It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

On a dark and stormy night in 1921 London, "Wax Museum" sculptor Lionel Atwill (as Ivan Igor) shows potential investors his incredibly lifelike wax figures (played by real people). He hopes for a major exhibit, but Mr. Atwill's partner says they can't pay the rent on their museum and burns the place down. Tragically, Atwill is believed to have gone up in flames, while partner Edwin Maxwell (as Joe Worth) takes the insurance payoff. Twelve years later, Atwill turns up in New York City. He has decided to recreate his beloved wax museum. In a wheelchair and unable to sculpt due to injuries sustained in the fire, Atwill resorts to highly unethical methods to recreate his waxworks. When dead bodies mysteriously disappear, snoopy blonde reporter Glenda Farrell (as Florence Dempsey) begins to investigate...Early "Technicolor" gives this Monster "Mystery of the Wax Museum" a distinctive look. With Ms. Farrell's enterprising reporter, this version also has a stronger female lead, and famed "King Kong" (1933) screamer Fay Wray (as Charlotte Duncan) also appears. The women have a sexy scene, after about a half hour of running time. Watch for Ms. Wray to show off her legs in shorts and stockings while roommate Farrell slinks around in bed. Anton Grot's stylish sets and Ray Rennahan's photography, as directed by Michael Curtiz, enables this version to hold up well against the re-make "House of Wax" (1953). Interestingly, both "houses of wax" successfully employed visual gimmicks to entice viewers. The 1953 revision (starring Vincent Price) appeared in "3-D" while this 1933 version employed Technicolor.******** Mystery of the Wax Museum (2/16/33) Michael Curtiz ~ Lionel Atwill, Glenda Farrell, Fay Wray, Allen Vincent

Not too long ago I had bought the DVD of House of Wax (1953). After watching that great movie I noticed there was a special feature on it named "Mystery of the Wax Museum". My first thought was it might be some documentary. I was pleasantly surprised it was in fact a full length movie from the thirties. So I decided to give this one a go too.Soon it became clear this was the movie that formed an inspiration for House of Wax. They do basically have the same story. So yes House of Wax is a remake. I prefer the remake because it story was not as rushed as the original, characters were better developed, visually better and Vincent Price was wonderful as the wax artist.This original does have it strong points too. The best thing for me was the energetic character of Glenda Farrell as the female reporter, that I think was the only thing the remake lacked. The wax statues do look very real in this original too. And even though not as good as Price, the artist is here played very well too. I think when his masks falls of he is even scarier than the one in the remake.

Fay Wray (that gal from "King Kong") plays the hard-boiled blonde newspaper reporter, looking for a story so she can keep her miserable job. She adds an element of humor to what would otherwise be a tedious telling of this now familiar story. In primitive 2-strip Technicolor, which has mostly faded to pastel shades of blue, green, and red. (Often shown in black and white.) Carefully restored by Warner Video, it is clear that they didn't have much of a print to work with. Added TV "breaks" actually help the "view-ability". Many scratches and reel-breaks. It must have been in terrible shape! Pretty-good sets for 1933, it has a "Frankenstein" feel to it in the villain's "mad lair". Some scenes closely copied in the 1953 remake "House of Wax". Here, Igor (Lionel Attwil-who always played "mad" scientists) is the name of the burned sculptor, not the speechless assistant! Only available on the backside of the "House of Wax" Warner DVD, I believe.

Since Warner Brothers' big venture of making the first two-color talkie a horror movie, "Doctor X', had been very successful, it was only logical that the first THREE-color movie, with the colors further developed and more natural, would also be a horror film - and they also went with the slogan 'never change a winning team': again, Michael Curtiz, one of Hollywood's most able directors ever, took on the direction, and cute, pretty Fay Wray and gentle, but somehow sinister-looking Lionel Atwill played the leads. And there also was a curious reporter again - but the female edition this time: Glenda Farrell, who would prove lots of times (most notably as 'Torchy Blane') that she was just IDEAL for the role of the fresh girl reporter! It all begins in London in 1921: uniquely gifted, but also quite eccentric Ivan Igor has created a wonderful House of Wax - which unfortunately is doing pretty badly financially, because he only depicts historical figures like Voltaire, Joan of Arc and Marie Antoinette instead of murderous anti-heroes like Jack the Ripper that the other Houses of Wax expose, making lots of profit from the curiosity of the visitors. So, his partner, a complete ignorant of real art, proposes to 'just' set the whole place on fire in order to collect the fire insurance - and he actually does. Horrified, Igor watches his beloved masterpieces melting and tries to save them; but they're all destroyed - and his hands forever crippled...12 years later, in New York, Igor opens a new Wax Museum; with the help of young artists, since he himself is unable to work anymore - he clearly disapproves of his assistants' 'talents'; and yet, the first great pieces, his Joan of Arc and his Voltaire, are extraordinary works of art again... And at the same time, bodies are being stolen from the morgue, which makes cheeky reporter Florence suspicious - especially since one of them resembled Joan of Arc very much, and another one Voltaire...So she starts sniffing around in the museum, with the help of her friend Charlotte, whose boyfriend is one of Igor's assistants - and when Igor sees Charlotte for the first time, he immediately sees her in his mind's eye as his lost favorite 'Marie Antoinette'...This unforgettable movie, apart from the color-technical innovation that practically led straight to the movies that we are used to nowadays, has literally got EVERYTHING: an unusual, creepy story (which would be imitated quite some times later on), a PERFECT cast and crew, a most 'real' kind of horror (not scientific this time, as in "Doctor X", but dealing with the sometimes narrow borders between genius and insanity, even leading to criminality...) - and, as a contrast, a most lively, realistic and funny depiction of the crazy world of reporters and newsrooms! And besides that, it can be clearly identified as a pre-Code movie, with features like Igor's drug-addicted helper and Florence's quite open talking about men (a year later, the film would never have been granted a seal...) - "Mystery of the Wax Museum" is certainly one of the greatest, most perfect and most memorable of ALL classic Hollywood movies.