Reporter Florence Dempsey (Glenda Farrell) investigates a strange wax sculptor (Lionel Atwill) when corpses begin vanishing.
Mystery of the Wax Museum is much more obscure than its 1953 remake House of Wax. I preferred this version to House of Wax, though.
This is sort of a companion piece to 1932's Doctor X; many of the same crew (Michael Curtiz & Anton Grot) and actors (Lionel Atwill & Fay Wray) appeared in both. Lionel Atwill's performance as the hilariously named Ivan Igor is very good, and he resists the temptation to go too over-the-top. Fay Wray, despite being second billed, is given very little to do. Glenda Farrell is entertaining as a sort of early 30s Hildy Johnson, and, this being a Warner Brothers film, Frank McHugh appears. Arthur Edward Carewe was very good as the drug-addled henchman.
The 2-strip Technicolor gives eerie quality to the proceedings, and Michael Curtiz directs competently. Anton Grot's set design is very strange, especially the villain's underground lair. The make-up effects are excellent. Probably the best moment in the film is when Wray tears off Atwill's wax mask; it is a very unsettling moment.
Overall, this is one of the better early 30s horror films. First time viewing.
Mystery of the Wax Museum is much more obscure than its 1953 remake House of Wax. I preferred this version to House of Wax, though.
This is sort of a companion piece to 1932's Doctor X; many of the same crew (Michael Curtiz & Anton Grot) and actors (Lionel Atwill & Fay Wray) appeared in both. Lionel Atwill's performance as the hilariously named Ivan Igor is very good, and he resists the temptation to go too over-the-top. Fay Wray, despite being second billed, is given very little to do. Glenda Farrell is entertaining as a sort of early 30s Hildy Johnson, and, this being a Warner Brothers film, Frank McHugh appears. Arthur Edward Carewe was very good as the drug-addled henchman.
The 2-strip Technicolor gives eerie quality to the proceedings, and Michael Curtiz directs competently. Anton Grot's set design is very strange, especially the villain's underground lair. The make-up effects are excellent. Probably the best moment in the film is when Wray tears off Atwill's wax mask; it is a very unsettling moment.
Overall, this is one of the better early 30s horror films. First time viewing.