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HorrorMystery

Mystery of the Wax Museum

- Warner Bros.' Supreme Thriller

The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.

Release Date : 1933-02-18

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : The Vitaphone CorporationWarner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Lionel Atwill

Character Name : Ivan Eigor

Original Name : Lionel Atwill

Gender : Male

Glenda Farrell

Character Name : Florence Dempsey

Original Name : Glenda Farrell

Gender : Female

Allen Vincent

Character Name : Ralph Burton

Original Name : Allen Vincent

Gender : Male

Fay Wray

Character Name : Charlotte Duncan

Original Name : Fay Wray

Gender : Female

Frank McHugh

Character Name : Editor Jim

Original Name : Frank McHugh

Gender : Male

Edwin Maxwell

Character Name : Worth, Eigor's bootlegger partner

Original Name : Edwin Maxwell

Gender : Male

Arthur Edmund Carewe

Character Name : Professor Darcy

Original Name : Arthur Edmund Carewe

Gender : Male

Gavin Gordon

Character Name : George Winton

Original Name : Gavin Gordon

Gender : Male

Matthew Betz

Character Name : Hugo, deafmute sculptor

Original Name : Matthew Betz

Gender : Male

Bull Anderson

Character Name : Otto, museum janitor

Original Name : Bull Anderson

Gender : Male

Holmes Herbert

Character Name : Dr. Rasmussen

Original Name : Holmes Herbert

Gender : Male

Claude King

Character Name : Mr. Galatalin

Original Name : Claude King

Gender : Male

William B. Davidson

Character Name : Detective (Uncredited)

Original Name : William B. Davidson

Gender : Male

Guy Usher

Character Name : Detective (Uncredited)

Original Name : Guy Usher

Gender : Male

DeWitt Jennings

Character Name : Police Captain, 12th Precinct

Original Name : DeWitt Jennings

Gender : Male

Robert Homans

Character Name : Desk Sergeant, 12th Precinct

Original Name : Robert Homans

Gender : Male

James Donlan

Character Name : Morgue Attendant (Uncredited)

Original Name : James Donlan

Gender : Male

Thomas E. Jackson

Character Name : Detective at Morgue

Original Name : Thomas E. Jackson

Gender : Male

Frank Darien

Character Name : Autopsy Surgeon (Uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Darien

Gender : Male

Wallis Clark

Character Name : Autopsy Surgeon's Assistant (Uncredited)

Original Name : Wallis Clark

Gender : Male

Monica Bannister

Character Name : Joan Gale

Original Name : Monica Bannister

Gender : Female

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Character Name : Police Sergeant by Christmas tree

Original Name : Robert Emmett O'Connor

Gender : Male

Lon Poff

Character Name : Tall Thin Henchman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Lon Poff

Gender : Male

Max Barwyn

Character Name : Museum Visitor (Uncredited)

Original Name : Max Barwyn

Gender : Male

Wade Boteler

Character Name : Ambrose (Uncredited)

Original Name : Wade Boteler

Gender : Male

Otto Hoffman

Character Name : Igor's Assistant (Uncredited)

Original Name : Otto Hoffman

Gender : Male

Perry Ivins

Character Name : Copy Editor (Uncredited)

Original Name : Perry Ivins

Gender : Male

Margaret Mann

Character Name : Wax Figure of Queen Victoria (Uncredited)

Original Name : Margaret Mann

Gender : Female

Pat O'Malley

Character Name : Plainclothesman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Pat O'Malley

Gender : Male

Milton Kibbee

Character Name : Reporter (Uncredited)

Original Name : Milton Kibbee

Gender : Male

Harry C. Bradley

Character Name : Reporter (Uncredited)

Original Name : Harry C. Bradley

Gender : Male

Charles McMurphy

Character Name : Policeman in Prison (Uncredited)

Original Name : Charles McMurphy

Gender : Male

Frank Fanning

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Fanning

Gender : Male

Dick Rush

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Rush

Gender : Male

Lee Shumway

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Shumway

Gender : Male

William Wagner

Character Name : Morgue Attendant's Assistant (Uncredited)

Original Name : William Wagner

Gender : Male

Frank Austin

Character Name : Winton's Valet (Uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Austin

Gender : Male

Walter Percival

Character Name : Winton's Attorney (Uncredited)

Original Name : Walter Percival

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

My dear, why are you so pitifully afraid? London 1921, and brilliant sculptor Ivan Igor struggles to keep his museum open due to lack of interest in his beautiful historical characters. His partner Joe Worth feels it's time to call it quits, a row over finances ensues and a fire breaks out and burns the museum to the ground, almost killing Igor in the process. On to 1933 and New York, where the wheelchair bound Igor has a new museum open, the figures sculpted by others under his guidance due to his horribly disfigured hands preventing him from crafting himself. When a female socialite dies and her body is stolen from the morgue, ballsy reporter Florence Dempsey starts to investigate. Could it be that the stealing of the body is linked to the opening of Igor's new museum? Mystery of the Wax Museum was long thought to have had it's elements lost in a (ironically) fire, so with no Technicolor negative or prints available, it was a cinematic godsend that a used print was discovered in Jack Warner's private vault. The UCLA Film and Television Archive restored the film, and now the film can be seen in all its former glory. Riding in on a high reputation, the restored film was met with less than favourable results by the critics, possibly due in some part to the rightful regard that the remake, House Of Wax 1953, was held. What it is safe to say is that the film is more of a mystery (the clue is in the title!) than an outright horror. Something I don't think many were prepared for. The critics derision back then is now on reflection, stupid. For it's a truly fine film from an interesting era in film making. The sets from Anton Grot are brilliant, Gothic pieces of work. While the performance of Lionel Atwill as Igor is superb, and arguably his best work. The actress' do well enough, Fay Wray (reuniting with Atwill again after their work in Dr X in 1932) as Charlotte Duncan hones her scream queen method, and Glenda Farrell is ebullient and sharp tongued as Dempsey. There's also daring themes involved in the story, necrophilia, drug addiction, insanity and bootlegging. With the horror elements of the piece born out by the grizzly secrets of Igor's museum. It's also not just an important film in the pantheon of colour pictures, but also in that it has a modern city setting. Helping to bring horror to the streets instead of some ye olde village or faraway castle. It's a smashing mystery/horror film that is now thankfully widely available on various DVDs, so see it if you can. 8/10