underrated spooky old house comedy.
The Weird World of Dr Goldfoot was a special episode of Shindig shown on November 18, 1965 to promote Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. Cheezy good fun.
