MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933)
Article #102 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 6-26-2001
Posting date: 11-9-2001

Several years after his first wax museum was destroyed in an arsonous fire, a sculptor prepares to open his new museum. However, a series of strange deaths occur, and the bodies disappear from the morgues. And some of the new wax figures look quite a bit like the missing people…

This movie was missing for years, and during that time it came to be believed that the movie was a classic far superior to the 3D remake HOUSE OF WAX. When the movie was found and screened, many were disappointed. I too was disappointed when I first saw the movie, but on rewatching it this last time, I quite enjoyed it. I think what made the movie work for me is that I put myself in the right frame of mind when I watched it. I observed a few rules.

1) Tolerate the wise-cracking girl reporter. I have now seen enough movies from the thirties that I’ve gotten to the point where this type of character no longer annoys me; in fact, this character was so ubiquitous during the period that I’m surprised at how many movies from that time don’t have a wise-cracking reporter. She is the main character of the story, so the sooner you get used to the idea, the easier it will be for you.

2) Watch the movie as a mystery rather than a horror movie. Despite the horror elements, it plays like a mystery and is best enjoyed that way.

3) Pretend you don’t know who the killer is. The denouement of this movie is quite well known, but knowing whodunit really does interfere with your enjoyment of the movie, as it makes it look as if the movie is constantly veering off the track. If you can set aside that foreknowledge and allow yourself to suspect several people, the movie makes a lot more sense and feels more focused.

It may seem unusual to adopt a strategy to watch a movie, but in this case, it worked for me.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the movie features Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill, and Glenda Farell (as the wise-cracking reporter). The use of early two-strip Technicolor also gives this movie a unique look that it shares with DOCTOR X.