Items related to Vincent Price: a Daughter's Biography
Since his death in 1993, Vincent Price’s legacy as a Hollywood legend has only grown in stature. His lengthy and distinguished career—as the voice of The Saint on the radio; as an actor in such unforgettable horror films as House of Wax and The Fly, in classic movies such as Laura and The Song of Bernadette, and on popular TV shows such as Batman and The Brady Bunch; and as a star on the Broadway stage—spanned sixty-five years. In addition to being an icon of stage and screen, Price was an art historian and collector who did much to popularize the visual arts in the United States, as well as a gourmet chef and author of bestselling cookbooks. Widely revered for his elegance and erudition, this Renaissance man left his mark on many areas of American culture during the twentieth century.
Vincent Price was also a loving father to his daughter Victoria, who was born shortly before he turned fifty-one, at the height of his popularity. Though the star’s busy film schedule took him in and out of his young daughter’s life, he was always a larger-than-life presence and, simply, her father. The deep bond between father and daughter managed to survive the machinations of Price’s third wife, the elegant British actress Coral Browne, who resented the close relationship between Price and his children and grandchildren. After Browne’s death, Price and his daughter spent over a year taping conversations that would form the basis of this compelling biography-cum-memoir.
In writing about the father she adored, Victoria Price reveals a man complex, human, and humorous. An actor of range, less than one-third of the movies in which he appeared were in the horror genre. As a pre-war anti-Nazi sympathizer, he was greylisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s until, in a desperate gesture, he signed a secret oath that saved his career. His passion for the arts gave him a second life as a savvy columnist and museum founder, even as his films were featured in drive-ins nationwide. And through it all, Vincent Price’s professionalism, grace under pressure, and tongue-in-cheek humor earned him lifelong friendships among his peers and generation after generation of loyal fans.
Victoria Price’s account of her father is one of candor and honesty; both his passionate and charismatic public persona and his conflicted inner life are treated with curiosity and understanding. Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography is, in short, the thorough—and uniquely intimate—life of a legend.
For more information about Vincent Price, please visit vincentprice.com.
Vincent Price was also a loving father to his daughter Victoria, who was born shortly before he turned fifty-one, at the height of his popularity. Though the star’s busy film schedule took him in and out of his young daughter’s life, he was always a larger-than-life presence and, simply, her father. The deep bond between father and daughter managed to survive the machinations of Price’s third wife, the elegant British actress Coral Browne, who resented the close relationship between Price and his children and grandchildren. After Browne’s death, Price and his daughter spent over a year taping conversations that would form the basis of this compelling biography-cum-memoir.
In writing about the father she adored, Victoria Price reveals a man complex, human, and humorous. An actor of range, less than one-third of the movies in which he appeared were in the horror genre. As a pre-war anti-Nazi sympathizer, he was greylisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s until, in a desperate gesture, he signed a secret oath that saved his career. His passion for the arts gave him a second life as a savvy columnist and museum founder, even as his films were featured in drive-ins nationwide. And through it all, Vincent Price’s professionalism, grace under pressure, and tongue-in-cheek humor earned him lifelong friendships among his peers and generation after generation of loyal fans.
Victoria Price’s account of her father is one of candor and honesty; both his passionate and charismatic public persona and his conflicted inner life are treated with curiosity and understanding. Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography is, in short, the thorough—and uniquely intimate—life of a legend.
For more information about Vincent Price, please visit vincentprice.com.
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Review:
Those who only think of Vincent Price as the deliciously evil star of numerous horror films are in for an enjoyable surprise with Victoria Price's Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography. The younger Price, through a dedicated search of clippings, letters, and her father's old journals, paints a beautifully rich portrait of a man with personal grace, intellectual fire, and a kind heart. Price reveals everything from odd little tidbits--Vincent was cast in his first London stage production due to his gum-chewing abilities--to profound depths, such as his lifelong love of art and his serious reputation as a student and collector. Price also had a surprisingly good sense of humor, indulging in genially self-deprecating jokes about his own occasionally abysmal movies.
About the Author:
Though this is definitely a loving memoir of her father, Victoria Price is not blinded by her affection for him. She gives an earnest attempt at presenting the whole man--fact-checking and debunking a few cherished family legends and unflinchingly reporting her father's youthful anti-Semitism. (As Price grew more worldly and met some actual Jews, he reversed his position and became an active supporter of B'nai Brith and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League.) But A Daughter's Autobiography's may best value may be as a handbook for actors: through the numerous ups and downs of his career, Price remained a consummate professional. He never stopped working to improve his skills, deliberately sidestepping romantic-lead parts to take on more challenging roles, and was unfailingly generous to his costars. A truly engrossing look at the noble character of one of the silver screen's greatest villains. --Ali Davis
Victoria Price is a designer, art consultant, public speaker, and the author of Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography, the critically acclaimed account of her father’s life. She has also written for the New York Times, A&E’s Biography, and many other national, regional, and local magazines, newspapers, and television programs. Price has taught at the University of New Mexico, New Mexico Highlands University, and the Philos School, an alternative arts-and-humanities school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that she helped to found. She is currently working on the fiftieth anniversary edition of A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price, to be published in 2015, as well as a memoir and a book on design.
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- PublisherPan
- ISBN 10 0330484850
- ISBN 13 9780330484855
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages416
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