Mystery of the Wax Museum

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Mystery of the Wax Museum

1933

1h 17m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

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13 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill) is the sculptor at a famous wax museum in London. When his partner, Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell), burns down the museum for the insurance money, Igor is trapped inside. Years later he re-emerges in New York as the curator of a new wax museum, which boasts incredibly lifelike statues. When model Joan Gale (Monica Bannister) goes missing, however, reporter Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell) follows the clues to Igor's museum, where she discovers a terrible secret.

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

However shocking the film may have been at the time, it has grown not only as a cult object to be cherished by genre aficionados, but as a work that improves with the addition of contexts that underscore its distinct place in film history.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 18, 2022

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

With no musical score to guide the audience, we're often left adrift in Igor's madhouse, conjuring up some truly haunting imagery that has been beautifully restored on the new Blu-Ray from Warner Archive.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 17, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mystery of the Wax Museum is notable for a handful of reasons, including the involvement of director Michael Curtiz before he became Warner's top go-to guy (Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy).

Rated: 3/4

May 30, 2020

Full Review

Pare Lorentz

Vanity Fair

Had the director kept his story under control The Wax Museum might have been a good horror production.

Jun 5, 2019

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

One of the punchiest, most watchable '30s horror films made anywhere outside of Universal.

Rated: 7/10

Oct 25, 2014

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A fun weirdo classic pulp horror tale from the 1930s.

Rated: A-

Oct 20, 2008

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S R

An impressive early horror movie that set standards for the genre. I saw it reference to TCM's highlighting it as influential. It was a bit cheesy, but entertaining. Saw on DM.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/02/24

Full Review

Matt B

Excellent early 30s horror thriller, done in a 2 strip technicolor process that gives the film an eerie atmosphere. Atwill is an excellent warped antagonist and highly prolific and talented Michael Curtiz does a commendable job directing. Watch it!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

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Alec B

Wonderfully creepy and I appreciate that the fast talking dame reporter is the actual hero of the movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Movie is a fun, compelling genre mashup. Part horror, part newspaper story. I was surprised that the big epic showcase sequence, the wax museum fire meltdown happens at the beginning of movie. The newspaper detective story that follows has the right amount of comic tone. Movie has a strong cast, and lots of surprising pre - code dialogue, drug abuse, and gruseome images. But the MVP is Fay Wray. So appealing, so attractive, charming, and sexy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/23

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Dallas H

It is interesting how the story for this movie was repurposed into the 1953 remake starring Vincent Price, which is the version I prefer over all the others. Don't forget there is also a 2005 remake of House of Wax. I enjoyed Mystery of the Wax Museum on its merit. It's a decent movie and an exciting look at hearing the bold dialogue in an era before the Hays Code was shortly enforced.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/03/23

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Audience Member

Rating: 6/10. 65/100

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/26/22

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Michael Curtiz

Director

Lionel Atwill

Ivan Igor

Fay Wray

Charlotte Duncan

Glenda Farrell

Florence Dempsey

Frank McHugh

Jim

Gavin Gordon

George Winton

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Synopsis

Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill) is the sculptor at a famous wax museum in London. When his partner, Joe Worth (Edwin Maxwell), burns down the museum for the insurance money, Igor is trapped inside. Years later he re-emerges in New York as the curator of a new wax museum, which boasts incredibly lifelike statues. When model Joan Gale (Monica Bannister) goes missing, however, reporter Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell) follows the clues to Igor's museum, where she discovers a terrible secret.

Director: Michael Curtiz
Producer: Henry Blanke
Screenwriter: Don Mullaly, Carl Erickson
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 17m