BY KRISTEN ANCILLOTTI | The malicious and fiery destruction of Henry Jarrod’s lifelike wax figures, and the consequences wrought from that act, may continue to unsettle audiences of 1953’s House of Wax. But the only things melting at the June 25 screening were hearts, as film buffs spoke reverently of the film and its star, Vincent Price—and Price’s daughter spoke of her father’s legacy.

Movie lovers gathered at The National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park S.) to view House of Wax, and to hear Alan Sklar, a neighborhood luminary who owned Alan’s Alley Video in Chelsea for over 25 years, introduce it.

“I first saw House of Wax on TV, because I was four years old when it was made, and so, they weren’t taking me to that one,” Sklar said to audience laughter. “Vincent Price was iconic and kind of a hero as an actor, but I didn’t realize that until I was much older.”

House of Wax is the tale of Henry Jarrod, whose wax museum is set on fire, leaving him disfigured and his beloved creations melted and destroyed. When he makes a comeback with a new, decidedly more macabre, museum, some of his wax figures look suspiciously familiar.

House of Wax was one of the biggest hits of 1953, making millions of dollars and turning Price’s career around, launching him into a new genre. It was also the first color film in 3D made by a major studio, and while it was not universally loved at the time, it is now on the National Film Registry. “It’s archived,” said Sklar. “You can’t touch this film. You can’t make any alterations.”

Following Sklar’s introduction, the audience strapped in for an hour and a half of murder and intrigue, delivered with a wicked sense of humor. Price’s facial expressions more than made up for the fact that half the cast was made of wax, and as you watch it, you can see why the movie still holds up. It’s clever, and though set in the early 1900s, contains amusing winks and references for the 1950s audience that are even funnier today, with the benefit of hindsight.

Playing up the film’s 3D aspect, the movie contains an extended scene of a man with multiple paddleballs. In spite of the gimmick to draw in crowds, director André De Toth’s real focus was on telling a lasting story. Victoria Price said that her father believed the movie was so successful because De Toth only had one eye, and while 3D was completely lost on him, he could make sure he spun a good yarn.

If you still have not gotten around to seeing this movie, this is a spoiler alert. Henry Jarrod was not exactly the hero of the tale, which many who followed Vincent Price’s career would come to expect over time.

“There’s a commonality among Vincent’s roles, in that he generally played a villain, but a sympathetic one,” said Lee Pfeiffer, publisher and editor-in-chief of CinemaRetro.com, during his Q&A with Victoria Price. “He was usually a guy who was set up, manipulated, driven mad by some evil woman or the evil woman’s boyfriend. You ended up rooting for him. Even though he was driven insane and he was doing these crazy things, it was never really his fault.”

But Vincent Price was much more than a gifted actor and villainous horror icon. He was passionate about the arts, particularly visual arts, and was internationally recognized as an expert on the topic. He wrote a syndicated art column, and lectured around the country.

“Art was his religion, and museums were his churches,” said Victoria Price. “He felt like he was this passionate advocate for the arts. He felt that art was not the province of the elite, that everybody should have access to it.”

Price also wrote four cookbooks, some with his wife Mary based on their culinary adventures around the world, and he had to learn to become a better chef so that he could go on the talk show circuit, according to his daughter. For him, his passion for the culinary arts was an extension of his love of art.

Victoria Price credits her own varied adventures to her parents’ passion for a wide range of subjects, and her father’s belief that parents should support their children in following their dreams.

“I was raised by two Renaissance parents, and uh, thank God, because I just was never somebody who could do one thing, and thank God they modelled that for me, or I would make myself crazy,” she said.

House of Wax continues to loom large as a horror classic. A number of people at the screening expressed their continued love for the film, and their awe of Price.

“Price’s legacy is really ingrained in all of us,” said Pfeiffer. “He never will go out of style. There’s so much more than just a horror film star. This really was a man for all seasons.”

It is this sentiment that Victoria Price said she would take away from the June 25 screening.

“I think because he was so unique, you know, and the longer we go and the more we realize that they’re not making a lot of different Vincent Prices, he was so, just, absolutely singular,” she said. “I think that’s really wonderful for me to know that he’s gonna last.”

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