Vincent Price is a staple of a certain horror fan’s diet. The man was in dozens horror movies, had lots of tv cameos/guest spots that played into his over-the-top theatricality he brought to many roles however very few films let the viewer realize that: hey, this Vinny guy actually has some pretty solid acting chops!

Theatre of Blood (1973)

In a horror movie plot that could have ended up seeming petty and meanspirited, we have Price’s character a Shakespearian actor responding negatively to a series of bad reviews that essentially sink his career (and cause him to fake a suicide as well).

Instead of pettiness, we get a mix of camp and class in many scenes Price gets to recite the bard’s work and it’s clear he’s having a blast doing so.

 

If one has seen the Dr Phibes movies (and one should!), I would say this is the closest comparison to Theatre of Blood I can make in tone/material. While Phibes is fun and entertaining, I feel that TOB has a bit more to offer horror fans making this maybe my favorite Price movie (although it’s in some rough competition).

While many of his roles in horror had similarities to them, there still was a variety of emotions Vincent Price could get across and I always thought he was one of the best actors of his genre at expressing sadness. Playing often the villain, it was this needed pain shown to the audience that could at least get one to sympathize with a character capable of murder or at least great cruelty and that’s what elevates him to the top among the other great horror legends.

Feel free to share your favorite Price flicks and cameos below!