Mystery of the Wax Museum, released in 1933, is an American pre-Code mystery-horror film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh. Produced and released by Warner Bros., the film has garnered recognition as a landmark horror film that set standards for the genre.
Mystery of the Wax Museum stands as a testament to the creative freedom enjoyed by filmmakers in the era before the strict enforcement of the Hays Code. The film blends elements of horror, mystery, and newspaper crime drama, creating a unique and engaging cinematic experience. While it may not terrify modern audiences, its historical significance and innovative techniques make it a must-see for fans of classic horror.
The story begins in London in 1921. Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill), a talented sculptor, pours his heart and soul into his wax museum. He gives a private tour to a friend, Dr. Rasmussen, and an art critic, Mr. Galatalin, showcasing his sculptures of Joan of Arc, Voltaire, and his prized creation, Marie Antoinette. Igor explains that he turned to wax sculpting because he felt more "satisfied" that he could reproduce "the warmth, flesh, and blood of life far more better in wax than in cold stone" than with stone sculpting, which he did formerly as a hobby. Galatalin is impressed and offers to submit Igor's work to the Royal Academy after a trip to Egypt.
However, Igor's partner, Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell), is concerned about the museum's financial struggles. Worth proposes to burn the museum down for the insurance money of £10,000, as people are more attracted to the macabre, and their competitor museum caters to that. Igor vehemently opposes this idea, but Worth starts a fire anyway. A struggle ensues, and Igor is left for dead amidst the flames, with wax masterworks melting.
Twelve years later, Igor resurfaces in New York City, opening a new wax museum. Meanwhile, Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell), a spunky reporter on the verge of being fired for not bringing in any worthwhile news, is assigned to investigate the suicide of a model named Joan Gale. During this time, a hideous monster steals Joan Gale's body from the morgue. The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.
Read also: Discover the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum
Florence's roommate, Charlotte Duncan (Fay Wray), is engaged to Ralph, who works at Igor's new museum. While visiting the museum, Florence notices an uncanny resemblance between a wax figure of Joan of Arc and the dead model. Igor employs a couple of shady characters: Prof. Darcy, a drug addict, and Hugo, a deaf-mute.
As Florence investigates an old house where Worth keeps his bootlegged alcohol, she discovers a monster connected with the museum but cannot prove any connection with the disappearance of Joan Gale's body. Darcy is seen running from the house and is caught by the police.
Charlotte, visiting Ralph at the museum, is trapped there by Igor, who reveals he can still walk. When Charlotte tries to escape, she breaks a wax mask that he has made of himself, revealing that he had been horribly disfigured. He also shows her the dead body of Joe Worth, whom Darcy had been tracking down for him for some time. Igor intends to douse Charlotte with molten wax and make her his lost Marie Antoinette.
Florence leads the police to the museum just in time. Igor, moving with surprising speed and agility, fights off the police but is finally gunned down. He falls into a giant vat of wax, which was intended for Charlotte.
In the end, Florence reports her story to her editor, Jim, who proposes to her.
Read also: A Visit to the Wax Museum
Lionel Atwill as Ivan Igor: A gifted wax sculptor driven to madness by the destruction of his life's work. Atwill delivers a compelling performance, portraying Igor's transformation from an idealistic artist to a murderous figure. He begins the film about to be honored by the British government for his masterful works of art. Reconciling emotional needs with realistic liabilities is a big theme in the movie.
Glenda Farrell as Florence Dempsey: A headstrong and whip-smart reporter who investigates the mysterious events surrounding the wax museum. Farrell's portrayal of Florence is energetic and captivating, making her a memorable and enjoyable character. She's one of those dames whose heart has been around so much that it’s become calloused. And while she’s a driven amateur detective in her own right, she also can’t be bothered with sentimentality.
Fay Wray as Charlotte Duncan: Florence's roommate and Ralph's fiancée, who becomes the target of Igor's obsession.
Frank McHugh as Jim: Florence's impatient editor.
Mystery of the Wax Museum is a prime example of pre-Code Hollywood cinema, characterized by its daring themes and suggestive content. The film features:
Read also: National Wax Museum
Mystery of the Wax Museum was one of the last films shot using the two-color Technicolor process. The restoration manages to recreate subtleties of color gradation and lighting that had become mostly blue/pink wash in the previous releases. The film was considered a lost film for a long time, before a copy was found in Jack Warner’s personal vault.
In 2019, The Film Foundation sponsored a 4K digital restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, which created a complete print using the Warner version and a French workprint that contained some missing material. The new restoration revealed subtle degrees of color that were latent in the nitrate print but had been obscured by cross-contamination of the color dyes.
Mystery of the Wax Museum explores several themes, including:
Mystery of the Wax Museum has had a lasting impact on the horror genre, inspiring several remakes and adaptations, including:
This is the first Michael Curtiz film I’ve seen in which his connection to German Expressionism is so explicit. Here, it’s not about lighting or camera angles, but rather about the spaces through which the story moves. In particular, the place from which Joan Gale’s body is stolen and Ivan Igor’s lab would both fit seamlessly into anything by Fritz Lang, with their high ceilings, thick walls, and huge industrial elements.
tags: #mystery #of #the #wax #museum #1933
