The Vincent Price Exhibit: Theatre

"I've come to believe remembering someone is not

the highest compliment -- it is missing them."
- Vincent Price

Theatre

It was the theatre that gave the world its first look at Vincent Price. After his stunning debut on the London stage in Victoria Regina in 1936 (then on Broadway two years later), Price seldom strayed too far from the world of the theatre. On the stage he was as versatile as he was on screen, but somehow he was more appreciated by a live audience. In this section of our exhibit, you'll find images and objects from Price's frequent forays on the stage.

Click on any picture for a larger view

An ad for VP's appearance in Rochester, NY for his March 10, 1972 presentation of his "The Villains Still Pursue Me" lecture. I was 15 at the time and was captivated!	VP's final, finest moment on the stage was his role of Oscar Wilde in the one-man show Diversions & Delights. He did it on Broadway and then toured with it for several years. Sadly, it was never taped or filmed for posterity.	The magnificent cover art from the original program for Victoria Regina, the play that introduced VP to American audiences in 1938.

VP's page in the Victoria Regina program, which he signed for me in 1981	A lovely photograph of Price and Helen Hayes as Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, from the Victoria Regina program.	The 'Playbill' cover for VP's show Angel Street in 1942. This play, which gave VP his first truly villainous role, was later filmed as Gaslight with Charles Boyer.

The first cast page from the Angel Street 'Playbill' which Price signed for me in 1981.	The third and final time I saw VP in person was for his return engagement to Rochester for "The Villains Still Pursue Me" in 1981. It was also the time I was lucky enough to meet him.	VP appeared in this 1953 production of Richard III, which starred Jose Ferrer.

One more 'Playbill,' this time for a 1939 production of the afterlife fantasy Outward Bound.	This 1968 musical, starring VP, ran only 28 performances. However, RCA still released this cast album.	A nice character portrait of VP as Oscar Wilde from the souvenir program for Diversions & Delights.

A rare photo of VP and Mildred Natwick in the White Plains/Westchester Playhouse summer theatre production of What Every Woman Knows, 1936.	VP as Fagin in a regional theatre production of Oliver!. He loved doing musicals.	The cover of a program for a 1978 production of the musical Damn Yankees, in which VP played (and sang) the Devil! This production costarred Pia Zadora.

VP during the late 1970's, when he had all but forsaken films for his first love: the stage.	Program for The Lady Has a Heart, 1938; VP followed his great success in Victoria Regina with this play, which was a disheartening failure.	After his marriage to Coral Browne, VP appeared with her in this 1975 production of Ardele in London. It was not a successful venture!

One of VP's happiest theatre experiences occured in the early 50's when he substituted for Charles Laughton in the touring production of Don Juan in Hell.	Photos from the early 50's production of T.S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party. One of his costars (pictured at top left) was Harry Ellerbe, who would play the butler in 1960's House of Usher.	Extremely rare, signed playbill for the play Poet's Corner, written by Vincent Price! It was performed once, at the Lakewood, Maine theatre in the late 1930's.

*Postcard ad from Angel Street, showing VP and costar Judith Evelyn, with whom he'd appear years later in the film The Tingler!*

Site created May 26, 1999 by Richard D. Squires [richarddsquires@gmail.com]; last updated July 3, 2007.
All written content and arrangement of materials copyright Richard D. Squires, 1999 - 2007.

An ad for VP's appearance in Rochester, NY for his March 10, 1972 presentation of his "The Villains Still Pursue Me" lecture. I was 15 at the time and was captivated!

VP's final, finest moment on the stage was his role of Oscar Wilde in the one-man show Diversions & Delights. He did it on Broadway and then toured with it for several years. Sadly, it was never taped or filmed for posterity.

The magnificent cover art from the original program for Victoria Regina, the play that introduced VP to American audiences in 1938.

VP's page in the Victoria Regina program, which he signed for me in 1981

A lovely photograph of Price and Helen Hayes as Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, from the Victoria Regina program.

The 'Playbill' cover for VP's show Angel Street in 1942. This play, which gave VP his first truly villainous role, was later filmed as Gaslight with Charles Boyer.

The first cast page from the Angel Street 'Playbill' which Price signed for me in 1981.

The third and final time I saw VP in person was for his return engagement to Rochester for "The Villains Still Pursue Me" in 1981. It was also the time I was lucky enough to meet him.

VP appeared in this 1953 production of Richard III, which starred Jose Ferrer.

One more 'Playbill,' this time for a 1939 production of the afterlife fantasy Outward Bound.

This 1968 musical, starring VP, ran only 28 performances. However, RCA still released this cast album.

A nice character portrait of VP as Oscar Wilde from the souvenir program for Diversions & Delights.

A rare photo of VP and Mildred Natwick in the White Plains/Westchester Playhouse summer theatre production of What Every Woman Knows, 1936.

VP as Fagin in a regional theatre production of Oliver!. He loved doing musicals.

The cover of a program for a 1978 production of the musical Damn Yankees, in which VP played (and sang) the Devil! This production costarred Pia Zadora.

VP during the late 1970's, when he had all but forsaken films for his first love: the stage.

Program for The Lady Has a Heart, 1938; VP followed his great success in Victoria Regina with this play, which was a disheartening failure.

After his marriage to Coral Browne, VP appeared with her in this 1975 production of Ardele in London. It was not a successful venture!

One of VP's happiest theatre experiences occured in the early 50's when he substituted for Charles Laughton in the touring production of Don Juan in Hell.

Photos from the early 50's production of T.S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party. One of his costars (pictured at top left) was Harry Ellerbe, who would play the butler in 1960's House of Usher.

Extremely rare, signed playbill for the play Poet's Corner, written by Vincent Price! It was performed once, at the Lakewood, Maine theatre in the late 1930's.