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Admission is free. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.
Forever synonymous with blood-curdling terror, Vincent Price was more than a horror legend, with highly refined taste and diverse talents that epitomize the classic definition of a Renaissance man. With indelible contributions to cinema in feature films such as House of Wax (1959) and The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Price personified frights in movie houses for over half a century. Concurrently, the medium of television allowed the accomplished actor to explore roles of additional dramatic depth and share a personal side steeped in deep knowledge of fine arts and culinary arts, punctuated by a disarming sense of humor. From lighthearted daytime talk show appearances to prestige TV dramas in primetime to blood-dripping tales at the drive-in, audiences warmly embraced all facets of Vincent Price — the beloved actor’s gentle, unpretentious nature standing in sharp relief to the grim visage that cemented his status as a Hollywood icon of the highest order.
Join us for a screening of an eclectic mix of television programming inspired by the research paper, “The Ideology of Liveness, Theatricality, and the Star Persona: Vincent Price on Television,” written by archivist Gabz Norte. The paper was produced for the graduate seminar “Researching the UCLA Film & Television Archive,” taught by Maya Montañez Smukler (Head, Archive Research and Study Center) in UCLA’s Cinema and Media Studies program, Winter 2022.
Following the screening there will be a Q&A with Victoria Price, author and daughter of Vincent Price, moderated by Gabz Norte.
Program notes by Mark Quigley, John H. Mitchell Television Curator.
On the Go: “Vincent Price”
U.S., 3/30/1960
With original commercials!
Vincent Price invites viewers into his home in Beverly Glen for a playful tour of his world-class art collection of rare works he acquired from around the globe. Along with host Jack Linketter, Price also welcomes fellow legend, director William Castle for an in-depth discussion of the horror genre for which they are renowned.
DCP, b&w, 30 min. Syndicated. Production: a John Guedel production in association with CBS Television Network. Director: Gene Law. With: Jack Linketter, Vincent Price, William Castle. Preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Video transfer at DC Video. Engineering services by David Crosthwait.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: “The Perfect Crime”
U.S., 10/20/1957
Under the direction of the master of suspense, Vincent Price embodies an urbane, egotistical master detective with an unusual hobby — he retains artifacts from his most infamous cases as trophies. The teleplay by future Academy Award winner Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) affords Price the opportunity to play a sophisticated connoisseur, a role he was quite familiar with in real life as an extremely knowledgeable art collector.
DCP, b&w, 25 min. CBS. Production: Shamley Productions. Producer: Joan Harrison. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Writers: Stirling Silliphant, Ben Ray Redman. With: Alfred Hitchcock, Vincent Price, James Gregory. Use of Alfred Hitchcock Presents courtesy of NBCUniversal; special thanks to Mark Halperin.
Night Gallery: “Class of ’99”
U.S., 9/22/1971
A steely-cold Vincent Price pierces the small screen as a domineering proctor in a futuristic classroom where students must obey his every command, no matter how abhorrent. Set in 1999, Rod Serling’s chilling examination of bigotry and artificial intelligence proves prescient and shockingly relevant in 2025.
DCP, color, 18 min. NBC. Production: Universal Studios. Producer: Jack Laird. Director: Jeannot Szwarc. Writer: Rod Serling. With: Vincent Price, Brandon deWilde, Randolph Mantooth. Use of Night Gallery courtesy of NBCUniversal; special thanks to Mark Halperin.
Dinah! Guest starring Vincent Price (excerpts)
U.S., ca. 1970s
This trio of endearing appearances on Dinah Shore’s popular daytime talk show illuminate Vincent Price beyond the horror genre. Highlights include Price sharing his refined culinary talents over a glass of wine with Dinah, an uproarious reminiscence of the Mercury Theatre with fellow guest Orson Welles, and a hilarious reading of an unexpectedly frightful text.
DCP, color, 25 min. Syndicated. Production: Winchester Productions. With: Dinah Shore, Vincent Price, Orson Welles. Use of Dinah! courtesy of RetroVideo, Inc. Special thanks to Bill DiCicco, Ian Marshall.
This Is Your Life: “Vincent Price”
U.S., 3/18/73
From inside the Pickwick Book Shop on Hollywood Boulevard, Vincent Price finds himself ambushed by host Ralph Edwards for a life retrospective. In the course of the moving half hour, Price’s vital advocacy for Native American artists and their art is heralded, and the superstar is reunited with a litany of family members and well-wishers, including fellow legend Helen Hayes.
DCP, color, 25 min. Syndicated. Production: A Ralph Edwards Production. Executive Producer: Richard Gottlieb. Director: Jim Washburn. With: Ralph Edwards, Vincent Price, Hans Conried. Use of This Is Your Life courtesy of Ralph Edwards Productions. Special thanks to Max Eckert, Bianca Pino.
