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House of Wax (1953)

Approved  |   |  Crime, Horror  |  25 April 1953 (USA)
7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 10,813 users  
Reviews: 115 user | 81 critic

An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.

Director:

(as Andre de Toth)

Writers:

(screenplay), (story)
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Title: House of Wax (1953)

House of Wax (1953) on IMDb 7.1/10

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Frank Lovejoy ...
Det. Lt. Tom Brennan
...
Sue Allen
...
Cathy Gray
...
Scott Andrews
...
Matthew Burke
Angela Clarke ...
Mrs. Andrews
...
Sidney Wallace
...
Sgt. Jim Shane
...
Igor (as Charles Buchinsky)
Reggie Rymal ...
The Barker
Edit

Storyline

Professor Henry Jarrod is a true artist whose wax sculptures are lifelike. He specializes in historical tableau's such a Marie Antoinette or Joan of Arc. His business partner, Matthew Burke, needs some of his investment returned to him and pushes Jarrod to have more lurid exposes like a chamber of horrors. When Jarrod refuses, Burke set the place alight destroying all of his beautiful work in the hope of claiming the insurance. Jarrod is believed to have died in the fire but he unexpectedly reappears some 18 months later when he opens a new exhibit. This time, his displays focus on the macabre but he has yet to reproduce his most cherished work, Marie Antoinette. When he meets his new assistant's beautiful friend, Sue Allen, he knows he's found the perfect model - only unbeknown to anyone, he has a very particular way of making his wax creations. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

wax | sculptor | fire | wax museum | morgue | See All (40) »

Taglines:

Nothing that has gone before can compare with this! See more »

Genres:

Crime | Horror

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 April 1953 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Wax Works  »

Box Office

Budget:

$658,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$23,750,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| (WarnerPhonic/RCA) (3 channels)

Color:

(WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This was reportedly Warner Brothers' biggest success since Life with Father (1947). See more »

Goofs

Jarrod implies that corrupt French official Jean Paul Marat, when assassinated, was taking an ordinary bath. In fact, Marat was suffering from a tropical skin disease and being in water could ameliorate his suffering, so he spent most of his time in his bathtub. See more »

Quotes

Prof. Henry Jarrod: Here we have Joan Of Arc. A favorite subject of mine.
See more »

Connections

References Frankenstein (1931) See more »

Soundtracks

Battle Hymn of the Republic
(uncredited)
Music by William Steffe
Lyrics by Julia Ward Howe
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

The greatest 3-D film of all time
13 April 2004 | by (Milwaukee, WI) – See all my reviews

House of Wax is a decent film without the three-dimensional effects, but it is a complete riot when viewed in the original 3-D, especially when we get to see the emcee in front of the theater. Vincent Price is at his creepy best in this film about a man who opens up a wax museum that has a secret as to why the figures look so life-like. This was the second time I had seen it in its original format, and I enjoyed it just as much this time, including its over the top melodrama and unbelievably dated dialogue. Do not miss this film if you can find it showing at a classic movie house, because it is extremely entertaining to experience.

--Shelly


18 of 22 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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