House of Wax (1953)

Further proof that my uneasiness in wax museums is completely justified.

Intro.

I definitely went through classic movie phases even as a kid.  There was a period where all I wanted to watch were musicals and then came old horror films.  My favorite horror film was the original House of Wax, starring my favorite horror movie actor, Vincent Price.  I can remember going to the local video store and making a beeline straight to the Classics section and asking my mom to rent it again and again.  I hadn't seen the movie in something close to twelve years, and was delighted that it was featured on TCM this Halloween.   

Overview

Vincent Price stars as Prof. Henry Jarrod, a gifted sculptor of wax figures.  His museum, studio and home are all in one building, and the small space, while filled with well-crafted figures from history, fails to draw in as many crowds as other wax museums which feature scenes of torture and horrors.  His partner Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) wants a return on his investment, and losing his patience, sets fire to the museum.  Jarrod cannot bear to part with his "children" as he calls his wax figures, and many believe he dies in the fire with them.  In the aftermath, we see a strange, misshapen man in a black cape appear in Burke's room and kill him, hanging him in the elevator shaft.  It's a ghastly crime, and only made worse when the scene is revealed in a brand new wax museum specializing in the macabre and recent headlines in crime.  Running this new museum is Jarrod, who is now wheelchair bound and without fine motor control in his hands.  His apprentices now carve his figures under his guidance, and he is determined to recreate all of his best pieces.  One of the couples visiting his grand opening are Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk) and Scott Andrews (Paul Picerni).  Sue's dear friend Cathy (Carolyn Jones) was recently murdered, and Sue had walked in on the murder - the same man in black who killed Burke.  Once at the museum, Sue can't help but notice the similarity between the figure of Joan of Arc and Cathy.  Every line of Cathy's face is there, right down to her only having one ear pierced.  Jarrod explains that he often uses photographs from the newspaper as models for his work, but Sue isn't convinced.  Scott begins working for Jarrod as well, and begins work on a new Marie Antoinette, using Sue's face as a model.  But of course this creepy film gets even spookier when Sue goes into the museum one night alone to get another close-up view of Joan of Arc (seriously, how does she think that's a good idea?).  Of course she discovers that Joan actually is Cathy, and Jarrod and his other assistants decide to make her a permanent fixture of the museum.  Can Scott and the police save her?  And just who is it among them that's been killing people across the city?

Highlights

I love Vincent Price.  In any horror film, he adds a certain level of creepiness.  Not only is his voice pitch perfect for any horror film (in fact his is also the voice you hear in "Thriller"), but he is also a  remarkable actor.  It's so easy to forget how good of an actor he really was when you watch films designed to showcase other things (like the novelty of 3D effects).  But he's always a great actor to watch and to learn from*, and I think part of the reason I was so drawn to this film was because of his work.  He is so easy to admire and empathize with from the beginning, then we see his change after the fire and the loss of his world.  It's as much about his loss of sanity as it is about Sue's own descent into what she fears is madness.  She just has to know if it's really Cathy beneath that layer of wax.  It's a good thing she does question it too, for her story starts the police investigating into Jarrod's life.

House of Wax was a remake of an early horror film from the 1930s, but was remade at this particular time in Hollywood for two reasons.  One, it would make a great showpiece shot in color and second it could be made into 3D to attract movie audiences.  Theaters were losing business in the 50s with the widespread ownership of television, so many sensational tactics began deployment in the film industry.  3D effects were one of those ideas, and did bring viewers in to see films like House of Wax.  While I have not seen the film in 3D, I can attest to the brilliance of color in the movie, with particular attention paid to the details of the wax figurines.  It's very well shot and composed, with a good eye for color.  It is also very amusing to see which shots were constructed solely for the purpose of coming right at the camera for that 3D effect.  The hawker outside Jarrod's new museum is the most out of place, having no effect on the plot and interacting directly with the audience with his paddle-board.  It's an amusing reminder of the fad and a reminder of what was once on the cutting edge of Hollywood.    

There were a few things I didn't particularly like in the film on this viewing, particularly the supporting characters.  It's most apparent with Cathy, but several of them are a bit stereotyped and almost corny, as is the bad pun which ends the film.  Still, I have to admit that the novelty of wax museums and the drawing power of Vincent Price makes this an enjoyable film.  It's still one of my favorite horror films, although I may still be biased towards my childhood favorites.  And the scene where Jarrod's true face is revealed (arg, I can't really make this spoiler-free) still makes me gasp.  That's what always terrified me as a child and today it still gives me the creeps.

Before I sign off, one quick funny story.  As I began to write this post, I looked up House of Wax on IMDb, because I knew that Jarrod's assistant Igor had looked really familiar.  Turns out it was a very early appearance by Charles Bronson, who was listed in the credits as Charles Buchinsky.  I just told my friend who had also watched with me, and we both said in tandem "I knew he looked familiar!"

Review and Recommendation
Although a bit stereotyped and somewhat predictable, House of Wax is still a very enjoyable film and an example of new techniques tried in the 1950s.  A wonderful vehicle for Vincent Price (and probably one of his best performances), I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a more tame horror film.  What a great way to wrap up my month of horror films!

*I've seen Vincent Price in only two non-horror films, one of which was His Kind of Woman.  Now, you talk about an acting range - I almost didn't recognize him because he was so funny!  Of course, his voice was unmistakable.  :-)