THE MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM: Blu-ray (Warner Bros. 1933) Warner Archive

The end of an era hit its momentous stride with Michael Curtiz’s The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) – a pre-Code 2-strip Technicolor masterpiece, tragically, in later years, to be overshadowed by its 1953, 3D remake, House of Wax – starring that peerless mad ghoul, Vincent Price. Given its vintage, mad ghouls are slightly out of season in The Mystery of the Wax Museum, the role of physically wounded/emotional scarred sculptor, Ivan Igor, played with uncharacteristic empathy by one of cinema’s great baddies, Lionel Atwill. Both pictures are based on Charles S. Belden’s ‘The Wax Works’ – an unpublished short story, later – loosely aspired to as a stage show, The Wax Museum by indie producer, Charles Rogers. A minor bruhaha occurred when Warner Bros. optioned the story for $1,000 before consulting their attorney’s report, revealing it was already owned by Rogers.  Threatened with a lawsuit, Rogers withdrew his claim to the property, allowing the studio to proceed with their plans to make the movie. In the years before the instillation of Hollywood’s self-governing code of censorship, The Mystery of the Wax Museum was conceived very much with Universal’s own house of horrors in mind. Supernatural oddities were then king at the box office. And although ‘Wax Museum’ possessed no ‘monsters’ per say, the evil lurking in the hearts of men proved more than fulfilling and just the sort of cheap creepy to entice the casual cinema goer into the darkened theater – this, and, of course, the weirdly off hues of 2-strip Technicolor that, although virtually unable to accurately process the full spectrum of color, nevertheless, lent a perverse patina of ominous light and shadow to these proceedings, perfectly to compliment the spook story.

Warner’s had had great success with Doctor X the year before, and, in many ways, The Mystery of the Wax Museum was conceived as a reunion of the talents gone into that aforementioned bell-ringer for the studio. So, back in the saddle this time were Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Arthur Edmund Carewe and Thomas Jackson – also, director, Michael Curtiz; art director, Anton Grot and cameraman, Ray Rennahan, later to achieve ever-lasting fame as one of the cinematographers on Gone with the Wind (1939). To keep costs down, ‘Wax Museum’ reused Bernhard Kaun’s main theme from Doctor X. Interesting, Warner should have elected to make The Mystery of the Wax Museum in Technicolor – the 2-strip process having met with considerable apathy and criticism since its debut in 1929 from both the public and pundits. Moreover, the initial process was costly to reproduce and came with certain ‘quality control’ issues never entirely resolved in the years since. What had marked Technicolor’s debut as an innovation then, was now considered more of an abomination in the picture-making biz. And actually, Warner had tried to get out of this ‘last picture’ commitment to Technicolor by offering to shoot several of their short subjects in color – a breach of their original contract with the Technicolor Corporation. No dice with Technicolor’s Herbert Kalmus, who threatened to sue. Thus, The Mystery of the Wax Museum would conclude Warner’s option with Technicolor on a sour note. To soften the blow, and, achieve something more to the bent of ‘natural’ color, art director, Anton Grot, costumer, Orry-Kelly and cinematographer, Ray Rennahan conspired to create a production design that favored the hues the 2-strip process was particularly adept at reproducing with a degree of accuracy. Colors were tested before the cameras first, and, depending on the way they registered on film, where either exploited for maximum effect or excluded from the palette entirely.

One aspect of the production not considered, the necessity of employing banks and banks of white hot lights in order to get the colors to properly register on film, thus, to have had the inadvertent effect of causing the meticulously crafted wax figures – set to legitimately burn during the picture’s climax – to prematurely melt beforehand. Fay Wray also claims the intensity of the lighting gave her a stigma and eye-strain, literally, burning her retinas.  Years later, Wray had a more glowing opinion of the movie than while making it. In her big moment, stripping away Igor’s mask to reveal the sadistic and misshapen brute beneath, Wray and her co-star, Lionel Atwill did take after take. But the prop mask absolutely refused to come apart on cue. After a litany of takes, Wray – tired of having to chronically work up a lather for the moment, simply torn the prosthetic away; Curtiz, pronouncing her impromptu gesture perfect, and ordering that take to be printed. Wray was none too keen working for Curtiz, whose talent she could certainly recognize, but whose caustic nature and general disregard for the niceties towards virtually everyone, she found absolutely appalling. Curtiz – a master craftsman in his medium, was used to having his way. Alas, as the original hand-crafted wax mannequins daily decomposed, Curtiz was forced to reconsider another option - using them only during the epic inferno that engulfs the museum and its creations. Otherwise, each of the wax figures was recreated, using real people with a glycerin make-up application to give their skin the appropriately ‘waxy’ look. At the studio’s behest, Curtiz was also forced to recycle the laboratory set from Doctor X. Unlike its remake, House of Wax, The Mystery of the Wax Museum is set in then ‘modern times’ – its 1921 prologue, followed by all of the action taking place in contemporary settings, circa, 1933. Interestingly, the credits list actress, Monica Bannister as Joan Gale – a character we never meet, but are later shown as the petrified-in-wax corpse as Joan of Arc.

The Mystery of the Wax Museum begins with our introduction to sculptor extraordinaire, Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill), who operates an art deco-styled wax museum in London. Ivan used to be a stone sculptor but turned to wax to more fully realize his figures ‘in the flesh’. In true Hollywood horror movie fashion, it is a dark and stormy night; Ivan, awaiting the arrival of Dr. Rasmussen (Holmes Herbert) and an investor, Mr. Galatalin (Claude King). The museum is desperate for an influx of capital to keep it solvent, and Ivan lays on the charm, showing off his technical proficiency in creating sculptures of Joan of Arc, Voltaire, and his personal favorite, Marie Antoinette, whom he fetishizes as a living monument to the doomed French monarch. Galatalin is captivated by Igor’s work, offering to submit it to the Royal Academy, alas, only after he returns from an extended trip abroad to Egypt. The news is devastating. Igor needs money now.  To this end, Igor’s partner, the enterprising Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell) proposes they torch the museum for the insurance money. It cannot be! Ten years of his life to go up in smoke?!? Refusing to partake of this fraud, Igor is horrified when Worth elects to begin the arson anyway. The men brawl as, all around them, the flammable wax figures catch fire and are incinerated in the hellish blaze. Worth beats Igor unconscious, leaving him to perish in the flames.

Fast track to 1933. Having survived his ordeal, Igor resurfaces in New York City, eager to debut a new wax museum. Crippled in the inferno, but seemingly, otherwise to have emerged unscathed, Igor now relies on assistants to rebuilt his former glory. In another part of town, overzealous reporter, Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell) is being read the riot act by her exasperated editor, Jim (Frank McHugh). Seems Flo has not brought in a good scoop for the paper in months. So, Jim gives her a heady – and gruesome – assignment: to investigate the suicide of fashion model, Joan Gale (Monica Bannister). Flo chases down a lead and heads to the morgue to examine the body. Alas, before she arrives, Joan’s remains are stolen by a disfigured creature, skulking about in the dark. Now, investigators begin to suspect foul play – all eyes initially on George Winton (Gavin Gordon), the son of a powerful industrialist whom Joan was seeing. However, after visiting Winton in jail, Florence is convinced of his innocence.

Her roommate, Charlotte Duncan (Fay Wray) is engaged to Ralph (Allen Vincent), one of the sculptors working at Igor's wax museum. Flo and Charlotte pay a visit to the museum, unaware of what lies ahead. However, moments after entering the establishment, Flo is struck by the eerie similarity the wax figure of Joan of Arc bears to the late Joan Gale. To assuage her curiosity, Igor suggests his inspiration in crafting historical figures is often based on current events and, having seen Joan’s picture in the paper, it served as the basis for his Joan of Arc wax figure. Charlotte is momentarily swayed to reconsider her initial suspicions, lulled further by Igor’s flattery. Indeed, she reminds him of his former Marie Antoinette wax figure that burned in the blaze twelve-years earlier. The girls depart the museum, moderately amused, and totally unaware of the horrors that lay ahead. Now, Igor hires drug fiend, Professor Darcy (Arthur Edmund Carewe) and deaf-mute, Hugo (Matthew Betz) as his henchmen. He is also well aware Darcy works for Joe Worth, whose bootlegger operations cater to many an affluent citizen, including Winton. Making a connection between Winton, an old dark house, Worth’s bootlegger’s stash, and, the hideously disfigured man who stole Joan’s body, Charlotte is, as yet, unable to draw a correlation between all of them and the wax museum. Witnessing Darcy fleeing from the seemingly abandoned manor, Charlotte informs the police, who immediately arrest him. In short order, Darcy tearfully confesses to a horrific plot - kidnapping and murdering prominent citizens and using their corpses, dipped in wax, to recreate the figures for the museum.

Certain her boyfriend has nothing to do with this ominous plan, Charlotte attempts to contact Ralph at the museum. Instead, she is trapped by Igor who now reveals he can still walk. Seized into his clutches, Charlotte’s attempt to break free instead dislodges Igor’s face – exposed as a wax facade to conceal his hideously distorted visage. Now, Igor reveals to Charlotte, the remains of Joe Worth, whom Darcy had been tracking. Overcome with fear, Charlotte faints. Igor hastily straps her onto a table, intending to preserve her in molten wax as his immortal sculpture of Marie Antoinette. Mercifully, Florence has led the police to the museum. Igor’s agility astounds everyone. He evades capture until one of the officers fires a fatal shot. Unable to leap to safety, Igor falls into the giant vat of molten wax intended for Charlotte. Bravely, Ralph rescues his fiancée from the surging hot liquid. Turning in her story to Jim, Florence is astounded when he proposes marriage. Realizing Winton is not for her, Flo accepts Jim’s proposal instead.

The Mystery of the Wax Museum is widely regarded as the superior incarnation of this thrice revived ‘horror’ movie classic – remade twice more as House of Wax in 1953, and, 2005. Alas, until now, ‘Mystery’ had only been available in horrendously mis-registered and poorly color timed bootlegs on home video. Even Warner’s DVD from 2001 and previous Blu-ray incarnation from 2011, double-billed with House of Wax lacked the subtle refinements of vintage 2-strip Technicolor – rendering it a virtually unwatchable muddy mess. But now, the Warner Archive (WAC) debuts the mystery anew in a sparkling 1080p transfer, organized in collaboration with the UCLA Film & Television Archives, The Film Foundation and Warner Bros. Entertainment, with additional funding from George Lucas’ Family Foundation. The source here is a newly unearthed nitrate print from 1933, owned by Jack L. Warner with additional inserts derived from a French work print discovered in more recent years. Scanned at 4K resolution by MPI and afforded additional cleanup by Roundabout Entertainment, to have successfully eradicated virtually all age-related anomalies, with careful color timing and correction applied, The Mystery of the Wax Museum has never looked more resplendent on home video.

We are now privy to a stunning approximation of Ray Rennahan’s marvelous Technicolor cinematography, leaning toward fully-saturated greens, reds and beiges with a startling amount of shadow detail and pitch-perfect contrast to boot. Having owned and seen this movie multiple times, always to be a little saddened by its state of decay and disrepair, I can honestly state, watching it on WAC’s new Blu is either like seeing the movie with a fresh pair of eyes, or, in fact, actually seeing it for the very first time, circa 1933. Wow! And thank you! Film grain is finally represented as indigenous to its source. Not much more to say about the image. It’s perfect! The 2.0 DTS audio is as exquisite, belying its nearly 90-year vintage. Dialogue is remarkably clean, and the score, by Cliff Hess and Bernhard Kaun is a Vitaphone treasure. Extras include an audio commentary by Scott McQueen and also a brief restoration featurette, denoting the Herculean effort in resurrecting The Mystery of the Wax Museum from virtual oblivion. Bottom line: one simply cannot refer to themselves as a connoisseur of film art and not own a copy of this on Blu-ray. An absolute ‘must have’!

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

3.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

5

EXTRAS

2