Action Figure Barbecue: Vincent Price from Classic Monsters by NECA

 

   

   House on Haunted Hill was the first horror movie I ever watched and I imagine it's responsible for my lifelong love of spooky movies and Vincent Price. While NECA has long been the company responsible for putting out action figures of horror icons, both of mainstream characters and Cult Classics, since they received the license to create toys based on the classic Universal Monsters a few years back they have really been going back and drawing inspiration from the classic horror icons. Stars of silent films, the black and white Universal Monsters films, and horror icons of the 50, 60s, and 70s. I'm so excited that they've finally brought Vincent Price into their catch-all "Classic Monsters" lineup. Like Movie Maniacs, Silent Screamers, and Cult Classics before them, NECA's Classic Monsters is really going after some legends, many of which have never been released as toys before. While there are many characters played by Vincent Price that I'd like action figures of (and maybe we'll see some of those like Dr. Anton Phibes, Matthew Hopkins, and Professor Henry Jarrod), Price is a horror icon just as himself, and that's kind of what NECA went for here. They actually included three portraits and three different pieces of neckwear to capture Price throughout most of his career. Amazing! Ready to chill with one of the true greats of horror and the macabre? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 7 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Double swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 5 interchangeable hands, 3 portraits, 3 neckties, skull, 2 swappable forearms, raven, black cat, 4 cigarettes, cookbook, record pile, candle, cup, and saucer. 

Non-Scalper Price: $35- $38 dollars

The Positives:

* There are many horror icons and Universal Monsters characters who are just folks in suits. NECA is getting a lot of mileage out of this suited body, changing the jacket where needed, but it works and it works well. A very dark grey, almost black suit with a black necktie and a white handkerchief in the pocket? Tall, fairly think? That's Vincent Price in so many roles and appearances. This is my favorite look for him as he's a dead ringer for Frederick Loren from William Castle's House on Haunted Hill.

* This portrait is of a more middle aged Price and it's absolutely perfect. Especially the eyes! Look at this still of Price from House on Haunted Hill. That's incredible! They nailed his features perfectly, giving him just a bit of grey in his hair. Just with what we have here, this would be one of my favorite action figures of 2025. But NECA delivered more. Much more.

* See the white shirt and necktie? That's actually a separate, fairly pliable piece that can be removed and swapped out. Just pop off Mr. Price's head and slide this one off over his head. It's simple but clever and really makes this figure more versatile than you'd expect.

* Next up is a much younger portrait of Price. His mustache is thinner, his hair doesn't have as much grey in it, and he's looking straight forward. He's a dashing guy and could easily fill in for Doctor Strange in your collection! I was hoping we'd get a clean shaven portrait, but that's definitely a rarer look for Vincent Price. 

* The second swappable piece is a shirt with a bowtie. Very classy! Again, the whole shirt piece is removable, kind of like a dickey, I guess? It looks great, though, and should give you quite a few more options for Mr. Price.

* The third portrait depicts an older Vincent Price. My favorite portrait is the middle aged sculpt but this one might objectively be the best. NECA's sculptors just nailed it. Not only did they capture the likeness of the older Mr. Price but they seem to have captured the warmth and humor he projected as well. Despite being iconic for playing some horrific characters, by all accounts he was just an all around great person who loved everything he did. This portrait is perfect for Vincent Price in the 1970s, perhaps trying to sell you some Creamettes. 

* The third shirt piece has a open neck and what looks like a cravat underneath. I don't think that's an ascot, right? I honestly hate wearing ties and dress clothes myself and I've never spent much time familiarizing myself with them. It looks great here, though. Classy, but casual. 

* If you're collecting other figures from NECA's Classic Monsters or Universal Monsters lines then you know what to expect for the articulation. This certainly isn't a Marvel Legends figure, but Mr. Price does look great in more nuanced and expressive poses, especially using his hands and arms. The articulation is quite good overall and everything feels sturdy with nothing that concerns me. The jacket and coat cover the torso, so they're inhibited a bit, but his legs can move freely, allowing him to be fairly mobile. He interacts with his accessories well and looks suave and sinister in almost any pose.

* NECA has been doing an excellent job of including the appropriate hands so that their figures can interact with all of their included accessories. Mr. Price comes with seven swappable hands: A pair of gesturing, expressive hands, a right handed tight grip, angled grip, grip for holding the small tea or coffee cup, and a cigarette grip, and a left handed standard grip. Everything swaps easily and gives you lots of options for posing. 

* Vincent comes with some incredible accessories to really add some wow to the package. You know, if getting a Vincent Price action figure with three alternate heads wasn't already enough. First up is a raven, alluding to his role in Roger Corman's The Raven. It's way better than Universal's The Raven, (one of their weakest films), but does have Boris Karloff again. The raven looks great with a mix of black and blue to give it a nice sheen. The raven is removable but attaches to an alternate forearm that can be swapped out with holes to keep it tight on Price's forearm. 

* Besides starring in Poe themed adaptations, there are also plenty of publicity stills of Price with a black cat. Well, here's a pretty neat looking black cat. it's just chilling, laying down and relaxing, looking like it's bones have just melted because it's so comfy. Well, almost. It's definitely looking around. The sculpting of the fur is so realistic that it's causing my allergies to act up!

* A stack of vinyl record albums is also included. This is one solid piece, but it looks like multiple album sleeves and a loose disc. On the top is the album cover to "Vincent Price: Witchcraft, Magic, and Adventure in Demonology," a 1969 recording from Capitol records. Price recorded all kinds of stuff: Poetry, scary stories, collections of classical music inspired by famous works of art, a record on the life of Jesus, and an album in the Co-Star series where you could "act" along with him; you had a script and read your part while Price's recording read his. That red and white record here might be it, as the colors are right.

* On the back there's a print showing the back of the 1972 album "Tales of Witches, Ghosts, and Goblins." That's a neat extra detail. I'm assuming that NECA has used this stack of records before for another figure and tweaked it for Vincent Price, right?

* Vincent Price was also a gourmet chef with a cooking show, so NECA threw in a teeny, tiny copy of Price's 1971 cooking tome "Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy." It doesn't open or anything; it's just a standard accessory/ prop, but it's another really fun extra. Did you know Vincent Price's grandfather, Dr. Vincent Clarence Price, invented baking power? Crazy!

* Flip the book around and you can see the writing on the back of the book/ book jacket as well. It's tiny and too small to read most of it, but it's a neat, clean print.

* There are plenty of film scenes, publicity/ promotional stills, behind the scenes photographs, and Coffee-mate advertisements where Mr. Price is holding a coffee cup, so NECA included one. It looks like it even has coffee in it! The saucer is separate. It's so small and realistic, just like a doll house accessory!

* The candle is another item you'll see over and over in images, though sometimes Price is holding a candelabra, particularly in film scenes. It's a nice piece with the look of melted wax coming down the sides. A perfect accessory for midnight strolls through spooky old manors. 

* A skull is another perfect accessory for the Master of Menace! This is an incredibly detailed and well made skull. It's missing some teeth, sure, but it does have a hinged jaw. The paintwork is excellent. But guess what?

* The skull is also a portrait. Weird, right? Surely this is reused from some other action figure that NECA has released. Yeah, it serves as just a random skull for Vincent to hold, but if you swap it on him you can do some really freak stuff. 

* Last up are four individual cigarettes. You'll find many publicity still of Price smoking or movie stills where his character is carrying a cigarette, especially when he was younger, so NECA included some. Four, in fact. Extras in case you lose one or extras to pass out to your other action figures who have no concerns about their health.

   2024 has been an incredibly strong year for action figures and it's tough to pick standouts, but NECA's Ultimate Vincent Price is without a doubt one of my favorites. Giving us three different portraits for three different eras of the actor's life and career was a fantastic idea, as was allowing us to swap out his neckwear. And the accessories? Perfection! This is one of the top action figures of the year, especially for fans of Vincent Price and classic horror. Absolutely an Epic figure and a fantastic tribute to the Merchant of Menace. 

If you're looking for more action figures based on Vincent Price I've also reviewed the Super7 ReAction Vincent Price (Ascot), the NECA Toony Terrors Vincent Price, and the McFarlane Toys Batman: Classic TV Series Egghead.

For more figures from NECA's Classic Monsters line check out the following:

Count Orlok

Professor Burke