Synopsis of Mystery of the Wax Museum
In Mystery of the Wax Museum, bodies are mysteriously disappearing all over the town, and a new wax museum has just opened. Is there a connection? But of course! In this horror classic, Fay Wray (King Kong) stars as the intended victim of a mad wax sculptor obsessed by her resemblance to one of his prior creations.
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, directed by Michael Curtiz
Cast of characters
- Lionel Atwill (The Vampire Bat, Son of Frankenstein) … Ivan Igor. The once-brilliant sculptor, whose hands have been ruined in the fire. He’s bitter, disillusioned, and possibly worse.
- Fay Wray (Most Dangerous Game) … Charlotte Duncan. The intrepid reporter, looking into the murders.
- Glenda Farrell (Lady for a Day, Little Caesar) … Florence.
- Frank McHugh (Going My Way, Elmer the Great) … Jim. Charlotte’s editor, who’s on the brink of firing her if she doesn’t produce some stories. Their verbal banter is highly entertaining. They clearly have a hate/love relationship, as revealed in the conclusion.
- Allen Vincent … Ralph Burton. Igor’s newest sculptor, engaged to Florence.
- Gavin Gordon (Bride of Frankenstein) … George Winton
- Edwin Maxwell (Ninotchka) … Joe Worth. The unscrupulous business man who burns down the original wax museum for insurance money. He not only leaves the unconscious Igor to burn to death …. He locks the door, so he can’t escape!
- Holmes Herbert (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon) … Dr. Rasmussen
- Claude King (Arrowsmith) … Mr. Galatalin
- Arthur Edmund Carewe (Doctor X, The Cat and the Canary) … Professor Darcy
- Thomas E. Jackson (The Woman in the Window) … Detective
- DeWitt Jennings … Police Captain
- Matthew Betz … Hugo. The deaf/mute working for Igor.
- Monica Bannister … Joan Gale
Product Description
Bodies are mysteriously disappearing all over town, and a new wax museum has just opened. Is there a connection? But of course! In this horror classic, Fay Wray (King Kong) stars as the intended next victim of a mad wax sculptor obsessed with her resemblance to one of his prior creations. Glenda Farrell plays a quintessential wisecracking newspaper reporter, and noted actor Lionel Atwill is the deranged artist who loses his studio to a fire set by his partner.
Filmed in the early Two-Color Technicolor process, The Mystery of the Wax Museum was considered a lost film for decades, until a well-worn print was discovered nearly 50 years ago. Thanks to the meticulous new restoration presented on this disc, the film can now be experienced as intended.