Label: Warner Archive Collection
Region Code: Region-FREE
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 78 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Full Frame (1.37:1)
Director: Michael CurtizCast: Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill, Frank McHugh, Glenda Farrell, Allen Vincent, Gavin Gordon, Edwin Maxwell, Holmes Herbert, Claude King, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Thomas E. Jackson, DeWitt Jennings, Matthew Betz
Synopsis: Bodies are mysteriously disappearing all over town, and a new wax museum has just opened. Is there a connection? But of course! In this horror classic, Fay Wray (King Kong) stars as the intended next victim of a mad wax sculptor obsessed with her resemblance to one of his prior creations. Glenda Farrell plays a quintessential wisecracking newspaper reporter, and noted actor Lionel Atwill is the deranged artist who loses his studio to a fire set by his partner. Filmed in the early Two-Color Technicolor process, The Mystery of the Wax Museum was considered a lost film for decades, until a well-worn print was discovered nearly 50 years ago. Thanks to the meticulous new restoration presented on this disc, the film can now be experienced as intended.
The pre-code thriller The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) was directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) and stars Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and the wisecracking leading lady Glenda Farrell. It's the tragic tale of a talented waxwork sculptor named Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill, Night Monster) who in 1921 is operating a struggling to keep his wax museum afloat in London. His venue showcases figures from history, among them we have Joan of Arc, Voltaire, and one he is particularly fond of, the lovely looking Marie Antoinette. Right when the wax museum seems to be on the verge of some recognition, at least critically, Igor's crooked business partner Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell, Night of Terror) suggests that they should just set the place on fire and cash-in on the ten-thousand dollar insurance policy. Igor refuses but Worth still manages to set fire the museum, a struggle ensues and Igor is knocked unconscious and left for dead after a violent scuffle amidst the inferno with wax sculptures melting all around him.
Twelve year's later Igor resurfaces in New York City, having survived the fire, but he is now confined to a wheelchair and unable to use his hands to sculpt wax figures, but acting as the curator of a new wax museum. He operates it with the help of the talented but heroin-addicted Professor Darcy (Arthur Edmund Carewe, Doctor X), a deaf-mute named Hugo (Matthew Betz, Jail Bait), and an a young assistant named Ralph (Allen Vincent, Bad Boy).
Early on a newspaper headline declares the tragic suicide of a gorgeous young model named Joan Gale (Monica Bannister, The Picture of Dorian Gray), and soon after a cloaked figure snatches the models corpse from the morgue, lowering it out a widow with a rope onto a waiting cart. Not so coincidentally the wax museums latest figure bares an uncanny resemblance to the model, a fact first picked-up on by the fast-talking lady-reporter Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell, A Night of Crime), but no one seems to believe her. Florence's roommate Charlotte (Fay Wray, The Vampire Bat) is dating Igor's assistant Ralph, and unfortunately for her she bares an eerily similiar appearance to that of Igor's destroyed Marie Antionette wax figure, a fact not lost on him either. We come to realize that there's more to Igor than might at first meet the eye, with the demented sculptor willing to go to great lengths to replace his lost wax figures.
This pre-code film is a lot less horrific than the remake House of Wax (1953) two decades later starring horror-iconVincent Price, but it still manages to be a macabre tale that's fun and fast-paced. Atwill as a demented sculptor obsessed with replacing his lost works of art through any means necassary is great, when it is revealed that a grotesque fire-scarred visage lays behind a wax mask it smacks very much of The Phantom of the Opera, but is still a frightful sight. It might lack the potency of a modern horror but for the era this was probably a real frightful night at the theater. Igor's underground waxitorium where he creates his wax figures is a marvel, the set pieces are grand with fantastic architecture and passages that catch the eye, it's a great-looking film.
Fay Wray is wonderful as the beauty that capture's Igor's eye, unleashing her patented screams throughout the film, but it's the fast-talking intrepid reporter played by platinum bombshell Glenda Farrell that steals the show, seen verbally matching wits with her irked editor (Frank McHugh, Mighty Joe Young) or stealing bootlegged
liquor from the crooked cops at a crime scene, she's definitely the spark plug that sets the film on fire. Of course Lionel Atwill is fantastic as the twisted artist of the piece, even when confined to a wheelchair he's an intense presence, all the more so when he's made up as the melted-face monster of the film. While it lacks a bit of the visceral bite of a contemporary film it has plenty of pre-code charm, with seedy themes like heroin addiction, suicide, crooked cops and macabre happenings at the wax museum, it's still got plenty of vintage thrills.
Mystery of The Wax Museum (1933)is a thrilling slice of pre-code Technicolor terror, the meticulous and gorgeous restoration afforded it is noteworthy in the best possible way, this is one of my favorite restorations of the year.
The pre-code thriller The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) was directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) and stars Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and the wisecracking leading lady Glenda Farrell. It's the tragic tale of a talented waxwork sculptor named Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill, Night Monster) who in 1921 is operating a struggling to keep his wax museum afloat in London. His venue showcases figures from history, among them we have Joan of Arc, Voltaire, and one he is particularly fond of, the lovely looking Marie Antoinette. Right when the wax museum seems to be on the verge of some recognition, at least critically, Igor's crooked business partner Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell, Night of Terror) suggests that they should just set the place on fire and cash-in on the ten-thousand dollar insurance policy. Igor refuses but Worth still manages to set fire the museum, a struggle ensues and Igor is knocked unconscious and left for dead after a violent scuffle amidst the inferno with wax sculptures melting all around him.
Twelve year's later Igor resurfaces in New York City, having survived the fire, but he is now confined to a wheelchair and unable to use his hands to sculpt wax figures, but acting as the curator of a new wax museum. He operates it with the help of the talented but heroin-addicted Professor Darcy (Arthur Edmund Carewe, Doctor X), a deaf-mute named Hugo (Matthew Betz, Jail Bait), and an a young assistant named Ralph (Allen Vincent, Bad Boy).
Early on a newspaper headline declares the tragic suicide of a gorgeous young model named Joan Gale (Monica Bannister, The Picture of Dorian Gray), and soon after a cloaked figure snatches the models corpse from the morgue, lowering it out a widow with a rope onto a waiting cart. Not so coincidentally the wax museums latest figure bares an uncanny resemblance to the model, a fact first picked-up on by the fast-talking lady-reporter Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell, A Night of Crime), but no one seems to believe her. Florence's roommate Charlotte (Fay Wray, The Vampire Bat) is dating Igor's assistant Ralph, and unfortunately for her she bares an eerily similiar appearance to that of Igor's destroyed Marie Antionette wax figure, a fact not lost on him either. We come to realize that there's more to Igor than might at first meet the eye, with the demented sculptor willing to go to great lengths to replace his lost wax figures.
This pre-code film is a lot less horrific than the remake House of Wax (1953) two decades later starring horror-iconVincent Price, but it still manages to be a macabre tale that's fun and fast-paced. Atwill as a demented sculptor obsessed with replacing his lost works of art through any means necassary is great, when it is revealed that a grotesque fire-scarred visage lays behind a wax mask it smacks very much of The Phantom of the Opera, but is still a frightful sight. It might lack the potency of a modern horror but for the era this was probably a real frightful night at the theater. Igor's underground waxitorium where he creates his wax figures is a marvel, the set pieces are grand with fantastic architecture and passages that catch the eye, it's a great-looking film.
Fay Wray is wonderful as the beauty that capture's Igor's eye, unleashing her patented screams throughout the film, but it's the fast-talking intrepid reporter played by platinum bombshell Glenda Farrell that steals the show, seen verbally matching wits with her irked editor (Frank McHugh, Mighty Joe Young) or stealing bootlegged
liquor from the crooked cops at a crime scene, she's definitely the spark plug that sets the film on fire. Of course Lionel Atwill is fantastic as the twisted artist of the piece, even when confined to a wheelchair he's an intense presence, all the more so when he's made up as the melted-face monster of the film. While it lacks a bit of the visceral bite of a contemporary film it has plenty of pre-code charm, with seedy themes like heroin addiction, suicide, crooked cops and macabre happenings at the wax museum, it's still got plenty of vintage thrills.
Audio/Video: The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) arrives on region-free Blu-ray framed in the original 1.37:1 full frame aspect ratio with a brand new restoration performed by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment, with additional funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation. The source for the restoration is a 1933 nitrate print that was owned by Jack L. Warner, it having been discovered after his death in '77, with additional footage derived from a more recently discovered French workprint of the film. The brand new restoration is absolutely gorgeous, the two-color Technicolor film has never looked better on home video, with additional clean-up and color timing to perfect the previous imperfections. It's quite wonderful, the coral and green two-tone coloring has a wonderful vintage appearance, giving skin tones a uniform porcelain appurtenance. The natural film grain is well-preserved, offering some modest fine detail by way of clothing texturing, with strong black levels.
If you've ever seen the film by way of the previous home video incarnations you will immediately notice the care that's been afforded it, gone are the unsightly scratches, emulsion digs and other defects we've become familiar with, it having been painstakingly repaired frame-by-frame, it's an eye-opening presentation with gorgeous color-balance that brings the film to life like never before.
Audio on the disc comes by way of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono with optional English subtitles. Gone too are the hiss and crackles present previously, there are still plenty of age-related limitations but there's more depth to the dialogue, sound effects and minimal score.
Warner Archive usually knock it out of the park with their transfers, but they are not exactly known for lavishing them with brand new extras, but they do right by this film and went the extra mile for it. We begin with a pair of newly minted commentaries, the first with Film Historian Alan K. Rode who offers a jam-packed commentary touching on all facets of the film, with scene specific examinations, the careers of the principle participants, the film in context of the Hays Code, and a lot more. The second commentary comes from Scott MacQueen, the head of preservation at UCLA Film & Television Archive. Not surprisingly his commentary is a bit more technical, getting into the nitty gritty of the elements used for the restoration, the color grading, and score. This commentary is supplemented with phone interviews with starlets Fay Wray and Glenda Farrell.
Fay Wray's daughter Victoria Riskin gives a new 19-min interview about her mother's career in the Hollywood studio system, her relationship with director Michael Curtiz and actor Lionel Atwill, her marriage to screenwriter Robert Riskin, and how her not-so-driven work ethic might have affected her longevity in Hollywood, not that anyone doesn't know who Fay Wray is, right? It's a touching portrait of her mother with some great anecdotes about her career and personal relationships, as well as some great pictures of her mom on various film sets.
The last of the extras is a 7-min restoration demo showcasing before and after demos with more commentary from Scott MacQueen who elaborates on the extensive restoration process and what that entailed.
If you've ever seen the film by way of the previous home video incarnations you will immediately notice the care that's been afforded it, gone are the unsightly scratches, emulsion digs and other defects we've become familiar with, it having been painstakingly repaired frame-by-frame, it's an eye-opening presentation with gorgeous color-balance that brings the film to life like never before.
Audio on the disc comes by way of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono with optional English subtitles. Gone too are the hiss and crackles present previously, there are still plenty of age-related limitations but there's more depth to the dialogue, sound effects and minimal score.
Warner Archive usually knock it out of the park with their transfers, but they are not exactly known for lavishing them with brand new extras, but they do right by this film and went the extra mile for it. We begin with a pair of newly minted commentaries, the first with Film Historian Alan K. Rode who offers a jam-packed commentary touching on all facets of the film, with scene specific examinations, the careers of the principle participants, the film in context of the Hays Code, and a lot more. The second commentary comes from Scott MacQueen, the head of preservation at UCLA Film & Television Archive. Not surprisingly his commentary is a bit more technical, getting into the nitty gritty of the elements used for the restoration, the color grading, and score. This commentary is supplemented with phone interviews with starlets Fay Wray and Glenda Farrell.
Restoration Demo Before/AFter
Fay Wray's daughter Victoria Riskin gives a new 19-min interview about her mother's career in the Hollywood studio system, her relationship with director Michael Curtiz and actor Lionel Atwill, her marriage to screenwriter Robert Riskin, and how her not-so-driven work ethic might have affected her longevity in Hollywood, not that anyone doesn't know who Fay Wray is, right? It's a touching portrait of her mother with some great anecdotes about her career and personal relationships, as well as some great pictures of her mom on various film sets.
The last of the extras is a 7-min restoration demo showcasing before and after demos with more commentary from Scott MacQueen who elaborates on the extensive restoration process and what that entailed.
Special Features:
- Documentary "Remembering Fay Wray" (19 min) HD
- Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Alan K. Rode
- Audio Commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film & Television Archive
- Restoration Featurette (7 min) HD
- Restoration Featurette (7 min) HD
Mystery of The Wax Museum (1933)is a thrilling slice of pre-code Technicolor terror, the meticulous and gorgeous restoration afforded it is noteworthy in the best possible way, this is one of my favorite restorations of the year.
More screenshots from the Blu-ray:
