Forgotten Heroes: Fright Night’s Peter Vincent

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Photos copyright Columbia Pictures

I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.

Regular visitors to the site will know I love, love, love Roddy McDowall. From the minute I watched How Green Was My Valley, I was a fan. Of course his portrayals in Planet of the Apes and Fantastic Journey were great so when I heard he was in this new vampire movie Fright Night, I was in. He is magnetic in all he does thanks to his distinctive voice and body language and as typecast horror actor and television host, Peter Vincent, this is no exception.

At one time Peter Vincent was the Peter Cushing of his era but now is reduced to hosting a low budget show that shows a different horror movie every week like Creature Features. It’s called Fright Night but it is dwindling in the ratings. He has become trapped by his own success as his Victorian garb seems like that is how he dressed normally. He is living in the past, his acting career now finished as no one sees him as anything other than a vampire killer. It is obvious this pains him as it does presenting his show. But it allows him to keep a foot in the horror genre but when the network cancels Fright Night he has nothing left. It was all he had. while he is stuck in the past, the audience have moved on.

He is forever acting, maintaining the persona of Peter Vincent the fearless vampire killer and star of such movies like Orgy of the Vampires. So when Charley Brewster arrives begging him to help kill his vampire neighbour Jerry Dandridge, Peter is thrown that someone actually thinks he is what he is pretending to be. It’s easy to be a brave horror icon when the fangs are made of rubber. This gives us a nice look beneath his façade; a man once idolised by millions is now broke and largely ignored. Even his apartment is filled with items from his career. He carries a leather bag that would not have been out of place in Victorian times. He almost looks like he is about to step back in time to fog shrouded alleys to stake the undead. He is a sad man desperately trying to hang on to former glories. The world has moved on and do not believe in vampires but as we will see Peter Vincent is exactly what the world needs right now.

When Amy and Evil come to him to help Charley, he boasts that he has been offered a leading role in a new movie but when Amy offers him 500 dollars he takes the job. Dressed as his character they go to Jerry’s house where he drinks holy water in front of them and passes their tests. However when Peter sees he casts no reflection in the mirror things change for him. Terrified he walls himself up in his apartment surrounded by everything that would keep a vampire away. But he isn’t safe at all because the reason Jerry was not affected by holy relics is because Peter Vincent has lost faith in everything. When Charley calls him to rescue them from the nightclub, he refuses out of fear. He sees no future as he has no purpose in anything so when Evil comes to his apartment to kill him, Peter manages to summon up the courage to be the vampire killer he has always claimed to be. When faced with the real thing and suddenly realising that there is no place to hide from the monsters, he finds a new courage that comes from all his movie roles. The fight of his life is not the pursuit of ratings but fighting for the life he has given up on. There are real people relying on him to help save the day.

Here Peter comes into his own and wearing his costume almost like a superhero outfit, he and Charley wade into Jerry’s lair determined to save Amy. His holy relics work now on Dandridge because Peter has regained his faith in the light. Now his bravery does waver at times but Peter and Charley work together to destroy Jerry and his cohort Billy Cole. Amy is restored to normal.

This battle gives Peter a new sense of purpose and he gets Fright Night back on the air only this time he ventures into other genre movies like sci-fi. He is no longer just a ham from the past and still has relevance to the world which for the energised Peter is a lot brighter now.

McDowall seems to make his performance look easy but his story arc is such a subtle and relatable one. Look at the scene where Amy offers to pay him. One second he is boasting of new horizons and in the next he appears like a starving puppy thankful for a meal. His emphasis on “How Much?” speaks volumes of what he is going through inside. It speaks of depression and fear for the future which is so relevant to today’s society. McDowall is such a great artist you have to watch the movie again just to catch everything, especially his puppy dog eyes.

If you watch the Fright Night convention reunions, all of them speak very highly of Roddy and how he conducted himself on set. He was personable, down to earth and a great raconteur with stories about Hollywood that will never be shared. It is clear how much he was loved because he was a true gentleman that respected people.

Peter Vincent is nothing short of a great example of an acting masterclass delivering a perfect layered performance.