10 Best Vincent Price Horror Movies, Ranked

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1911, Vincent Price made his film debut in the 1931 comedy-drama Service de Luxe and quickly established himself as a talented character actor. His first appearance on the horror circuit, which he later became most widely known for, was in Rowland V. Lee’sTower of London. Known for his distinctive voice and appearance, Prince quickly cemented himself as one of the genre’s leading representatives.

Price remained active in the film industry well into his 70s, lending his signature voice to cartoons, documentaries and, of course, Michael Jackson‘s mega-hit “Thriller.” He was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1989, a year before his last significant film appearance as The Inventor in Tim Burton‘s Edward Scissorhands. A bonafide icon of the horror genre, Price died in 1993 at the age of 82, but his legend lives on. These are Vincent Price’s best horror movies, perfect entries into the horror genre that remain profoundly influential today.

10 ‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1959)

Directed by William Castle

Eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Price) offers five people $10,000 if they dare spend a single night at the titular and seemingly haunted house along with him and his wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart). Among the guests, all allegedly chosen because of their need for the prize money, is Dr. David Trent (Alan Marshal), who is later revealed to be having an affair with Annabelle.

It comes to light that the haunted house party is part of an elaborate plan the lovers have hatched to stage Frederick’s murder, but if they aren’t careful, the skeletons in the closet might end up being their own. House on Haunted Hill is one of the best B-movies of the 1950s, and Price definitely steals this particular horror show with his stylish performance full of flair. His slow, deliberate monologues are uniquely chilling, leaving audiences constantly wondering if his character is one of the living or one of the house’s many ghosts.

9 ‘The Last Man on Earth’ (1964)

Directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow

When a strange plague destroys all human life, Dr. Robert Morgan (Price) divides his time between searching for a cure and fending off vicious vampire-like creatures that were once human. While struggling to maintain his sanity, Dr. Morgan comes across Ruth Collins (Franca Bettoia), who explains that she and others like her have developed a serum that allows them to control their disease. Dr. Morgan then injects Ruth with some of his blood and cures her completely, but his efforts are not met with the reward he was expecting.

The Last Man on Earth is elevated by Price’s unsettling portrayal of a tormented man. It is based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and is considered to be one of the most faithful adaptations. The film was later regarded as being a graphic blueprint for the hugely successful Night of the Living Dead by the legendary George A. Romano.

8 ‘The Tomb of Ligeia’ (1964)

Directed by Roger Corman

Years after losing his first wife Ligeia, widower Verden Fell (Price) marries Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd). Their new life starts well but is soon overshadowed by Fell’s continued infatuation with his late wife, especially when her spirit apárently possesses Rowena. Fell becomes more somber and withdrawn as he and Rowena are haunted by a woman who will not die because she swore not to.

At 53, Price was a bit long in the tooth to play the romantic lead in The Tomb of Ligeia, but being tied to a contract with American International Pictures, he had little choice about the roles he was cast in. Despite the tawdry wig and dark glasses, Price still pulled off a convincing portrayal of the tormented man. This was the last in a series of eight Roger Corman films adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s works because he wanted to work on more contemporary projects. Indeed, his next film, The Wild Angels, about a gang of outlaw bikers, could not be a further cry from this literary-inspired triumph.

7 ‘House of Usher’ (1960)

Directed by Roger Corman

Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) gets more than he bargained for when he visits his fiancée Madeline (Myrna Fahey) at her family home, known as the House of Usher. Madeline’s sinister and overbearing brother Roderick (Price) tells Philip the Ushers are cursed and, because of all the wicked deeds committed there, the house itself is now evil. Roderick is not only against Madeline’s marriage; he will do anything to prevent her from leaving the house, including chaining her inside a tomb.

House of Usheris one of Corman and Price’s finest efforts. Indeed, Price’s performance as Roderick is utterly compelling, and it’s hard not to feel some level of empathy as his character is gradually consumed by madness. This gothic horror is yet another fitting tribute to Poe’s gift for telling a tragic tale, which was more recently turned by Mike Flanagan into a highly successful Netflix miniseries, The Fall of the House of Usher.

6 ‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ (1971)

Directed by Robert Fuest

Dr Phibes (Price) is a scientist, scholar, and organ enthusiast who is out for revenge on nine other doctors he holds responsible for his wife’s death. With the aid of his assistant Vulnavia (Virginia North), and inspired by the plagues of Egypt, Dr. Phibes has come up with some rather inventive methods to off his victims, the most outlandish of which involves Brussels sprouts and a jar of ravenous insects.

While he doesn’t get a place among the most evil and terrifying doctors in horror movie history, Price’s role in The Abominable Dr. Phibes does deserve an award for the most bizarre. The elaborate costumes and odd musical interludes add to the wonderful weirdness of this very entertaining film. One-of-a-kind and utterly unforgettable, The Abominable Dr. Phibes gets points for originality, offering enough chills to stand out among Price’s filmography.

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5 ‘Witchfinder General’ (1968)

Directed by Michael Reeves

Matthew Hopkins (Price), also known as the Witchfinder General, is an encapsulation of the evil and corruption that existed during the English Civil War. When his fiancée Sara (Hilary Heath) is victimized and her uncle wrongfully executed, one of Cromwell’s valiant Roundhead soldiers, Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), seeks vengeance against the ruthless Puritan witch-hunter and his henchman.

Price’s performance in
Witchfinder General
is quite rightly considered one of the best in his career and the horror genre as a whole.

Witchfinder General offered Price the opportunity to portray an actual figure from history. The performance is quite rightly considered one of the best in his career and the horror genre as a whole. The real Hopkins and his cohorts became infamous for their extreme beliefs and brutal methods that sent more people to the gallows than any other witch-hunters in England. The legend of the Witchfinder General has inspired a generation of folk horror films, and Price’s portrayal is one of the most memorable, an Oscar-worthy depiction of cruelty that remains chilling.

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4 ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ (1961)

Directed by Roger Corman

Set in the sixteenth century, The Pit and the Pendulum sees Francis Barnard (John Kerr) travel to Spain to the home of his brother-in-law, Nicholas Medina (Price), after hearing of his sister Elizabeth’s (Barbara Steel) death. While getting to know Nicholas and his sister Catherine (Luana Anders), Francis learns that their father was an infamous and cruel torturer during the Spanish Inquisition. Elizabeth’s cause of death is attributed to a blood disease or a heart attack, but Francis thinks there’s something more sinister at play. A series of strange events at the Medina Castle and revelations about Nicholas’ childhood trauma, triggered by witnessing some of his father’s horrific interrogations, only add more suspicion to the mix.

The Pit and the Pendulum is among the best Edgar Allan Poe film adaptations, made all the better by the performance of the master of the macabre, Price. One thing that makes Price stand out as one of the greatest horror actors of all time is the talent he has for translating inner madness into something visual, so viewers get a real taste of the workings of a crazed mind.

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3 ‘Theater of Blood’ (1973)

Directed by Douglas Hickox

Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Price) is the face behind the Theatre of Blood. He’s an old-school Shakespearean actor who wreaks revenge on a bunch of self-important theater critics who dared to deny him their annual “Best Actor” award. An embittered Lionheart comes up with the most ingenious and disturbing way of punishing his victims by imitating famous death scenes taken from his favorite Shakespeare tales.

Theatre of Blood
is a deliciously wicked horror movie that expertly balances gore and comedy, largely thanks to Price’s stellar performance.

Price was well-supported in Theatre of Blood by a wealth of prominent British actors, including Ian Hendry as Peregrine Devlin and Dame Diana Rigg as Lionheart’s daughter, Edwina. Still, the legendary American horror icon never seemed out of place. Price’s eloquence and delivery were as impeccable as any renowned thespian, and after a taste of his very varied repertoire, it’s a shame audiences never got to see Price in a full Shakespeare movie adaptation. Campy and delirious, Theatre of Blood is a deliciously wicked horror movie that expertly balances gore and comedy, largely thanks to Price’s stellar performance.

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2 ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ (1964)

Directed by Roger Corman

While inviting his subjects to a feast, Prince Prospero (Price) is insulted by two villagers, Gino (David Weston) and his father-in-law Ludovico (Nigel Green), but Gino’s beautiful wife, Francesca (Jane Asher), begs for mercy. After learning the village is infected with a deadly “Red Plague,” Prospero takes the men and Francesca to his castle and orders his men to burn the village. He then throws an opulent masquerade ball, confident that he and his guests are protected from the deadly plague because of his loyalty to Satan, but soon learns that there is nowhere to hide when death comes calling.

Price excels at delivering terrifyingly evil monologues with an air of sadistic glee that few other performers had.

The Masque of the Red Death was well received by critics, probably because of its more complex storyline and deeper symbolism than others in the genre. Price excels at delivering terrifyingly evil monologues with an air of sadistic glee that few other performers had. Films featuring Satan are making a comeback on the modern horror scene, but they will have a lot to contend with against this devilishly good film.

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1 ‘House of Wax’ (1953)

Directed by Andre De Toth

Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) has an incredible talent for creating the most lifelike wax sculptures. Eager to recoup his investment, Jarrod’s business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts), pushes him towards more sensational exhibitions like a chamber of horrors. When he refuses, Burke sets the wax museum on fire, hoping to claim the insurance. Jarrod reappears more than a year later and opens a new wax exhibit, giving the people the shock and horror they want. Little do they know he has invented a particularly gruesome way of producing his new wax creations.

House of Wax marks the epitome of Price’s stellar career. For the era, it was state of the art, being the first 3D horror feature and the first time many viewers experienced stereophonic sound. The scene where Jarrod’s disfigured face is exposed from behind a wax mask is as shocking today as it was back then and adds to House of Wax‘s considerable legacy as one of the best and most rewatchable horror films of the 1950s.

Next: [10 Most Rewatchable ’60s Horror Movies, Ranked]