Vincent Price: Classic Horror Movies and Must-Read Books You Should Own
Latifah Muhammad
Vincent Price rose to fame in “The Fly,” “House on Haunted Hill,” “Witchfinder General,” “House of Wax,” and “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” but his filmography goes much deeper than horror movies.
A true renaissance man of the arts, Price earned a degree from Yale, where he studied English and art history. He worked as a lecturer before breaking into acting and landed his first leading role in the 1938 comedy, “Service de Luxe.” Price went on to appear in more than 100 films, including “The Ten Commandments” and “Laura and the Song of Bernadettes,” and had roles on TV shows from “Batman to “The Muppet Show Mystery.” He earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for television, the other for film), and found success as a voice actor who narrated the opening for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The St. Louis native, whose final silver screen role was in “Edward Scissorhands,” passed away on October 25, 1993. To celebrate his legacy, we rounded up a short collection of movie box sets and books for Price enthusiasts, horror fans, and anyone who wants to learn more about the “Merchant of Menace.”
For additional horror-driven content, check out our roundup of terrifying zombie movies to stream this Halloween and the best books on horror movies. Below, find a list of movie box sets and interesting books to add to your collection of spooky horror classics.
The Vincent Price Collection (Multi-format)
Amazon
Purchasing a movie box sets is one of the easiest ways to submerge yourself in an actor’s filmography. The Vincent Price Collection features “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” “The Haunted Palace,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” and “Witchfinder General.” Included in the six-disc box set are new and vintage bonus features that focus on each film, and on Price’s enduring legacy as cinema’s most chilling actor. The package includes archival interviews with Price, and commentary from film historians, producers, and filmmakers such as Roger Corman, who directed Price in several films including Edgar Allen Poe adaptations “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Masque of the Red.”
“The Invisible Man”: Complete Legacy Collection
Amazon
This box set features the complete collection of films in the “The Invisible Man” franchise. Price starred in the second film in the franchise, 1940’s “The Invisible Man,” where he portrayed Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe, a wrongfully convicted man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. As his execution date nears, Radcliffe is injected with an invisibility serum so that he can escape from prison. The movie box set includes six films from the horror saga that originally starred Claude Raines.
The Vincent Price Collection II (Multi-Format)
Amazon
Part two of the Vincent Price Collection features “House on Haunted Hill,” arguably one of Price’s most popular film roles. Directed by William Castle, the 1959 horror flick centers around a millionaire and his wife, who invite a handful of people over for a haunted house party where guests could earn $10,000 for surviving a night in the eerie estate.
This movie collection comes with seven of Price’s classic horror films, including “The Return of the Fly,” “The Comedy of Terrors,” “The Raven,” “Tomb of Ligeia,” and “Dr. Phibes Rises Again.”
“Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy” by Vincent and Victoria Price
Amazon
Although Price was best known for his performances on stage and screen, he was also a gourmet cook who released several cookbooks, and helmed the TV show “Cooking Price-Wise.” Based on the TV series that he hosted in the 1970s showcasing international cuisines and easy-to-make dishes, this charming book is filled with Price’s favorite recipes, along with contributions from Price’s family including a preface written by his daughter Victoria and a foreword by his son V.B.
An extensive bonus section dubbed “The Culinary Legacy of the Price Family” serves up baking recipes from Price’s grandfather and namesake, Dr. Price’s Baking Powder, creator of the first cream of tartar baking powder. You’ll also find journal entries from Price’s life-changing trip to Europe as a teenager, a selection of family photos from Victoria Price’s childhood, and much more.
“A Daughter’s Biography” by Victoria Price
Amazon
Want to dive even deeper into Price legacy? “A Daughter’s Biography,” written by the acting legend’s daughter, provides a thorough and uniquely intimate look at the life of an icon. Outside of acting, the book also captures Price’s many other roles, which included art historian, gourmet chef, and of course, loving father. Bonus features include a never-before-published essay by Price, a foreword by Corman, and 32 pages of black-and-white photos.
