The Vincent Price Halloween Special You Didn’t Know Existed

HOUSE OF WAX, Vincent Price, 1953
Everett Collection
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By the late ’70s, Vincent Price was already cemented as the master of horror; his chilling performances in ’50s and ’60s films like House of Wax, The Fly and The Pit and the Pendulum made him a household name for anyone who loved a good scare. But in 1979, he stepped into a very different kind of role with Once Upon a Midnight Scary, a Halloween television special that aired on CBS on October 21, 1979. But this time, instead of playing a villain, Price served as host and narrator, guiding young viewers through three spooky tales that were meant not just to entertain, but also to encourage kids to pick up a classic book.