The Complete Films Of Vincent Price 2000
The first part of this coffee-table sized book gives an
overview of Vincent Price's life, as well as his career. Obviously not
a believer in reincarnation, this section concludes with a quote from
Vincent Price himself. "You only get one time around, so why waste
a minute of this glorious life?" The remainder of this book discusses
every feature film connected with Vincent Price, whether he was the
star, co-star, narrator, had a brief cameo or did the voice of an animated
character. All 100 entries give the release date of the film, the film
studio that made the picture, the running time, whether it was filmed
in black and white or color, the cast, the director, the producer, the
writer, etc. The next section gives a synopsis of the plot, sometimes
followed by quotes from the man himself or other actors appearing in
the film, and all concluding with contemporary reviews of the movie.
Each entry has at least one photo from the actual film or a candid picture
taken on the film set or, at the very least, the accompanying movie
poster. Two things struck me while reading this book. One, Vincent Price
was a versatile actor who excelled in every genre of film he appeared
in, not just horror movies. Two, every actor quoted mentioned his wicked
sense of humor, how great he was to get along with, and his professionalism.
Of the latter, Gregory Peck summed it up best. "You get a bad piece
of material, you do everything you can to improve it...That's what you're
supposed to do. That's what Vincent did. I'm sure that he never, in
his life, phoned it in, so to speak, or did less than his utmost best..."
If you're looking for a book that dishes dirt and recounts gossip, look
elsewhere. If you're looking for a comprehensive book of all of Vincent
Price's movies, look no further.
By Mike Vegas King - Amazon.com
To me, Vincent Price was always the ultimate movie star.
His best roles were always those of someone on the brink who was pushed
over the edge into soul-crushed madness, best seen in "House of
Wax" and the Corman Poe films. Williams describes each of Price's
100 feature films in detail, with the focus on Price's performance.
Each entry also quotes contemporary reviews of the film and there is
usually an anecdote or two from Price or a costar. Not only is Williams'
text good, but the book is full of fantastic publicity photos, stills
and advertising art that are treasures in and of themselves. Horror
fans can discover some of Price's other roles, like his hilarious comic
performance with Ronald Colman in "Champagne For Caesar" (Forget
"Quiz Show", check that one out!) At the end of the book Ms.
Williams states that she regrets that she didn't have space to cover
Price's extensive work in radio, TV, and the theater. So, come on, let's
have volume II!!! (Though we might want to conveniently overlook the
"Love Boat" appearances...)
By repelli "repelli" - Amazon.com