This week, quite fittingly, Halloween Week overlapped with "Vincent Price Week"!
Sure, I know... EVERY week should be "Vincent Price Week"! But, what made this particular week "Vincent Price Week", you might ask?
Well, it probably has to do with the purely arbitrary notion of the great actor and horror icon finding his way to me three times, in three different ways, over a seven day period.
...It's my Blog, so let's just run with it, okay?
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| ...Or, just plain RUN, period! |
Indeed, with your further indulgence, you might even say: "Bad Things Come in Threes"... but, we'll save that specific phrase or title for a another use, to be discussed in the unspecified future.
This was the first (Purchased Saturday, October 25):
Gotta love that cover image!
This was the second (Arrived in the mail On Friday, October 31 - Halloween Day):
Halloween Day! How perfect!
Check out the list of Price films therein:
"The Raven" (1963): Great horror/comedy with Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and a very young Jack Nicholson.
"The Comedy of Terrors" (1963): Ditto, with Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone.
"The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964): The last, and some say best, of Price and Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe series.
"The Last Man on Earth" (1964): Brilliant, and vastly underrated sci-fi horror effort that clearly inspired my beloved "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). Don't believe me? See the film, and listen to the commentary track.
"Dr. Phibes Rises Again" (1972): Worthy sequel to 1971's "The Abominable Dr. Phibes"! No one does death like Dr. Phibes!
"The Return of the Fly" (1959): Sequel to "The Fly" (1958), but without David Hedison to cry "Help Meeee!" See equipment and hear sound effects (originally from "The Fly") that would later turn up on Irwin Allen's TV series!
"House on Haunted Hill" (1959): Spend the night, if you dare!
For the third, by sheer coincidence, I just happened to channel-surf by "Me-TV" last Saturday, on October 25 - same day as I bought the "Egghead" copy of BATMAN '66, and saw Vincent Price on (of all things) a random episode of DANIEL BOONE!
I'd never seen that one before, and didn't even know it existed, until spying the unmistakable visage of Price, acting as a sort of "Fagin" to a wagon-load of captive orphans whom he had trained to steal.
And, if for no other reason than to cap off "Vincent Price Week", (...and because they're in our stock image files), here's Price on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA ("The Deadly Dolls", 1967) reunited with his co-star of "The Fly", David Hedison...
...And THIS LINK to a review of another favorite Vincent Price film!
Happy "Vincent Price Week"!
(...in "Blood-Red" lettering)
9 comments:
Don't forget Vincent Van Ghoul on "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo".
Also episode 57 from the third season of "Here's Lucy"--"Lucy Cuts Vincent's Price."
And a special favorite of mine--Universal's "House of Seven Gables" with Vincent Price as a romantic leading man.
How could I ever forget “Vincent Van Ghoul”, Scarecrow?
The Price-inspired tribute character from both 13 GHOSTS (as you mention) and the more recent SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERY INCORPORATED (a true-departure series I cannot say enough about -- see it, strictly in order for best viewing results!) is a sheer delight.
Indeed, “Vincent Van Ghoul” of the latter series (voiced by the great celebrity impersonator Maurice La Marche) is clearly inspired by Price’s role as actor and former horror icon “Paul Toombes” in “Madhouse” (1974), also starring Peter Cushing. So, even without Price actually voicing the role, as he did so wonderfully for 13 GHOSTS, this later iteration of “Vincent Van Ghoul” may be closer still to the genuine article of the one-and-only Vincent Price!
I haven’t seen nearly as much of HERE’S LUCY as I have I LOVE LUCY but, at some point, I hope to catch up with EVERYTHING done by this superb master of his craft.
Now, I’ve gotta get back to watching “The Last Man on Earth” once again in stunning Blu-ray – after years of lesser public domain copies! And thank you, Shout! Factory, for that!
I'll watch my copy of "The Great Mouse Detective" today. And IFC is showing the 2-part debut of Egghead in the "Batman 66" tv series right now.
I'll have to check if ThisTV is airing "Doctor Goldfoot and The Bikini Machine" this week. :)
The CoziTV channel gas been airing reruns of "Here's Lucy" on weekday afternoons...the further adventures of Lucille Magillicuddy Ricardo Carmichael Carter. Add "Carbunkle" if you include the "Zombie Lucy" that appeared in the "Homer the Father" episode of "The Simpsons". :)
From its reputation, I expected "The Last Man on Earth" to be kitsch, like "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "Robot Monster." It is not really a bad horror film, although it's hindered by a low budget.
THE COMEDY OF TERRORS is pretty funny stuff in itself, but you may enjoy it more if you've seen the anthology TALES OF TERROR. Rathbone's performance in COMEDY is partly a spoof of the "Mr. Valdemar" segment.
I vaguely remember Price's guest appearance as himself on HERE'S LUCY. Desi Jr. was writing a book report on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and started to wonder if Price might be warped from playing so many villains in horror films. Then, when Lucy met Price, there was a series of incidents that made it appear as if he was trying to murder her. I thought it was pretty funny when I was twelve; I might be more critical now.
And both THE RAVEN and THE COMEDY OF TERRORS are fun to watch, mainly because the stars seem to be having fun doing self parody.
‘Rehab:
I can see you’re really celebrating “Vincent Price Week” in grand style! …Maybe we should have it every year! I know *I’d* be up for it.
The “Dr. Goldfoot” films, along with the BATMAN ’66 TV series, may be the ultimate expressions of ‘60s camp - and how interesting that our "Man of the Week", Vincent Price, was involved in both! I’ve always found it interesting that both “Dr. Goldfoot” and “Dr. Phibes” each merited a sequel – but, alas, failed to mount a trilogy. I think each one should have “gone for three”! The original “Abominable Dr. Phibes”, in particular, is a four-decades-favorite!
And, in view of urgings from Scarecrow, TC, and yourself, I’ve really gotta catch up with HERE’S LUCY.
TC:
“The Last Man on Earth” has long been a favorite of mine. Years ago, having seen it a long time AFTER my first viewing of "Night of the Living Dead", younger-me jumped-up and exclaimed to myself (…and it’s a good thing no one was around to see me jump – OR exclaim, for that matter) that THIS Vincent Price film must have influenced “Night of the Living Dead”!
The week before “Vincent Price Week” -- the one running up to “Halloween Week” -- I’d gotten a deluxe (non-public domain) DVD version of “Night of the Living Dead”, with many special features, including TWO commentary tracks! In one of the Special Features, none other than George Romero himself says the following:
"So, I had written a short story, which I had basically ripped-off from a Richard Matheson novel called 'I am Legend'... "
And, of course, "I am Legend" was made into "The Last Man on Earth".
Indeed, the running up to “Halloween Week” and “Vincent Price Week” was chock full of Halloween “goodie-packages” from Amazon.com.
There was the “Vincent Price Collection II” Blu-ray (with a commentary that ALSO says “Living Dead” was influenced by “Last Man”), and before that my own “Trilogy [Package] of Terror”, consisting of that deluxe set of “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), the Criterion Collection’s release of “Carnival of Souls” (1962), and “Horror of the Blood Monsters” (1970). The latter two were introduced to me this year as part of that “Horror and Sci-Fi Film Appreciation Society” that I attend.
So, now I have nice copies of both “The Last Man on Earth” and “Night of the Living Dead” when, previously, I had only public domain versions…
…And, in “Carnival of Souls”, yet ANOTHER film that looks to have been somewhat of an influence on "Night of the Living Dead" in its “undead imagery”! Check it out and see for yourself.
…Yep, it’s been a fun few weeks!
And, stick around, because I may very well do a post on the wonderful train-wreck of a film that was “Horror of the Blood Monsters”! I’ve already prepared lots of notes, so this should eventually come.
Finally, I move to declare the week that straddles October and November, encompassing Halloween, be officially designated as “Vincent Price Week” every year! Who’ll help me petition Congress!
Here's something from the Canadian side of entertainment concerning Vincent Price: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hilarious_House_of_Frightenstein
Mostly does the opening and ending; but it's kind of cute.
400 segments? Wow! What DIDN’T he do?
HERE is Greg’s link for greater ease of viewing!
And, welcome to TIAH Blog, Greg!
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