Beyond Terror: Vincent Price on Television

In-person: Q&A with Victoria Price, author and daughter of Vincent Price, moderated by UCLA Alumn Gabz Norte.

Join us for a screening of an eclectic mix of television programming inspired by the research paper, “The Ideology of Liveness, Theatricality, and the Star Persona: Vincent Price on Television,” written by archivist Gabz Norte. The paper was produced for the graduate seminar “Researching the UCLA Film & Television Archive,” taught by Maya Montañez Smukler (Head, Archive Research and Study Center) in UCLA’s Cinema and Media Studies program, Winter 2022.

Screening the following:

Beyond Terror: Vincent Price on Television

Forever synonymous with blood-curdling terror, Vincent Price was much more than a horror legend. His refined taste and diverse talents epitomize the classic definition of a Renaissance man. Join us for an eclectic mix of television programming celebrating the beloved icon, including lighthearted daytime talk shows highlighting his deep knowledge of art and cooking, starring roles in prestige television dramas from Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling, and a biographical retrospective on This Is Your Life.

On the Go: “Vincent Price” (U.S., 3/30/1960) — With original commercials!

Vincent Price invites viewers into his home in Beverly Glen for a playful tour of his world-class art collection of rare works he acquired from around the globe. Along with host Jack Linketter, Price also welcomes fellow legend, director William Castle for an in-depth discussion of the horror genre for which they are renowned.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: “The Perfect Crime” (U.S., 10/20/1957)

Under the direction of the master of suspense, Vincent Price embodies an urbane, egotistical master detective with an unusual hobby — he retains artifacts from his most infamous cases as trophies. The teleplay by future Academy Award-winner Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) affords Price the opportunity to play a sophisticated connoisseur, a role he was quite familiar with in real life as an extremely knowledgeable art collector.

Night Gallery: “Class of ’99” (U.S., 9/22/1971)

A steely-cold Vincent Price pierces the small screen as a domineering proctor in a futuristic classroom where students must obey his every command, no matter how abhorrent. Set in 1999, Rod Serling’s chilling examination of bigotry and artificial intelligence proves prescient and shockingly relevant in 2025.

Dinah! Guest starring Vincent Price (excerpts, U.S., ca, 1970s)

This trio of endearing appearances on Dinah Shore’s popular daytime talk show illuminate Vincent Price beyond the horror genre. Highlights include Price sharing his refined culinary talents over a glass of wine with Dinah, an uproarious reminiscence of the Mercury Theatre with fellow guest Orson Welles, and a hilarious reading of an unexpectedly frightful text.

This Is Your Life: “Vincent Price” (U.S., 3/18/73)

From inside the Pickwick Book Shop on Hollywood Boulevard, Vincent Price finds himself ambushed by host Ralph Edwards for a life retrospective. In the course of the moving half hour, Price’s vital advocacy for Native American artists and their art is heralded, and the superstar is reunited with a litany of family members and well-wishers, including fellow legend Helen Hayes.