Vincent Price and actor Dennis Hopper first met back in the 1950's. Hopper played Napoleon in Price's film The Story of Mankind in 1957. Price converted the young actor into a devoted patron of the arts, and the pair remained friends for the rest of Vincent's life. When Hopper began casting for a film he was going to direct, he chose Vincent to play a mob kingpin named Lino Avoca. The film was taken from Hopper and recut by its studio, prompting him to remove his name as director. There are two versions available. The recut film with the fictitious 'Alan Smithee' as director, and the original Hopper cut, titled Catchfire. Price is in both, but has an extra scene or two in Catchfire.