The approach of All
Hallows’ Eve is an opportune time to remember ten classic TV appearances of
Vincent Price. Sorry, no 13 Ghosts of
Scooby-Doo. Hit the bricks, Scrappy fans.
Price enjoyed a rich and
varied career in film and television, but will always be best known for the
horror genre. Among his best – a series of film adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe
works, produced by Roger Corman, and stylish schlock like The Abominable Dr. Phibes.
Some of that notoriety carried
over into his TV work, but Price also appeared in a diverse range of projects.
The only real common denominators among his characters are the traits for which
Price himself was famous – intelligence, sophistication, and that
distinctive, cultivated voice so well suited to eloquent narration. Which
brings us to our first selection…
The Christmas Carol (1949)
I rarely get to list credits
from the 1940s in these pieces, especially of episodes that not only still
exist but still turn up on cable. In his first television appearance, Price is
the on-screen narrator for this abridged adaption of the classic Charles
Dickens holiday tale. Seated in a festively decorated living room, Price’s recitation
of passages from the story are interspersed within a (rather florid) version of
Scrooge’s redemption.
Summer Theatre (1953)
“Dream Job” is one of those
buried treasures waiting to be rediscovered amidst dozens of 1950s anthology
series episodes now playing on YouTube. Joan Leslie plays a young girl who
dreams of the perfect job, working for the perfect man. When writer Cooper
Fielding (Price) hires her as his secretary, it appears her dream has
materialized. But we know what happens when something seems too good to be
true. This is Price at his most charming, and his most frightening.
Playhouse 90 (1956)
This revered anthology
series launched in grand style with “Forbidden Area,” written by Rod Serling,
directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Charlton Heston, Vincent Price and
Tab Hunter. The grim, suspenseful story concerns a Soviet saboteur who manages
to ground America’s first line of air defense, as a precursor to an all-out
Russian attack on Christmas Eve. Heston plays a military man who sounds the alarm,
while Price is perfect as a feckless bureaucrat who refuses to believe disaster
is imminent.
Science Fiction Theater (1956)
In “Operation Flypaper,”
Price is among a team of scientists attending a secret gathering to “mine the
treasures of the deep”; but no sooner do they arrive than scientific equipment
begins to disappear, while time mysteriously jumps forward after every theft.
This is one of the rare 1950s series to actually film a full season of episodes
in color.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957)
One of the few episodes
directed by Hitchcock himself, “The Perfect Crime” is basically one long
conversation between a vain detective (Price) and a defense attorney (James
Gregory) who has seen more than one client executed as a result of the
detective’s deductions. This may be the quintessential Price performance – so elegant
in speech, sophisticated in manner, and yet with a deep obsession toward the
macabre.
Have Gun Will Travel (1958)
Paladin warns two
Shakespearian players against taking their show to San Diego at cattle round-up
time, when cowboys tend to shoot first and applaud later. Of course, egotistical
actors have to learn everything the hard way. “The Moor’s Revenge” is not one
of this western’s better episodes, but the casting makes it worth seeing: Vincent Price and Patricia Morrison as the
actors, plus Morey Amsterdam in a rare serious role. It’s also a treat to watch
Price perform Desdemona’s death scene from Othello
– even if it’s in a saloon.
Batman (1966)
It’s a toss-up between
Egghead and King Tut for the title of best Batman villain created by the TV
series. While Victor Buono’s outsized scenery chewing is hard to top, I’ve
always preferred Price’s eggs to Buono’s ham, at least until the character was
emasculated by Anne Baxter’s Olga. Introduced as the Caped Crusader’s smartest
adversary in “An Egg Grows in Gotham/The Yegg Foes in Gotham” Egghead wastes no
time in preparing a profile to uncover Batman’s true identity. His reasoning is
so logical and obvious you wonder why the entire Gotham police force was never
able to put two and two together. No wonder they used the red phone so often.
The Brady Bunch (1972)
Most Brady episodes don’t stray far from reality, but that cannot be
said of “The Tiki Caves,” the final installment of the show’s three-part Hawaii
adventure. The Brady boys try to break an island curse by visiting a burial
ground of ancient kings, only to be abducted by an eccentric archaeologist.
Just your average all-American family. This is probably Price’s most famous
funny/scary TV performance.
The Bionic Woman (1976)
“Black Magic” is as silly
as this series ever got, but it’s hard to complain when the results are so much
fun. Jaime goes undercover as a long-lost member of a family of crooks, who are
sent on a scavenger hunt to secure the fortune of a wealthy, deceased relative.
Vincent Price shares several delightful scenes with Lindsay Wagner, amidst the
non-stop treachery and backstabbing of their fellow challengers, broadly played
by Julie Newmar, Hermione Baddeley, William Windom and Abe Vigoda.
Time Express (1979)
This miniseries was listed
in my “Forgotten Shows I’d Like to Watch” piece from last year. Vincent
Price played the conductor of a train that transported people to pivotal
moments in their pasts, where they could change decisions they would later
regret. Still haven’t seen it. Still want to.