Film Review
More of a museum piece than a masterpiece.
House of Wax was one of the first
films to cash in on the 3-D craze that flared up and then quickly
fizzled out in the mid-1950s. Impressed by the independently
produced
Bwana Devil (1952),
the first film to exploit stereoscopic 3-D, director André De
Toth persuaded producer Jack Warner to allow him to direct Hollywood's
first 3-D movie, even though he himself had the use of only one eye and
therefore would not be able to appreciate any of the 3-D effects.
Still, being deaf didn't do Beethoven's career much harm...
The film is an expensive remake of Warner Brothers' earlier
Mystery of the Wax Museum
(1933), which was directed by Michael Curtiz and featured Lionel Atwill
and Fay Wray. Despite its generous budget and a genuinely
grisly concept,
House of Wax fails to live up to
its promise. The production team did not make the best use of the
3-D technology, and indeed few of the effects (cancan dancers, a barker
repeatedly hitting a ball with a bat, etc.) have anything whatever to
do with the story. As it is virtually impossible to see the film
today in its 3-D format, its visual impact is greatly diminished.
Still, the film is far more watchable than Jaume Collet-Serra's
one-dimensional 2005 remake.
The original
House of Wax is
most memorable for Vincent Price's deliciously sinister portrayal of
the villain of the piece, a likeable fiend who spends his days coating
dead bodies in wax and his evenings doing a pretty convincing
impression of the Phantom of the Opera. This was Price's first
substantial horror role (he had previously provided the voice of the
Invisible Man in
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
(1948)) and is so good in the part that he looks (and sounds) destined
to become the Master of the Macabre. The only other actor of note
in the generally undistinguished cast is Charles Bronson (credited as
Charles Buchinsky), in an early screen role as Price's creepy mute
henchman, Igor.
Few would cite
House of Wax
as one of the all time horror classics, but it does offer a few genuine
thrills and was an immense box office hit when it was first seen (in
its revolutionary 3-D format). Whilst many horror films are
criticised for their cheapness, it is ironic that this one suffers from
being too glossy. Worse, it barely survives being parodied to
death by the popular horror spoof
Carry On Screaming! (1965),
which is actually a good deal more frightening than the original. The only
real shocker is the bit where Vincent Price's face is ripped off to
reveal something that will put you off eating raspberry ripple ice cream for
the rest of your life.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
In New York, circa 1910, Professor Henry Jarrod is a talented wax
sculptor who has devoted his life to creating perfect copies of
historical figures. His business partner, Matthew Burke, is only
interested in making money, so when Jarrod refuses to include more
sensational exhibits in his museum, Burke decides to indulge in a spot of
arson, so that he can claim on the insurance money. Jarrod is
caught in the conflagration and is left for dead as the museum burns to
the ground. Some months later, Burke is counting his ill-gotten
money one night when a cloaked figure with a hideously disfigured face
attacks and murders him. His fiancée, Cathy Gray, is also
killed, but her body mysteriously disappears from the city
morgue. Cathy's friend, Sue Allen, is chased across town by the
sinister man in black, but manages to evade his foul clutches.
Not long after this, Sue is surprised to see a perfect replica of Cathy
in a new waxworks museum owned by Professor Jarrod. Although he
is crippled and can no longer use his hands, Jarrod has built up a new
collection of exhibits, assisted by a talented protégé
and his mute assistant Igor. The museum proves to be a great
success, but no one yet knows the diabolical process by which Jarrod
creates his exhibits, which involves coating dead bodies in wax.
When the professor sees Sue Allen he realises that she will make a
perfect facsimile of Marie Antoinette. Such a pity that Sue will
not live to appreciate Jarrod's greatest achievement...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.