Vampires
It’s my tribute to Vincent Price… who died on October 25, 1993. (It is also a tribute to Legosi and Lee).
As a little bit of Vinnie trivia… Vincent played only ONE vampire in his long MOVIE career. In what movie did he play a blood-sucker? bonus question… what was said vampire’s name? extra bonus on what tv show did Vincent play a vampire?
Someone needs to write a tune to this, I love it!
Hmmm…. there was a movie where Price was The Last Man On Earth to not be a vampire (same base story as I am Legend and Omega Man – Matheson’s I am Legend).
He was in the incredibly cheesy (Hammer?) film The Monster Club, where he feeds from a horror writer (Carradine) then invites a horror writer to… The Monster Club, a club where only monsters are allowed. He then regales the writer with scary stories – only to reveal at the end that the human has been brought to the Monster Club to be… inducted in as the latest and greatest member, representative of the biggest monster of all time – Man.
(Best line in the movie… ‘Food comes from boxes. Clothing comes from boxes. Boxes come from ground.’ From the story about the ghouls and hu-ghouls.)
He was a vampire on F – Troop of all things, and again on The Muppet Show, where he got bitten by Kermit the Frog, while demonstrating to Kermit how to grow fangs….
I met Vincent Price once, when I was a young Grump – he was in Boston, and took a guest appearance at the Science Museum there. I was able to listen to him reciting dirty limericks afterwards. (‘People think that all limericks are dirty, this is not rue – only the best ones.) He told them with great dignity and aplomb. (And I am pretty sure that he did not know that there was a child in the room as he told them.)
His eyes were an incredibly bright blue.
From someone that actually knew him when she was young, he was also a very entertaining dinner guest, and a genuinely nice person – that enjoyed life a great deal.
The Auld Grump
My favorite piece of Vinnie trivia – in addition to staring in the AI remake, he was also in the original version of Tower of London (he played Clarence).
I actually read the original book by Bram Stoker earlier this year.
Price also made a cameo on Alice Cooper’s Welcome To My Nightmare album – he does some narration between “Devils Food” and “Black Widow”.
How come nobody ever lists George Hamilton in “Love at First Bite”. *hehe* That was a terrific movie.
Renfield: I thought you were having fun.
Count Dracula: Fun? How would you like to go around looking like a head waiter for 700 years?
Chug… I am glad that you like… I simply must spend some time in Garage Band… I have the power… I have the technology…
Grump… you gots it… all of it. And I actually liked The Monster Club… yes, it was silly in parts… which didn’t match the stories being told… which were anything but silly… but I guess if you go into a film expecting it to be bad, you can be surprised by it not being as bad as you thought.
I am jealous that you were actually met him. He was to have been a gentle and happy person with a bon vivant about him. A real cook and he was a great art appreciator. … and dirty joke teller…ha ha!
We just watched Vinnie on the Muppet Show as we have the first season on DVD… a real fun episode.
Beetle… Tower of London… I will check that out… I am unfamiliar.
uwg… so Michael Jackson wasn’t the first to borrow Vinnie’s voice….
Pete… this is Judy’s favorite Vampire movie… I have not seen it in forever… I do dig disco and would most likely appreciate it more now.
Great line-up! I’m not sure if Vincent Price ever played a vampire, other than his guest appearance on The Muppet Show (Kermit was a fast learner; he immediately turned into a vampire and bit Vincent!).
Very nice caricature work, Brig!
Oh, I liked Monster Club too – how do you think I was able to remember the lines? 🙂 (I have it on DVD…. 😛 )
Annie – the person that I know who knew him – met him when her uncle had him over to dinner parties. They lived in Connecticut, and Price was a life long New Yorker.
From what she has to say he was a very happy person, and enjoyed being, well, Vincent Price.
And, yes, a great cook.
He once told them how he was originally being cast as romantic leads – and how glad he was when early on he started playing other parts… instead. Romantic leads have a limited shelf life, but character actors always have work.
I only remember one of the limericks he told, and that only because I later heard Isaac Asimov telling the same limerick at an ABA show. (There was a young couple from Florida….)
I also saw Price, not to talk to, when he was in a cafe in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Julia Child…. I wonder what they were talking about? 😛 (I’m gonna guess… food….)
He played the Saint on the old radio show – and did a much better job than Kilmer, let me tell you. 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obD95SXp0Nk
The Auld Grump
Thinking about it… I am pretty sure that Vincent Price would embrace the ‘camp’ appellation. He enjoyed hamming it up. I am pretty sure that he enjoyed playing Eramus.
Went to my collection, and discovered that I have TWO versions of The Monster Club – one that is just the film, the other… with Elvira. 😛 And I was wrong – the film was by Amicus, not Hammer.
And something entertaining about another of the vampire actors… Sir Christopher Lee has 276 credits on IMDB… and feels that modern actors lack a worth ethic…. 😆 I think that the man MIGHT be a workaholic… his first roles were in the 1940s….
The Auld Grump, I’ve never met Sir Christopher Lee, but I would like to, some day. (But I have met Bruce Campbell… a LOT of folks in Portland, Maine have met Bruce Campbell… another gregarious, and very happy man. 😛 )
Sorry – a bit more rambling….
There is an old British folk song that may (or may not) be about a vampire – the matter is debated, now and again.
REYNARDINE
One evening as I rambled, two miles from Pomeroy,
I spied a pretty fair maiden, all on the mountain high.
I said, “My pretty fair maiden, your beauty shines most clear,
And on this lonesome mountain, I’m glad to meet you here.”
She said, “Young man, be civil; my company forsake,
For to my good opinion, I fear you are a rake,
And if my parents came to know, my life they would destroy,
For keeping of your company, all on the mountain high.”
Oh no, my dear, I am no rake, brought up in Venus’ train,
But I’m searching for concealment, all from the judge’s men.
Your beauty has ensnared me, I can not pass you by.
And with my gun I’ll guard you, all on the mountain high.
Her cherry cheeks and ruby lips, they lost their former dye
And she fell into his arms then all on the mountains high
They hadn’t kissed but once or twice till she came to again
And modestly she asked him “Oh, sir, what is you name?”
Well if by chance you look for me, by chance you’ll not me find
‘Tis writ in ancient history, my name is Reynardine.”
Sun and dark she followed him, his teeth so bright did shine
And he led her over the mountains, that sly bold Reynardine
So come all you pretty fair maidens, this warning take by me.
Never go a roving, and shun bad company,
For if you do, you’ll surely rue until the day you die.
And beware of meeting Reynardine, all on the mountain high.
The Auld Grump
AG,
For an actor with a work ethic, check Karloff.
Dada… thank you… coming from you that means a lot!
Grump… no apologies… I have 27 recordings of The Saint on my iPod! I gatta listen to something when I am drawing! I love Vinnie’s voice and could listen to it all day… I even have a Disney recording of Price’s voice which was part of Phantom Manor…. I’m not sure if they used it, but it’s creepy, of course.
I’m sure that you’ve heard his recordings of spooky stories on LPs… YouTube has tons of them… he narrated quite a few. Your Reynardine reminded me of this.
And of course, Vinnie and Julia knew each other! THey would have had to!
I would have loved to hear their conversations!!!!
Obviously, Vincent Price was one of those rare people whom, having met him, people never forgot the meeting.
And remembered with pleasure.