Vincent Price’s voice could curdle milk, but in the 1970s, his performances sliced through cinema like a razor-sharp scalpel.

During the early 1970s, Vincent Price enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in horror, blending his signature aristocratic menace with increasingly eccentric and self-aware villainy. This period marked a shift from the gothic Poe adaptations of the previous decade to more flamboyant, modern tales of revenge and madness. Ranking his top eight horror roles from 1970 to 1975 reveals not just the breadth of his talent but also how he adapted to a changing genre landscape, influencing everything from campy slashers to psychological thrillers.

  • Vincent Price’s 1970s roles redefined horror villainy, emphasising theatricality and dark humour over outright terror.
  • From the vengeful Dr. Phibes to the Shakespearean slayer Edward Lionheart, these performances showcase his versatility and charisma.
  • These films highlight Price’s enduring appeal, bridging classic horror with the gritty New Hollywood era.

Vincent Price’s Chilling Crescendo: The Top 8 Horror Roles of 1970-1975

8. Lord Edward Foxley in Cry of the Banshee (1970)

Opening the list is Price’s portrayal of Lord Edward Foxley, the tyrannical nobleman in Gordon Hessler’s Cry of the Banshee, a film steeped in Celtic mythology and Elizabethan brutality. Set in 16th-century England, Foxley persecutes a coven of witches led by the seductive Myra (Elke Sommer), unleashing a curse that manifests as a monstrous banshee. Price infuses Foxley with a cold, imperious disdain, his every line dripping with entitlement as he orders floggings and burnings. This role harks back to his earlier aristocratic villains, but the film’s Hammer-esque production values and folk-horror atmosphere add a layer of primal dread.

Hessler, a former second-unit director for Michael Reeves, crafts a visually striking period piece with swirling mists and torchlit rituals, where Price’s commanding presence anchors the chaos. Foxley’s downfall, pursued by the banshee through fog-shrouded moors, symbolises the aristocracy’s vulnerability to the supernatural forces they suppress. Price’s performance, though brief, captures the hubris of power, his wide-eyed terror in the finale contrasting his earlier bombast. Critics at the time noted how this role bridged Price’s Poe era with more visceral 70s horror, influenced by witchcraft films like The Wicker Man prototype.

Production challenges abounded, with location shooting in Ireland’s harsh weather amplifying the eerie tone. Price later reflected on the role’s intensity, drawing from historical accounts of witch hunts to humanise Foxley’s fanaticism. While not his most memorable, it sets the stage for the decade’s bolder characters, foreshadowing themes of retribution that dominate his later work.

7. Dr. Browning in Scream and Scream Again (1970)

Gordon Hessler’s follow-up, Scream and Scream Again, sees Price as the sinister Dr. Browning, a scientist orchestrating a hybrid human experiment in a shadowy conspiracy. Released in the US in 1970, this sci-fi horror mashup features dismembered bodies, vampiric pursuits, and psychedelic club scenes, with Price’s Browning as the puppet master revealing his Nazi-esque ideology in a chilling monologue. His suave delivery masks a fanaticism for superhuman evolution, making him a precursor to later mad scientist archetypes.

The film’s fragmented narrative, adapting Peter Saxon’s novels, mirrors Browning’s piecemeal creations, and Price excels in fragmented screen time, stealing scenes from stars like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Cinematographer John Coquillon’s stark lighting casts Price’s face in grotesque shadows, emphasising his elongated features. This role explores body horror avant la lettre, with themes of eugenics resonating post-WWII anxieties, and Price’s performance adds intellectual gravitas to the pulp plot.

Behind the scenes, Hessler pushed innovative effects, like elastic-faced mutants, influencing David Cronenberg’s early work. Price’s Browning embodies the era’s distrust of authority figures, blending horror with spy thriller elements in a way that anticipates Coma. Though underrated, it showcases Price’s ability to elevate B-movie madness.

6. Professor Hubert Whitehead in The Brady Bunch “Fright Night” (1972)

In a lighter vein, Price guest-stars as horror icon Professor Hubert Whitehead in the Brady Bunch episode “Fright Night,” a meta send-up of the genre. Hosting a Dracula spoof, Whitehead’s bumbling vampire act terrifies the Brady kids until reality blurs with fiction. Price leans into self-parody, his booming voice and cape-fluttering delivering comic menace, yet hints of genuine eeriness linger in his eyes.

This TV role, though comedic, highlights Price’s cultural ubiquity, parodying his own legacy while nodding to Hammer horrors. Director Jack Arnold, of Creature from the Black Lagoon fame, balances slapstick with subtle scares, allowing Price to wink at fans. Thematically, it probes childhood fears and media influence, prescient for 70s discussions on horror’s impact on youth.

Fans cherish this as Price’s playful pivot, bridging his serious roles with pop culture immortality. Its brevity belies depth, as Price improvises ad-libs that enhance Whitehead’s charm, proving his range extended beyond celluloid terror.

5. William A. Rogers in Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Anthology masterwork Tales from the Crypt, directed by Freddie Francis, features Price as the tyrannical William A. Rogers in “And All Through the House.” Murdering his wife on Christmas Eve, Rogers faces poetic justice from a homicidal Krampus figure. Price’s portrayal is a tour de force of domestic villainy, his jovial Santa facade cracking to reveal seething rage, voice modulating from festive cheer to guttural snarls.

Francis’s EC Comics adaptation thrives on moral retribution, and Price embodies greed incarnate, his performance amplified by slow-burn tension and Yuletide irony. Lighting plays key, with holiday glows casting infernal hues on his face. This role delves into holiday horror origins, linking to pagan rites beneath Christian veneers.

Price’s chemistry with Joan Collins heightens the familial betrayal, and the segment’s influence on Black Christmas slashers is evident. A compact gem in Price’s oeuvre, it distils his essence into 15 minutes of pure malice.

4. Dr. Anton Phibes in Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Returning as the disfigured organist-avenger in Robert Fuest’s Dr. Phibes Rises Again, Price elevates the sequel with globetrotting absurdity. Seeking an Egyptian elixir for his late wife’s resurrection, Phibes unleashes baroque murders: scorpion bites, snake pits, and mask suffocations. Price’s Phibes, voiced through a neck device, exudes operatic fury, his Art Deco lair a feast for the eyes.

Fuest’s pop-art aesthetic, with vibrant colours and Terry-Thomas comedy, contrasts Phibes’s tragedy, rooted in WWI loss. Price’s physicality—silent gestures, balletic kills—conveys pathos amid horror, exploring grief’s monstrosity. Effects by veteran Roy Ashton impress, with practical gore that influenced giallo.

Though less taut than the original, Price’s commitment carries it, his chemistry with Hugh Griffith adding farce. This role cements Phibes as Price’s ultimate icon, blending revenge thriller with fantasy.

3. Dr. Anton Phibes in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

The pinnacle of Phibes mania begins with Fuest’s original, where Price’s Dr. Anton Phibes massacres a medical team for botching his wife’s surgery. Decapitations via brass unicorn, frog masks, and locust attacks form a decalogue of vengeance inspired by the Bible’s plagues. Price, bandaged and phonographically speaking, delivers hypnotic menace, his eyes gleaming with righteous insanity.

Fuest, a painter-turned-filmmaker, infuses surrealism, with Phibes’s mansion a clockwork wonderland. Price’s performance transcends camp, humanising a killer through loss, voice intoning poetic threats. Themes of medical malpractice echo real scandals, adding bite.

Production ingenuity shone in low-budget kills, launching a subgenre of elaborate murders seen in Se7en. Price’s Phibes redefined horror anti-heroes, his allure undimmed by sequels’ shadow.

2. Paul Toombes in Madhouse (1974)

Jim Clark’s Madhouse casts Price as Paul Toombes, a fading horror star haunted by his ghoul persona “Dr. Death.” Remaking his classic film leads to murders mimicking old kills, blurring fiction and reality. Price channels faded glory with pathos, his Toombes wrestling alcoholism and identity crisis, voice cracking in vulnerability.

Co-starring Peter Cushing and Robert Quarry, the film nods to Scream-style meta-horror early. Clark’s direction emphasises psychological descent, with dream sequences distorting Price’s iconography. Themes of typecasting mirror Price’s career, adding autobiography.

Price’s tour-de-force finale, confronting his monstrous reflection, cements emotional depth, influencing actor-horror tales like The Fan. A sleeper hit, it showcases his dramatic chops.

1. Edward Lionheart in Theatre of Blood (1973)

Crowning the list, Price’s Edward Lionheart in Douglas Hickox’s Theatre of Blood is a Shakespearean slaughterhouse. Disgraced actor Lionheart, presumed drowned, returns to vivisect critics via Bard-inspired deaths: rapier duels, boiling oil, hairdryer electrocutions. Price revels in ham, reciting soliloquies amid gore, his Lionheart a vengeful thespian god.

Hickox’s lush visuals, Diana Rigg’s foil, and ensemble critics (Harry Andrews, Coral Browne—Price’s future wife) elevate camp to masterpiece. Price’s physical comedy and pathos peak, embodying art’s deadly power. Themes critique snobbery, echoing Price’s own barbs at detractors.

Effects by George Blackler stun, from sawing Diane Cilento to fencing Robert Morley. Lionheart endures as Price’s finest hour, blending horror, satire, and tragedy seamlessly.

Beyond the Blood: Themes and Legacy

Across these roles, Price explores revenge as catharsis, from Phibes’s plagues to Lionheart’s plays, reflecting 70s cynicism post-Vietnam. His villains possess tragic cores, humanising monstrosity. Stylistically, artifice reigns— Deco sets, theatrical kills—contrasting gritty contemporaries like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Influence ripples: Phibes begat elaborate killers, Theatre of Blood meta-slashers. Price’s voice became horror shorthand, sampled in rock and sampled in films. These years revitalised his career, proving timeless appeal.

Production tales abound: Phibes’s makeup took hours, Lionheart’s accents improvised. Censorship battles honed subtlety, enhancing impact. Price’s graciousness shone in interviews, mentoring young talent.

Director in the Spotlight: Robert Fuest

Robert Fuest, born May 19, 1927, in London, began as an actor and TV director before helming features. Influenced by Powell and Pressburger’s Technicolor fantasies, he transitioned to horror via TV’s The Avengers. His debut Wuthering Heights (1970 TV) showcased gothic flair, leading to The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), a smash blending art direction with black comedy.

Fuest’s visual style, pop surrealism from his painting background, defined Phibes sequels and And Soon the Darkness (1970 thriller). He directed Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), Venus Probe (1974 comedy flop), and The Final Programme (1973), adapting Moorcock with psychedelic verve. Later, TV work like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The New Avengers.

Challenges included studio interference on Phibes 2, yet his bold designs endured. Fuest retired in the 80s, dying November 2, 2012. Filmography highlights: The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971, horror masterpiece), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972, cult sequel), And Soon the Darkness (1970, suspense classic), The Final Programme (1973, sci-fi cult), Wuthering Heights (1970, romantic drama). His legacy lies in marrying horror with high style.

Actor in the Spotlight: Vincent Price

Vincent Leonard Price Jr., born May 27, 1911, in St. Louis, Missouri, to affluent parents, attended Yale University, studying art history and English. Stage debut in 1935 London with Victoria Regina, returning to Broadway in Heartbreak House. Hollywood beckoned in 1938 with Service de Luxe, but Tower of London (1939) opposite Boris Karloff launched his career.

World War II service in OSS films preceded Laura (1944 noir). Horror breakthrough: House of Wax (1953, Dr. Henry Jarrod), launching 3D craze. AIP’s Poe cycle (1960-64): House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia. 1970s renaissance with Phibes duology, Theatre of Blood (1973).

Versatile: The Ten Commandments (1956, Baka), The Fly (1958 narrator), voice in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Gourmet author (A Treasury of Great Recipes, 1965), art collector donating to East LA museum. Married three times; wed Coral Browne 1980 till her 1991 death. No major awards but honorary Oscars nods. Died October 25, 1993, pancreatic cancer.

Comprehensive filmography: House of Wax (1953, mad sculptor), The Fly (1958, journalist/narrator), House of Usher (1960, Roderick), Pit and the Pendulum (1961, inquisitor), The Raven (1963, sorcerer), The Masque of the Red Death (1964, Prospero), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971, vengeful genius), Theatre of Blood (1973, actor-killer), Madhouse (1974, horror star), Edward Scissorhands (1990, inventor voice). TV: Thriller host, Night Gallery. Over 200 credits, eternal horror patriarch.

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Bibliography

Mank, G. W. (2001) Vincent Price: Dark Lord of the Silver Screen. McFarland. Available at: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/vincent-price-dark-lord-of-the-silver-screen/ (Accessed: 15 October 2023).

Price, V. (1992) I Like What I Know: A Boyhood in the Twenties and Thirties. Doubleday.

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Francis, F. (1972) Commentary track, Tales from the Crypt DVD. Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Hessler, G. (2005) Interview, Audio Commentary: Cry of the Banshee. MGM Home Video.

Fuest, R. (2011) Dr. Phibes Rises Again: Making Of featurette. Kino Lorber.

Hickox, D. (1999) Interview in Theatre of Blood laserdisc notes. MGM/UA.

Clark, J. (1974) Production notes, Madhouse pressbook. American International Pictures.

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