Darkness doesn't come without a Price
The year was 1982.
Tim Burton, yet to make the notable animated features that would arguably later come to define his career, was working as an animator at Disney – and hating it. His art style didn't match the patented Disney style, and even if it had, he was frustrated by working at a desk all day and feeling forced to draw. Burton was preparing to leave Disney when something happened that made him change his mind: the studio let him direct his own short film, in his own signature animation style, based on a children's story he had written.
That story, simply entitled Vincent, tells the tale of a seven year old boy who longs to be Vincent Price; or, more accurately, one of the horror characters Vincent Price was famous for portraying. The boy (whose name also happens to be Vincent) spends so much time imagining himself as Price that he seemingly begins to believe he actually is Price – or a Price-like figure.
So who better to narrate the film than Vincent Price himself?
Fortunately for Burton, Price loved the story, comparing it to a star on the walk of fame, and agreed to work on the film. His narration is reminiscent of one of my favourite childhood films, also featuring a children's story read by a classic horror star, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the real one from 1966, not the remake). Fittingly, Burton's writing is similarly somewhat reminiscent of Dr. Seuss', with the story being told in the form of a poem.
Of course, Vincent wasn't the notable only poem Burton wrote in his time as a Disney animator. He also wrote another poem that would be adapted into a film, albeit not as directly.
With the story written, and Price in place to record the narration, Burton's next task was to actually create the animation. The film blends 2D and 3D animation, with the characters being largely three dimensional, set against two dimensional backgrounds. This blend of animation techniques, Burton's signature art style, and the use of high-contrast black and white, give the film an eerie, off-kilter vibe. Add to that the already-unsettling narrative, and the result is a dark, creepy, distinctly non-Disney-esque short film.
So, what exactly does Disney do with a distinctly non-Disney-esque film? Well, the answer is... not much. The film had a two-week theatrical run, and played at some festivals, but wasn't released individually. It would later appear on the special features for The Nightmare Before Christmas, but for the most part the project Vincent Price deemed "better than a Hollywood star" was forgotten, overshadowed by Burton's long feature film career.
Vincent isn't Burton's only short film – there's also Stainboy, and a half hour live action version of Frankenweenie – but between the experimental animation style and Vincent Price's Karloff-esque narration, it stands out as his best. If nothing else, it acts as an homage to the actor that captivated Vincent and a young Burton alike.