House on Haunted Hill
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VOICE Journal of the Alex Film Society Vol. 12, No. 3 October 28, 2006, 2 pm & 8 pm 10/06 of theTHEATRE William Castle’s Perspective: VINCENT PRICE By Ronald Bonk House on Haunted ith a film career that Hill Wspanned six decades, Vincent Price played handsome romantic leads Price ventured to Hollywood under which he played the romantic lead as well as wicked villains. Unlike contract to Universal. His first opposite Margaret Lindsay. In 1940 most evildoers of the silver screen, screen role was in a delightful Price was signed to a seven-year Price was not physically menacing. comedy called Service de Luxe contract with 20th Century Fox that Rather it was his character’s keen (1938) in which he played opposite permitted him to make occasional intellect combined with a calm, Constance Bennett. He was then stage performances. The following well spoken, confident voice loaned out to Warner Brothers for a year he had one of his greatest that brought an uneasy sense Broadway successes playing the of menace to his film roles. evil Mr. Manningham opposite 1953 and the advent of 3-D Judith Evelyn in Angel Street. Vincent Price was born in St. brought Price one of his most Louis, Missouri on May 27, 1911 In 1943 Fox gave Price his first into a family of comfortable memorable roles. great screen role: that of Jennifer means. His father was president Jones’ skeptical opponent in The of the National Candy Company supporting part in The Private Lives Song of Bernadette. This was a supplier of sweets to five of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) which followed by supporting parts in and dime stores nationwide. was followed by a handful of other The Eve of St. Mark (1944) playing Universal programmers including a Shakespeare quoting Southern After appearing in several The Tower of London (1939), The soldier, Wilson (1944) playing Broadway dramas, including two Invisible Man Returns (1940) and Senator Gibbs McAdoo, Laura with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre, The House of Seven Gables (1940) in (1944) playing a suave admirer Continued on Page 2 House On Haunted Hill ............................. 1 Character Actors......................................... 5 Perspective: Vincent Price ....................... 1 Short Subjects ............................................. 7 Feature credits ............................................ 4 Calendar ........................................................ 8 VINCENT PRICE Cont’d from page 1 Vincent Price wth Famous Monsters of Filmland The Raven (1963) publisher Jerry Warren trying to win the heart of Gene sculptor who fills his museum with After appearing in a few more Tierney and Leave Her to Heaven wax-coated dead bodies when straight dramas Price finished (1945) playing a DA determined his fire-damaged hands can no out the decade with three horror to put an end to Tierney’s evil longer perform. The film was a moneymakers, The Fly (1958), doings. His first starring role was and two films for producer/ in Shock (1946) as a psychiatrist director William Castle: House trying to have Lynn Bari committed on Haunted Hill (1958) and The to an asylum after she witnesses Tingler (1959). The success of him murder his wife. He finished these chillers prompted American out the decade with Dragonwyck International Pictures to star Price (1946), Moss Rose (1947) and in their adaptation of Edgar Allan a memorable supporting part Poe’s The House of Usher (1960), in Ronald Coleman’s comedy which was directed by low-budget Champagne for Caesar (1950). filmmaker Roger Corman. The film was so successful that AIP 1953 and the advent of 3-D continued to churn out similar brought Price one of his most low-budget Poe-based films with memorable roles. In House of Price’s salary being the most Wax he played a demented The Fly (1958) expensive item in their budgets. huge box-office success and lead to another 3- D horror pic: The Mad Magician (1954). The public loved Price in these classy hair-raisers and they began his association with the horror genre that would last the rest of his life. Tales of Terror (1962) The Tingler (1959) VOICE of the THEATRE – – Vol. 1, No. 3 October 8, 006 EMERGE-O SMERGO… by Frank Gladstone These films included The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) with John illiam Castle made over 60 THE TINGLER (1959): “Percept-O” Kerr, Tales of Terror (1962) with Wfilms in his checkered career, was set up with specially wired seats Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone and but he is best known today for a in each theatre which sent a “tingle” The Raven (1963) that cast Price series of “B” horror pictures he to unsuspecting patrons during the and Lorre as magicians competing made from 1958 through 1961 climax of the picture. The Alex Film with power-hungry Boris Karloff. that featured outrageous gimmicks Society recreated “Percept-O” during The Corman/Poe collaborations concluded in England with The designed to bring in audiences… our TINGLER screening a few years Masque of the Red Death (1964) which they almost always did. ago, to great success. and The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). 13 GHOSTS (1960): “Illusion-O” Price continued to act in films and consisted of red and blue filters the appear on television throughout the audience could look through. On cue, 70’s and 80’s. His last memorable one filter would reveal the ghostly film roles were in Theatre of figures, the other would make them Blood (1973) playing a hammy disappear. HOMICIDAL (1961): Had a “Fright Break”, complete with an on-screen countdown, about half way through the picture. Audience members too frightened to continue watching could leave the theatre. Rather than tell you about the gimmick designed for House On Haunted Hill and ruin the effect that the Alex Theatre society has lovingly recreated at terrific expense, we Masque of Red Death (1964) thought it might be more opportune to review the other gimmicks Bill Castle came up with during his Shakespearean actor seeking revenge “horror cycle”. on theatrical critics who failed to give him favorable reviews, The Price models the Emergo rig. Whales of August (1987) in which MACABRE (1958): Each ticket buyer he played opposite Bette Davis and got a $1000 Lloyds of London life Lillian Gish and as Johnny Depp’s insurance policy to cover them if MR. SARDONICUS (1961): At the master in Tim Burton’s Edward they “died from fright” during the end of the movie, the audience was Scissorhands (1990). In addition to movie. invited to use “thumbs-up” and acting, Price was an avid swimmer, “thumbs-down” cards to decide if hiker, art connoisseur, cook, author, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959): the theatre would show a happy lecturer, husband and father. “Emerge-O” will be resurrected for ending (main character lives!) or He passed away at home in Los Angeles on October 25, 1993. you during this special Halloween a sad one (he dies…). As far as we show. know, he always died. Vol. 1, No. 3 October 8, 006 – 3 – VOICE of the THEATRE Press Book Alex ess books have long been a standard in film advertising. Alex PUsually printed on glossy paper (for better image reproduction) and often tabloid sized, press books contained the pertinent information on the project, its film makers and stars coupled with enough sizzle to ensure local newspapers would print the “advertorial” along with paid ads funded by the exhibitor. This clip is about one quarter a full interior page. On the reverse were pre-made ads in various sizes Alex (below). These pages are from the collection of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Alex Alex The 35mm prints of the feature and cartoon are courtesy of Warner Bros (Linda Evans- Smith & Marilee Womack) and the short subject is courtesy of Columbia Repertory, (Michael Schlesinger). Research from IMDB and the Cine-Loa Archive (George Crittenden). VOICE of the THEATRE – – Vol. 1, No. 3 October 8, 006 House Guests by Linda Harris House on Haunted Hill is a scream… and I’m not talk- ing about the audience, but the colorful cast of char- Carol Ohmart (Annabelle Loren) acters that director William Castle choose to support – Vincent Price’s wife star Vincent Price. Born July 3, 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Perhaps best known At age 19 won the to film fans is Elisha “Miss Utah” title (then Cook, Jr. – (Watson a brunette), coming Pritchard) the owner up fourth runner-up of the eerie, ghost- when she segued into invested house. the “Miss America” contest. The attention In a career spanning she received led to a almost 60 years, Elisha modeling, commercial Cook, Jr. worked in and magazine cover career. vaudeville, stock companies, Broadway, Dying her hair blonde, she became one of a “bevy of films and television. sexy blondes in Hollywood shuffled about in 50’s films, thrust into the limelight by ambitious movie studios as “Funny, isn’t it, I possible contenders to Marilyn Monroe’s uncooperative thought I’d be playing pedestal.” romantic juveniles when I went into the movies, and ended up doing pimp’s, informers, rats and heels,” Cook In 1949, she did commercials for early TV programs, once said in an interview. appearing on the NBC program “Versatile Varieties” doing floor wax commercials alongside Anne Francis Although he once declared that he had appeared in and Eva Marie Saint. “more bombs than I care to remember”, Cook was seen in a number of cinematic classics including Sergeant Paramount signed her in 1955, billing her, of course, as York (1941), Shane (1953), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), the “next Marilyn”. She came across on screen as hard- but he’ll always be remembered for his role as Wilmer bitten and unsympathetic instead of as an innocent in The Maltese Falcon (1941).