Review: ‘Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography’

In 'Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography,” Victoria Price recounts her famous father's life and career. A legend of screen and stage, Vincent Price was, his daughter's book makes clear, a man of deep and varied interests whose personal life was often tumultuous.

Victoria Price adopts a fairly breezy tone, not lingering too long on any given incident. That said, the production by production approach to considering her father's career does, at times, bog things down. The lists of shows, movies, costars, directors, critics, and more start to blend together as the book progresses, though the author does have a knack for finding remembrances in her father's own writing that serve to underpin the story. The actor's own voice is a welcome part of the text.

Writing about one's father cannot be an easy task, but Victoria Price is careful to be fair and truthful, calling attention to her father's foibles when appropriate. She doesn't gloss over his troubling political or social ideas as a young man (attitudes which thankfully shifted over time).

Unsurprisingly, the book takes a more personal turn once the author's own life is part of the story. Her mother and father's divorce - which was precipitated by his affair with the woman who became his third wife - is clearly painful to recount, and she subjects the mistress turned wife to some fairly detailed scrutiny.

In the end, however, 'Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography” is a loving look at a long and varied adventure in the entertainment industry. Fans of the late actor's work will find much to like in his daughter's book.

IF YOU GO

What: Victoria Price Book Signing

When: 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Next Page Books, 1105 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Cost: Free

What: Victoria Price will speak at the Vincent Price Film Festival

When: 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Collins Road Theatres, 1462 Twixt Town Rd., Marion

Cost: $15