“Goodbye” Vincent Price – Died 25 October 1993

Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice  in a series of horror films made in the later part of his career.

Sometimes called the “Master of Menace,” he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, being the youngest of four children born. At YaleUniversity, Price studied art history and English, subsequently travelling to England to pursue the fine arts at University of London.

In 1935, Price landed his first major stage role, playing Prince Albert in a London production of Victoria Regina. The play moved to Broadway, with Helen Hayes as Price’s co-star, and it became a big hit.

Although primarily associated with horror, he started out as a dramatic actor. One of his most famous early roles was in Laura (1944) which was directed by Otto Preminger and also starred Gene Tierney. Two years later, he reunited with Tierney for the dramatic thriller Dragonwyck. Price also appeared in some comedies, including 1950’s Champagne for Caesar.

Some of his most notable films include House of Wax(1953), The Fly (1958) and The Masque of the Red Death (1964). His distinctive voice also contributed to his ability to create tension in a film. Although he is reported as saying, “To me, I sound like everybody else in Missouri. I think I sound like Harry Truman”.

His later roles included Theater of Blood (1973), the voice of Ratigan in the animated tale The Great Mouse Detective(1986) and in 1987,  The Whales of August (with Bette Davis and Lillian Gish).