Mystery of the Wax Museum [VHS]

The history of MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM is a fascinating one. A huge success on its initial release in 1933, the film was forgotten after the Production Code came in a year later. Warner Brothers had little interest in horror films and never bothered to re-issue it. By 1953 when they remade it as the hugely successful HOUSE OF WAX, WB discarded all the old color prints and only dupe B&W copies survived. Unlike DOCTOR X, there was no official B&W version to show on TV. It didn't really matter as only a few insiders even remembered the film until the discovery of an original color nitrate print In Jack Warner's private vault in 1970. It was unfavorably compared to HOUSE OF WAX at the time but its reputation has risen considerably since new restoration techniques in the last 10 years have restored it to its former glory.For those who haven't seen HOUSE OF WAX or don't know the story it goes as follows. A London wax sculptor (Lionel Atwill) is double crossed by his partner (Edwin Maxwell) and left to die in a fire which was deliberately set for insurance purposes. 12 years later the sculptor, a burned cripple, resurfaces in New York and opens a new wax museum. At the same time a series of unsolved disappearances is being investigated by an intrepid reporter (Glenda Farrell) who has a love/hate relationship with her boss (Frank McHugh). Her roommate (Fay Wray) is the girl friend of an employee of the museum (Allen Vincent). Gradually the story threads are brought together ending in a climatic confrontation in the museum involving a cauldron of boiling wax. A pre-CASABLANCA Michael Curtiz directs with his usual flair giving the movie a sense of style and drive.MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM was the first significant sound horror film to have a contemporary setting (1933) and the last major film to use the old two strip Technicolor. The Technicolor everyone knows first appeared in 1935. The movie gives character actor Lionel Atwill his best role and provides a showcase for wise cracking reporter Glenda Farrell. Fay Wray gets to utter her patented scream on a number of occasions while supporting players Arthur Edwin Carewe, Frank McHugh, and Edwin Maxwell give memorable performances. If you've never seen this movie before then you're in for an old school treat. If you have seen it before then you're in for a bigger treat as this new restoration is breathtaking. It really is like seeing the film for the first time.It has taken almost 80 years to finally see MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM the way audiences first saw it. Not only does this new Blu-Ray provide a spectacular picture with improved sound, it also has subtitles so that you can catch some of the rapid fire dialogue in the newsroom scenes and the throwaway sexual innuendos. The disc features two background commentaries from noted film historian Scott McQueen and Alan K. Rode who wrote an extensive biography on the film's director, Michael Curtiz. There's also a short feature on the movie's restoration which shows just how much work is required to bring an old film back to life. If you're into old movies, get this Blu-Ray along with the new Blu-Ray of DOCTOR X and have yourself a fantastic double feature.

This review is for the WarnerArchive blu ray of Mystery of the Wax Museum.Warner Brothers ‘Mystery of the Wax Museum’ (1933) is from the first wave of early sound horror films.A unique quality of the film is that it’s in early two strip technicolor. Only variations of green and red predominate. Soon after, the addition of a blue strip created three strip technicolor. As a result, ‘Mystery of the Wax Museum’ and the earlier ‘Doctor X’ were neglected. By the late 1940s, ‘Mystery of the Wax Museum’ seemingly disappeared. Some twenty years later, a worn print was found. No serious restoration was forthcoming but it was made available for television broadcast. Home video releases on VHS and laserdisc were released in the early 1990s. On DVD it was relegated as a bonus feature to the better known remake ‘House of Wax.’ A blue tint was wrongly added via color correction.Happily, ‘Mystery of the Wax Museum’ has been restored to its full glory by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive! It is not indicated if this is a 4K restoration. No matter. One can’t imagine this film looking better than it does now. Could it have looked this good when it premiered on February 17, 1933?All scratches, abrasions and emulsion digs have been removed. The entire film has been properly color corrected - no blue. The audio has similarly been cleaned up. The green/red quality enhances every aspect of the film. It’s like seeing a brand new film for the first time. The set design by Anton Grot is incredible. Orry-Kelly’s fashions look terrific. Perc Westmore’s make-up is amazing.Three performances have always been a hallmark of this film: Lionel Atwill as the sympathetic but off kilter sculptor Ivan Igor, Fay Wray, demonstrating her classic scream and Glenda Farrell as the fast talking, wisecracking reporter. Director Michael Curtiz’s effective use of shadows enhances the film’s horror status even as it contrasts with the fast talking aspect of a Warner’s pre code film - which it most assuredly is.To top it off are the bonus features. Victoria Riskin, the daughter of Fay Wray and legendary screenwriter Robert Riskin, gives a warm tribute to her mother. Preservationist MacQueen gives a fascinating restoration before and after featurette and an audio commentary, which is enhanced by comments from vintage interviews with Fay Wray and Glenda Farrell. Michael Curtiz biographer, Alan K. Rode gives a second commentary which places this film in the context of Curtiz’s career.This blu ray edition is recommended for fans of horror films, and aficionados of classic films. Actually, it belongs in everyone’s collection.Hopefully, WarnerArchive will follow this up with a similar restoration of ‘Doctor X’ (1932).Alan K. Rode says in his biography of Michael Curtiz, “Americans continue to celebrate each Yuletide with ‘White Christmas’, observe Independence Day with ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’, and fall in love while watching ‘Casablanca.’With this blu ray restoration it’s now time spend Halloween with ‘Mystery of the Wax Museum.’

There was nothing on the product page to say if this would play in the UK so I took a chance and ordered it anyway. And it plays, and it is *marvellous*.It's the original version of the "sculptor makes extremely realistic waxworks by usiong dead people" story, later remade with Vincent Price (and, indeed, Kenneth Williams!). Here, Lionel Atwill is the insane sculptor and Fay Wray is his vision of perfection, ideal for his Marie Antoinette exhibit. Atwill and Wray get top billing but this is much more Glenda Farrell's movie, playing a wise-cracking reporter, all moxie and backchat, driving the story along and piecing things together. And she's great, getting lines like "I gotta go scramble this egg", sharing drinks and backslaps with the cops at the station then going nose to nose with her editor. I loved her in this.The film looks spectacular in this restoration, clean and well-detailed with the odd two-strip technicolor palette (no true blues or yellows) being used to excellent effect throughout. The disc comes with two commentaries, an interview with Fay Wray's daughter and a restoration featurette.If you're swithering, just buy it, you won't be sorry.

For someone who'd only known the 1954 Vincent Price version of the House of Wax (let's forget that 2005 Paris Hilton abomination), the Mystery of the Wax Museum is a terrific find. I'd only ever seen the unrestored SD version that came on the same disk as the House of Wax ... but that was pretty unwatchable.By comparion, the image and audio on this new restoration is sooo clear, and a pleasure to watch. Now that I have a watchable version - this original is (in some ways) better than the later 1954 version that I was familiar with. Lional Atwill isn't Vincent Price ... but he has a charm of is own and is delightfully creepy. Glenda Farrell as our erstwhile reporter is unexpectedly witty and comes up with a few lines that I simply didn't expect from a 1933 movie (well, it is "pre-code" I guess).This is a worthwhile addition to the collection of any classic horror fan. I also like this movie because, immediately after filming, its two stars (Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray) got poached by budget producer Majestic Films to cash in on the publicity for this picture ... quickly churning out The Vampire Bat (on re-used Universal movie sets), which is another great horror of the period.

The cleanup of this 1930's two-strip pre-code Technicolor thriller is absolutely amazing. You often forget only red and green pigments are used on the print, so nicely have they colour-balanced the restoration.Anton Grot's amazing sets form a perfect backdrop for some of the bizarre going-ons. The lovely Fay Wray stars, but it is fast-talkin' Glenda Farrell that steals the show.Still peppy and stylish after all these years, and looking like a first-release 35mm print. Highly recommended.

Il bluray è arrivato, integno e sigillato, con una settima di anticipo.Meglio, dato che dovevo regalarlo.

this version of Wax Museum is my favourite