IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Many film fans are unaware that the popular 3-D horror film House of Wax (1953), starring Vincent Price, was actually a remake of the 1933 Michael Curtiz film, Mystery of the Wax Museum, starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray.  The pre-code original was based on the same unpublished short story, “The Wax Works”, by Charles S. Belden; and like the remake, the original showcased a technological novelty.  Where House of Wax was the first color feature shot in 3-D, Mystery of the Wax Museum was an early example of a full-length film shot completely in color, using the early two-strip Technicolor process.  Unlike three-strip Technicolor and later full-color processes, two-strip Technicolor could not represent a full spectrum of hues.  The early process mixed red and green dyes to represent a limited range of colors.

There are multiple reasons that Mystery of the Wax Museum is lesser-known than other horror films produced around the same time.  For one, the film was produced by Warner Brothers, a studio that made very few horror films in the 1930s (unlike monster-king Universal or even MGM), so those few films received less notice by historians than the gangster films, musicals, and dramas that were more plentiful from the studio.  Secondly, two-strip Technicolor was a short-lived process that was quickly considered out-of-date (and weird-looking), so there was no opportunity for theatrical re-releases in the days before television.  Most importantly, by the time television came along, the film was not only forgotten; it was considered lost.

It wasn’t until 1969, when a single damaged print turned up from Jack Warner’s private collection, that audiences were able to view Mystery of the Wax Museum again.  However, rare theatrical screenings and a standard-definition video release, did not fully restore the film’s reputation, as wear and decay somewhat hampered the viewing experience.  The single existing print was even missing a few seconds of footage and dialogue here and there.  Happily, with the help of a second discovered print, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation have restored the missing footage and cleaned up the film to look like new.  Now the once-lost film is available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive for new audiences to discover.

The story-line is very similar to House of Wax, but with a little more bite, due to the fact that the film came out before the production code was strictly enforced.  Lionel Atwill stars as Ivan Igor, a London artist singularly obsessed with his wax sculptures of famous historical figures.  Unfortunately, Igor’s wax museum goes up in flames, when his unscrupulous partner (Edwin Maxwell) sets it ablaze for the insurance money, with Igor inside.  A decade later, Igor, who survived the fire with major burns, opens a new wax museum in New York City.  Around the same time, Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell), a feisty female reporter, is investigating a rash of disappearances, and the trail leads to the wax museum (after some side treks involving bootleggers and dope fiends).  When Florence ends up at the wax museum, Igor is especially taken with Florence’s roommate (Fay Wray), due to her uncanny resemblance to his favorite lost sculpture, Marie Antoinette.  You can probably guess where this is all going.

Lionel Atwill is excellent (Was he ever anything less?) as the obsessed artist, conveying both likability and menace.  Fay Wray is fetching in the “Lady in distress” role, but she also manages to inject some character into the part, which probably wasn’t on the page.  However, the true MVP of the picture is Glenda Farrell, who knows how to toss off a wisecrack with aplomb.  She is a true pre-code dame (in the best sense of the word), and it is natural that fast-talking female reporters became her specialty (see the “Torchy Blane” series).  I also must add that the final outcome of her character’s amorous adventures in Mystery of the Wax Museum are refreshingly unexpected.

Mystery of the Wax Museum is a lot of fun, and at 78 minutes, the proceedings never drag.  The story is well staged, and the novelty and beauty of the two-strip Technicolor presentation (which is discussed more in the “Video” section below) is one of the main reasons to view the film today.  While black & white is the palette of choice for horror, the unnatural look of two-strip Technicolor, with its emerald green shadows, provides an effective, disquieting feel.  I highly recommend giving this forgotten horror a spin, and the new Warner Archive Blu-ray is the only true way to see it in its fully restored glory.

US/C-78m./Dir: Michael Curtiz/Wr: Don Mullaly & Carl Erikson (based on the story “The Wax Works” by Charles S. Belden)/Cast: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Allen Vincent, Gavin Gordon, Edwin Maxwell

For Fans of: Lovers of classic horror films will definitely want to add the new Warner Archive Blu-ray to their collections.  Whether you are already a fan of this film, are only familiar with the Vincent Price remake, or simply have an interest in early pre-code thrillers, I think you’ll find this Blu-ray to be a disc to treasure.

Video: Mystery of the Wax Museum was previously offered as a “standard definition” extra on the Blu-ray release of House of Wax (1953).  That release went out of print and is due to be re-released by the Warner Archive next month.  However, even if you have the prior House of Wax Blu-ray in your collection (as I do), I highly recommend that you also pick up the new Warner Archive standalone Blu-ray release of Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933).  The presentation on the new Blu-ray is far superior to what could be offered when the House of Wax disc was produced.

With the discovery of a second print of the film, the restoration teams from the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation were able to reinsert dialogue and footage that was missing from the prior release; and scratches, speckles, and other damage has been digitally removed.  The print now looks and sounds pristine, plus there is a nice boost in detail from the jump to high definition.

Balancing the color of two-strip Technicolor prints is tricky, and a lot of care was taken to get the colors just right.  As a result, the presentation of Mystery of the Wax Museum likely looks better on the Warner Archive Blu-ray than it ever did in theatrical release.  All together, the restoration is stunning, and the Warner Archive Blu-ray will likely be mentioned again when I revisit the best discs of the year.

The disc also has an impressive group of special features, including two full-length audio commentaries.  Here’s the full list of extras:

• A documentary featurette, “Remembering Fay Wray,” which features Fay Wray’s daughter, Victoria Riskin
• Audio commentary by film historian Alan K. Rode, author of Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film
• A second audio commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film & Television Archive
• A featurette on the restoration, narrated by Scott MacQueen
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

You can purchase the disc directly from the Warner Archive or from other online retailers (Amazon link below).

Streaming: At the time this review was written, Mystery of the Wax Museum was not available streaming or for digital rental or purchase.

More to Explore: Fay Wray starred in two other pre-code horror films with Lionel Atwill — Doctor X (1932, also in two-strip Technicolor) and The Vampire Bat (1933).  Scott MacQueen stated on the Nitrateville Podcast that restoration is well underway on Doctor X, with plans of an eventual home video release.  The Vampire Bat is in the public domain, but it is available in an above-average print on Blu-ray from The Film Detective.

Trivia: Two-strip Technicolor photography required five times the amount of light used for black & white film, so the set was flaming hot at all times.  Originally, real wax figures were used on the set, but they melted in the heat.  Consequently, the wax figures had to be replaced by actors holding a frozen pose.

For More Info: Two participants in the disc special features have books of interest — Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film by Alan K. Rode and Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir by Victoria Riskin.  Other actors get their due in Lionel Atwill: The Exquisite Villain by Neil Pettigrew and Glenda Farrell: Hollywood’s Hardboiled Dame by Scott Nollen.