Released in february 1933, it was one of the earliest experiments. Feared to be lost for many years, mystery of the wax museum gained a mighty reputation when film historians memories of the movie were jogged by the 1953. When his partner, joe worth edwin maxwell, burns down the museum for the insurance money, igor is trapped inside. Released in february 1933, it was one of the earliest experiments with color film as well as one of the earliest treatments of a now wellknown mystery plot, topped with an intriguing visual style and. The film stars lionel atwill, fay wray, glenda farrell, and frank mchugh this film, along with warners doctor x, were the last dramatic fiction films made using the twocolor technicolor process. Nearly everyone had given up the ghost by 1933 and were gearing up for the debut of real 3 color technicolor. Mystery of the wax museum was made by warner brothers and seems to have been a big production, as it was filmed in technicolor. It was effectively remade in 3d as house of wax 1953 with vincent price andand thats where they should have stopped, really. It premiered in new york on april 10, 1953, and had a general release on april. Movie, mystery of the wax museum movie,mystery of the wax museum trailer,mystery of the wax museum 1933, michael curtiz,fay wray. House of wax is a 1953 american color 3d horrorthriller film directed by andre detoth. These days, mystery of the wax museum has become best known for the fact that it was the film that spawned the 1953 classic starring vincent price. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 halloween horror picks.
May 24, 20 this week on alcohollywoods mystery month, we travel back in time to the days before the hays code for 1933s horror film mystery of the wax museum. So rest assure when you are watching this movie you are not watching a colorize version. The last major studio production filmed in twocolor technicolor, mystery of the wax museum was a followup to warner bros. Mystery of the wax museum is a 1933 horror film directed by michael curtiz and starring lionel atwill, glenda farrell, and fay wray.
I wonder if the lighting requirements were also behind the giant sets. Aug 05, 2012 a scene from the 1933 film mystery of the wax museum with lionel atwill, glenda farrell and fay wray. Special thanks to our partners at roundabout entertainment, the film foundation and warner bros. Jun 02, 2017 the technicolor system required so much lighting the heat apparently melted some of the wax figures, requiring them to be played by actors. The mystery of the wax museum 1933 rotten tomatoes. Michael curtiz returned the horror genre with mystery of the wax museum 1933, which was only natural since the previous years doctor x had been the film that had put the horror genre. Just like doctor x, mystery of the wax museum was apparently missing from sight for many a year, but is now back in circulation for all to enjoy. Mystery of the wax museum is a film directed by michael curtiz with lionel atwill, fay wray, glenda farrell, frank mchugh, year. The first time i saw it i expected an outandout horror film, but its really a mystery film i know, duh its called mystery of the wax museum with the solution to the mystery being a horrific one. Mystery of the wax museum is a 1933 american precode mysteryhorror film directed by michael curtiz and released by warner bros. Fay wray, lionel atwill, glenda farrel, frank mchugh. Not a sequel, but very much a companion piece to michael curtiz doctor x 1932, the oncelost mystery of the wax museum 1933 is another twostrip technicolor exercise in german expressionist. Mystery of the wax museum was the last dramatic film made in the old twostrip technicolor process. Igor takes a sinister interest in charlotte, fiancee of his assistant ralph, but arouses the suspicions of roommate, wisecracking reporter florence.
Mystery of the wax museum 1933 classic horror film board. Michael curtizs horror classic mystery of the wax museum 1933, one of hollywoods best twostrip technicolor features, premiering early next year. Cast and crew credits for mystery of the wax museum, 1933, directed by michael curtiz, with lionel atwill, fay wray, glenda farrell, at turner classic movies. Intrepid reporter florence a speedtalking yet adorable fay wray attempts to work out the secret behind a series of mysterious deaths in new york city. Todays episode features the highly underrated 1933 classic, mystery of the wax museum, starring fay wray and lionel atwill. The mystery of the wax museum begins in london in the 1920s. Michael curtizs mystery of the wax museum is a fun and curious little film. Regarding his historical creations as his friends, igor refuses the entreaties of his business partner, joe worth edwin maxwell, to turn his labor of love museum into a more profitable house of horror. A scene from the 1933 film mystery of the wax museum with lionel atwill, glenda farrell and fay wray. Remade in 1953 as house of wax, which like its predecessor was used as a showcase for a new form of film technology. It kinda plays on the idea that youre sposed to think its a mere mystery movie going in, but at the endsurprise. In this episode, filmmaker matt dinan joins ryan to talk about one of the earliest color horror films mystery of the wax museum 1933. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 page 18 classic horror.
Filmed in the twocolor technicolor process in 1933, mystery looks very good for its age and history, although it has more than its share of rough edges. Ten years later in thenpresent day new york, he opens a new. In this version a spunky female reporter investigates the disappearance of the corpse of joan gale which leads her to the wax museum owned by ivan igor lionel atwill where she comes to believe that the joan of arc wax figure is actually the body of the missing gale. The film stars lionel atwill, fay wray, glenda farrell, and frank mchugh. The nitrate diva has some excellent film theory for you on this one about how mystery at the wax museum can be seen as a metaphor for film itself. This is somewhat unfair, however, as although this film isnt a brilliant masterpiece, or even genre classic, it. That uses the process combined red and green dyes to create a color image with a reduced spectrum.
Oct 11, 20 in reality doctor x and mystery of the wax museum came fairly late in the two color game. The mystery of the wax museum is a dvd shelf musthave. When sculptor ivan igors wax museum is burned down by his treacherous partner, he is left devastated. Years later he reemerges in new york as the curator of a new wax museum, which boasts incredibly lifelike statues. There is some good acting in this film and the great glenda farrell, as the girl reporter suspicious of what is going on at the museum, is responsible for moving the film along quite briskly. This method of color photography, which produced a distinctive set of pastels, dated back to the toll of the sea film thetollofthesea in 1922. Lionel atwill plays ivan igor, a brilliant sculptor who manages a wax museum. What makes things worse, is that her best friend, ruth fay wray is dating the most innocent of the questionable wax workers.
The mystery of the wax museum is one hour and seventeen minutes long and was released on february 17, 1933. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 directed by michael. Watch mystery of the wax museum online stream full movie. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 michael curtiz film. Its the original version of the mystery of the wax museum 1933, featuring the fabulous fay wray. Igors museum and studio look the size of airplane hangars. Mystery of the wax museum is a 1933 horror film directed by michael curtiz and starring lionel atwill, glenda farrell, and fay wray when sculptor ivan igors wax museum is burned down by his treacherous partner, he is left devastated. Jan 21, 2017 mystery of the wax museum 1933 from warner bros. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 podcast alcohollywood. This week on alcohollywoods mystery month, we travel back in time to the days before the hays code for 1933s horror film mystery of the wax museum. One of the talkies early horror classics, the mystery of the wax museum is a crackling good thriller thats a great deal of fun. What makes things worse, is that her best friend, ruth fay wray is dating the most innocent of the questionable waxworkers.
However, the dvd release shows the film as originally intended, with the correct technicolor intact. Regarding his historical creations as his friends, igor refuses the entreaties of his business partner, joe worth edwin maxwell, to turn his laboroflove museum into a more profitable house of horror. Lionel atwill is the creepy wax maker and as always hes perfect at home in these kinds of roles. It was meant to be a horror film, but got more than a little confused with a mix of awkward comic relief and romance added along the way. The original version of the story made famous by the 1953 film house of wax starring vincent price. Mystery of the wax museum differs from the usual 30s horror film because its central theme isnt scientific progress but artistic fulfillment.
Mystery of the wax museum 1933 directed by michael curtiz. In london, a sculptor of wax figures for a museum is horrified when his employer proposes setting fire to the unpopular museum in order to collect the insurance money. Jun 19, 2011 mystery of the wax museum has apparently been restored through cooperation of ucla, warners and the film foundation. Mystery of the wax museum is for sure an interesting piece of movie making. By the way, the 1975 maltin movie guide that does list mystery of the wax museum does not list freaks, which was certainly not a lost film so motwm omission in earlier guides is no evidence of when it became available. She begins to suspect that creepy wax museum downtown of stealing bodies and posing them as wax statues. Ivan igor lionel atwill is the sculptor at a famous wax museum in london. Warners recycled the plotmad sculptor turns his victims into wax figuresfor their first 3d movie, house of wax, in 1952. Mystery of the wax museum has been ranked 3122 times, wins 43. Released in february 1933, it was one of the earliest experiments with color film as well as one of the earliest treatments of a now wellknown mystery plot, topped with an intriguing visual style and some horror icons in fine form for good measure.
Noted as the last featurelength film photographed in technicolors twocolor system, mystery of the wax museum reunited director michael curtiz casablanca with actors fay wray and lionel atwill, plus. Also, the bitterness of the main character is more apparent. This is somewhat unfair, however, as although this film isnt a brilliant masterpiece, or even genre classic, it has a right to remembered in its own right. Mystery of the wax museum 1933 18 the house of stuff. Noted as the last featurelength film photographed in technicolors twocolor system, mystery of the wax museum reunited director michael curtiz casablanca with. She also talks about the film s cutting style and curtizs use of implication in his shooting. Heres a peek at one of our current restoration projects. Mystery of the wax museum has apparently been restored through cooperation of ucla, warners and the film foundation. This method of color photography, which produced a distinctive set of pastels, dated back to the toll of the sea in 1922. I wasnt long into this one before i felt sure id seen it before. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. The late fay wray is showcased here in this preking kong horror movie.
Kudos must be given to cinematographer ray rennahan for the visual feast he gives the audience. These guides were not definitive listings of all the movies available at the time. So this was the original wax museum shocker that was made 20 years before the remake, directed by michael curtiz of casablanca fame. The film stars vincent price as a disfigured sculptor who repopulates his destroyed wax museum by murdering people and using their waxcoated corpses as displays. Mystery of the wax museum was filmed with a unique two color process that works rather well. The use of color for a horror film may have been ground breaking in 1933, universal wouldnt do a color horror movie until the science fiction era. The imagery in this horror movie is really cool, helped by the 2strip technicolor and live people as wax figures. On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost. When this film was remade as house of wax with vincent price, i was very eager to see it and compare the two wax films. Sculptor ivan igor struggles in vain to prevent his partner from burning his wax museum, and his children. Shot in the new twonegative technicolor process, doctor x 1932 and mystery of the wax museum 1933 were warners attempts to steal at least some of universals thunder, although the public reaction was less enthusiastic than had been hoped for and the technique was subsequently abandoned. Years later, igor starts a new museum in new york, but his maimed hands confine him to directing lesser artists. Intrepid reporter florence a speedtalking yet adorable fay wray attempts to work out the secret behind a.
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