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HorrorCrime

House of Wax

- You've never been scared until you've been scared in 3-D.

A New York sculptor who opens a wax museum to showcase the likenesses of famous historical figures runs into trouble with his business partner, who demands that the exhibits become more extreme in order to increase profits.

Release Date : 1953-04-16

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Wax Works

Cast

Vincent Price

Character Name : Henry Jarrod

Original Name : Vincent Price

Gender : Male

Frank Lovejoy

Character Name : Tom Brennan

Original Name : Frank Lovejoy

Gender : Male

Phyllis Kirk

Character Name : Sue Allen

Original Name : Phyllis Kirk

Gender : Female

Carolyn Jones

Character Name : Cathy Gray

Original Name : Carolyn Jones

Gender : Female

Paul Picerni

Character Name : Scott Andrews

Original Name : Paul Picerni

Gender : Male

Roy Roberts

Character Name : Matthew Burke

Original Name : Roy Roberts

Gender : Male

Angela Clarke

Character Name : Mrs. Andrews

Original Name : Angela Clarke

Gender : Female

Paul Cavanagh

Character Name : Sidney Wallace

Original Name : Paul Cavanagh

Gender : Male

Dabbs Greer

Character Name : Shane

Original Name : Dabbs Greer

Gender : Male

Charles Bronson

Character Name : Igor

Original Name : Charles Bronson

Gender : Male

Reggie Rymal

Character Name : Barker

Original Name : Reggie Rymal

Gender : Male

Oliver Blake

Character Name : Man Checking His Watch (uncredited)

Original Name : Oliver Blake

Gender : Male

Larri Thomas

Character Name : Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Larri Thomas

Gender : Female

Joanne Brown

Character Name : Girlfriend (uncredited)

Original Name : Joanne Brown

Gender : Female

Steve Carruthers

Character Name : Museum Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Carruthers

Gender : Male

Leo Curley

Character Name : Portly Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Leo Curley

Gender : Male

Dan Dowling

Character Name : Museum Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan Dowling

Gender : Male

Frank Ferguson

Character Name : Medical Examiner (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Ferguson

Gender : Male

Stuart Hall

Character Name : Museum Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Hall

Gender : Male

Mary Lou Holloway

Character Name : Millie (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Lou Holloway

Gender : Male

Jack Kenney

Character Name : Lodger (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Kenney

Gender : Male

Mike Lally

Character Name : Spectator / Man Entering Music Hall (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Lyle Latell

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Lyle Latell

Gender : Male

Richard Lightner

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Lightner

Gender : Male

Philo McCullough

Character Name : Spectator / Man Entering Music Hall (uncredited)

Original Name : Philo McCullough

Gender : Male

Jack Mower

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Mower

Gender : Male

Eddie Parks

Character Name : Morgue Attendant (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Parks

Gender : Male

Waclaw Rekwart

Character Name : Museum Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Waclaw Rekwart

Gender : Male

Grandon Rhodes

Character Name : Surgeon (uncredited)

Original Name : Grandon Rhodes

Gender : Male

Riza Royce

Character Name : Mrs. Flanagan (uncredited)

Original Name : Riza Royce

Gender : Female

Sammy Shack

Character Name : Observer on Street (uncredited)

Original Name : Sammy Shack

Gender : Male

Norman Stevans

Character Name : Museum Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Stevans

Gender : Male

Philip Tonge

Character Name : Bruce Allison (uncredited)

Original Name : Philip Tonge

Gender : Male

Merry Townsend

Character Name : Ticket Taker (uncredited)

Original Name : Merry Townsend

Gender : Male

Sid Troy

Character Name : Observer on Street (uncredited)

Original Name : Sid Troy

Gender : Male

Ruth Warren

Character Name : Scrubwoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ruth Warren

Gender : Female

Ruth Whitney

Character Name : Can Can Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Ruth Whitney

Gender : Male

Shirley Whitney

Character Name : Girlfriend (Uncredited)

Original Name : Shirley Whitney

Gender : Male

Jack Wise

Character Name : Elevator Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Wise

Gender : Male

Jack Woody

Character Name : Morgue Attendant (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Woody

Gender : Male

Charles Hibbs

Character Name : Corpse in Morgue (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Hibbs

Gender : Male

Trude Wyler

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Trude Wyler

Gender : Male

Nedrick Young

Character Name : Leon Averill (uncredited)

Original Name : Nedrick Young

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

In any format it's a genre highlight. Henry Jarrod is a very talented sculptor of wax figures for a museum. But as the museum starts to flounder, Jarrod's partner, Matthew Burke, insists on taking a new direction, a row ensues and Jarrod is knocked unconscious. Burke seizes the opportunity to torch the museum and get the insurance money, with Jarrod still in the premises. Thought long since dead, Jarrod resurfaces, apparently wheel chair bound and with horribly burned hands. Opening up a new museum, his new figures (made by his protégé under his instruction) look ever more lifelike than before, could he be responsible for some despicable crimes in the area? This marvellous film is a remake of the 1933 chiller, The Mystery Of The Wax Museum, directed by Michael Curtiz. Here this film is taken on by Andre de Toth, originally filmed in 3-D with the then bonus addition of Warner Phonic Sound, it's a picture that thankfully holds up real well even in its basic flat format. The reason it does hold up well is because director de Toth didn't get carried away with the gimmick, it's used sparingly so the narrative never gets lost amongst any trickery, and thus House Of Wax's excellently creepy story comes to the fore. Having the ever supreme Vincent Price as your leading man (Jarrod) will always help your horror genre picture, and here he two folds the performance brilliantly. At first his Jarrod is charming and carrying a grace about his dedication to his craft, but then, devilment takes control as Price pumps creepy ardour into Jarrod's fractured mind. Quite a turn from Price who most definitely suffered for his art during the shoot, forced to do his own stunts (the 3D process needs more than one camera), he was involved in an accident that set him on fire and almost saw him crushed!Then there was the long and often painful make up sessions to get the desired effects of a burns victim, layers of rubber strangling his skin to the point of passing out, oh yes Vincent earned his money on this one! We even get one of the earliest credited performances from Charles Bronson (here under his real name of Buchinsky) as Jarrod's assistant Igor, whilst fans of The Addams Family TV series will no doubt enjoy the performance of future Mortica, Carolyn Jones. The film was a big success on its release, and hugely popular with critics, and it's not hard to see why, because today it still stands proud as one of the finest exponents of classic horror, both as a story and as a technical construction. 9/10