The Hidden Tragedy Behind Hollywood’s ‘King Of Horror’

Vincent Price was famous for playing unusual characters ranging from mad scientist to invisible men, with his iconic voice, thin mustache, and an eye-brow-raise that matched his roles so well. He was popularly considered the “King of Horror” and worked alongside greats like Boris Karloff in his lifetime.

Price died in 1993 at the age of 82 from lung cancer after suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Parkinson’s disease as well. His illness led to retirement in his late 70s, as he was still working during his old age.

Price had a successful acting career

Price made such an indelible impact in Hollywood, featuring in over 200 productions, including TV and movies, according to his IMDB page. One of his popular films, House of Wax, was the second 3D movie to be released by a major Hollywood studio, which follosed by just two days the first 3D film, Man in the Dark.

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He played the doctor who discovered a terrifying parasite in The Tingler in 1959; a parasite that fed on fear and latched onto people’s spines — at some point in the movie, some seats would vibrate as if the tingler itself was attached to viewers’ spines in what was described as a “4D” experience. It also represented the first instance of LSD appearing in a film.

Price was an academic

Before making it big in acting, Price was a student at the prestigious Yale University. After graduating, he taught there for a year, after which he quit, saying, “I had the extraordinary experience of finding out that I knew nothing.”

He also wanted to attend the University of London for a master’s degree, however, his passion for acting altered his decision. He went into acting and never looked back, appearing in his first stage production, Chicago.

Outside of acting

Another fun side of Price was that he enjoyed cooking, and was, in fact, an excellent gourmet chef. He and his ex-wife, Mary Grant, published several cookbooks, and Price had his own cooking show —Cooking Price-Wise with Vincent Price — that lasted for six weeks.

Later in his career, it was not unusual to find Price on commercials for brands like Tilex, the board game Stay Alive, Chips Ahoy! Cookies, and many others.