An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
Charles Bronson
- Igor
- (as Charles Buchinsky)
Oliver Blake
- Pompous Patron with Watch
- (uncredited)
Holly Brooke
- Woman
- (uncredited)
Joanne Brown
- Girlfriend
- (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers
- Museum Patron
- (uncredited)
Leo Curley
- Portly Man
- (uncredited)
Dan Dowling
- Museum Patron
- (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson
- Medical Examiner
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough the film was produced in 3D, ironically, director André De Toth was blind in one eye and hence could not see the effect.
- GoofsDuring the fight scene between Henry Jarrod and his ex-business partner Matthew Burke, Burke grabs a flail and hurls it towards the camera. As the flail reaches the top of the screen, the camera shakes vertically for a moment. This is because the handle of the flail hit the top of the camera.
- Quotes
Prof. Henry Jarrod: Once in his lifetime, every artist feels the hand of God, and creates something that comes alive.
- Alternate versionsReleased in Japan in the short-lived VHD format in 3-D. This disc has been widely copied to make bootleg tapes and DVDs.
- ConnectionsEdited into FrightMare Theater: The House of Wax (2022)
Featured review
Creepy, suspenseful yet beautiful with a great performance from Price- also a great 3D experience
For me, House of Wax is a very good movie, but I am not sure if it is Price's best horror film. I did prefer the Corman-Price-Poe collaborations Pit and the Pendulum, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher and especially The Masque of the Red Death. The story occasionally loses bite and Phyllis Kirk is a rather bland female lead(though in all fairness her character is as well). Conversely, the Gothic sets look gorgeous and add a real sensual beauty to a lot of scenes. The photography is just as lavish. On the subject of visuals, I had the pleasure of watching House of Wax in 3D, I am not a fan of 3D and find it distracts from the film and doesn't focus on the story enough. In the case of House of Wax however, not only does the 3D look good, but it enhances the scares without making them gimmicky. Igor appearing to have leapt out of the audience was a standout. House of Wax is fine in 2D, but even better in 3D in my view, and I thought I'd never say that. The music is haunting and robust, the writing is sharp and the story is suspenseful and mostly exciting. There are some very effective scenes, such as the sight of the figure in the cloak, Jarrod chasing Sue down the alleyways(pure suspense and horror), the murders especially that of Jarrod's partner, the heart-breaking scene where Jarrod tries in vain to save his wax works and Sue strapped nude on the table in the climax. The wax works are very creepy as well. The pace is brisk and the direction handles the atmosphere very well. The performances are very good on the whole, Carolyn Jones went on to do better things but is interesting to see. Frank Lovejoy is great at just playing it straight, Reggie Rymal provides another of the 3D's finest moments with the paddle-ball and Charles Bronson is wonderfully creepy even without uttering a word. Best of all is Vincent Price in his first array into horror and for me still one of his best roles, his make-up is exceptional and he is very malevolent and sympathetic, a type of role that always saw him at his best. Looking at him also, you'd never guess that it was his first horror role, he looks as though he'd done it for years beforehand. In conclusion, a very good film and a great 3D experience. 8/10 Bethany Cox
helpful•202
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 22, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Wax Works
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $23,750,000
- Gross worldwide
- $23,750,319
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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