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Arts & Entertainment

Vincentennial Celebrates 100 Years of Vincent Price

Ten-day film festival celebrates Vincent Price's 100th birthday.

Vincent Price was born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911. His boyhood home was on Forsyth Boulevard near Washington University. 

Despite forging an iconic career as an actor on stage, screen and television Vincent Price was a renowned art collector and chef. Despite all of his fame, Price never forgot St. Louis and loved to come home for productions at The Muny, talks at the Art Museum and Country Day School where he was an alumni from the class of 1928. He was a Cardinals fan (although he did like the Dodgers once he moved to LA) and a true champion of the city, praising it and his Midwestern roots whenever he could.

Despite being known as ‘the crown prince of horror,’ Price’s film career was incredibly rich and diverse. Cinema St. Louis is paying tribute to Price's career with the Vincentennial film festival, a 10-day celebration of his 100th birthday, starting May 19 through May 28, in several venues around town, including the Missouri Art Museum, Washington University and the St. Louis Art Museum.

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The films being shown during the festival represent the many facets of Price’s many roles and show that he was an actor willing to take on challenging roles. Audiences will see Price onscreen in totally new ways, in comedies, drama and even a Western.

However Price’s horror fans will not be let down as the Vincentennial also features Price’s classic horror films The Fly, The Tingler, House of Usher as well as his excellent series of films based on the works of Edgar Alan Poe, Masque of The Read Death, The Raven and The Pit and the Pendulum.

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Many events are being scheduled around the films being shown including three presentations by his daughter, Victoria Price. Film historian David Del Valle will interview her before and after the May 25th screenings of The Whales of August and Vincent Price: The Sinister Image at Washington University.  She will host The Vincent Price Legacy: Reflections From A Daughter, a multimedia presentation at the Missouri History Museum at 7pm May 27th, the date of Vincent price’s 100th birthday. She will also be on hand to close out the Vincentennial with a screening of Edward Scissorhands and Vincent on May 28th at The Muny. 

One of the other people who knew Vincent Price best was director Roger Corman who made seven films with Price. He will be on hand May 20-21 to introduce Tomb of Ligeia and Masque of the Red Death. He also is receiving a lifetime achievement award from Cinema St. Louis.

Here is the film schedule for the Vincentennial. Screenings at the Hi-Pointe have a fee; events at Washington University, The Muny and the Missouri History Museum are free to the public. For a synopsis of films and information on special events visit at: http://www.cinemastlouis.org/vincentennial

Thursday, May 19
Missouri History Museum
The Fly: 7:30pm

Friday, May 20
Hi-Pointe
The Last Man On Earth: 7:00pm
The Tingler: 9:30pm

Saturday, May 21
Hi-Point 1
The Tingler: 12:00pm
Theatre of Blood: 2:30pm
The Pit & the Pendulum: 5:00pm
The Tomb of Ligeia: 8:00pm

Sunday, May 22
Missouri History Museum
The Raven: 12:30pm
The Abominable Dr. Phibes: 2:30pm

Hi-Pointe
House of Usher: 5:00pm
The Masque of the Red Death: 7:30pm

Monday, May 23
Brown Hall, Washington University
Laura: 7:00pm
Dragonwyck: 9:15pm

Tuesday, May 24
Brown Hall, Washington University
Champagne for Caesar: 7:00pm
The Baron of Arizona: 9:15pm

Wednesday, May 25
Brown Hall, Washington University
The Whales of August 7:00pm
Vincent Price: The Sinister Image: 9:15pm

Thursday, May 26
Brown Hall, Washington University
Witchfinder General: 7:00pm

Friday, May 27
Missouri History Museum
The Vincent Price Legacy: Reflections From A Daughter: 7:00pm

Saturday May 28
Muny Bank of America Pavilion
Vincent/Edward Scissorhands: 8:30pm

In addition to the films being shown, the celebration of all things Price includes Vincentennial: The Legacy of Vincent Price at The Sheldon Art Galleries. The exhibition features a collection of images, artifacts, heirlooms and mementos from Price’s life and career.

The Vincentennial has spread into The Loop as well. Star Clipper Comics is featuring Vincent Price Presents in their gallery space at 6392 Delmar through June 29th. This show features illustrations of Price by more than a dozen St. Louis artists as well as Joel Robinson, the artist who created the Vincentennial logo and Shana Bilbrey a genre artist whose work has appeared in several publications.

The Vincentennial takes to the stage in the East Loop with Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre’s The Abominable Dr. Phibes at the Regional Arts Commission. For information on pricing and show times visit www.stlshakespeare.org.

Super-8 Vincent Price Movie Madness
See Price’s films in a free 100-minute ‘old-school Super-8 film extravaganza’ curated by Vincentennial founder Tom Stockman. The next screening is planned at The Way Out Club, 2525 Jefferson Avenue on May 26th at 10pm.

The Vincentennial is the brainchild of local horror fan Tom Stockman who saw the project grow into a sprawling citywide celebration. Once Cinema St. Louis got involved the event kick started into high gear, allowing Stockman’s dream of a festival to honor Vincent Price into something massive.

Since Price never relented in his love and passion for St. Louis. It seems only fair that on the occasion of his 100th birthday we should reciprocate with great enthusiasm.

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