Made in Wax

FROZEN INTO ZOMBIES
DOOMED TO UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS . . .

There’s just something cool about movies set in wax museums. Perhaps it’s that uncanny valley effect of the lifelike yet still disturbing figures, or maybe it’s that so many wax museums specialize in horror and gore. Whatever the reason, I really dig them, and studios obviously agree with me, as they’ve made great settings for films through the years. I decided to watch one of these this weekend, the 1969 schlocker from Crown International, Nightmare in Wax.

 Now, before I get started, let me make one thing clear. This is in no way what would be considered a “good” film. It’s cheap, poorly paced, and trashy. Story-wise, it’s basically a rip-off of the much better House of Wax (starring Vincent Price). But I gotta admit, the trashy aesthetic of this film is 100% in my wheelhouse.

It stars Cameron Mitchell, who is one of my favorite actors. He was in a ton of cheap and low-budget pictures but always delivered, despite the quality of material he was given. He stars in this one as Vincent Renard, the proprietor of a wax museum who is a former Hollywood special effects artist. We eventually learn that he was permanently (and intentionally) maimed by the head of the studio he worked for and blinded in one eye, which is why he wears an eye patch. Recently, star actors of the studio have come up missing. Guess you can see where this one’s going! The police investigate Vincent and have a few questions, especially as he’s created lifelike figures of each of the actors who have come up missing. We eventually learn Vincent has a unique method for creating such realistic work involving hypnotism and a secret serum that turns people into catatonic zombies for his dioramas.

I love that Cameron’s character is named Vincent in this one. It’s a neat little nod to Vincent Price that had to be intentional. It is also appropriate that he has an eye patch, as the director of House of Wax, Andre De Toth, was blind in one eye and wore a patch as well. This was written by Rex Carlton, the writer and producer of The Brain that Wouldn’t Die. This one has a touch of that same sleaze feel to it that Brain has. It was directed by Bud Townsend, who also directed Terror at the Red Wolf Inn in 1972.

 

Despite its low-budget, cheap sets, and poor pacing, I think Nightmare in Wax is still fun and worth a watch. It would be nice if there was a remastered version out there somewhere—this could be just the type of film someone like Arrow or Vinegar Syndrome should restore. I think it would improve a lot from being cleaned up, both audio and video-wise.

Hot Dripping Facts from the House of Wax

HOUSE OF WAX (1953) was an important film in the career of Vincent Price, arguably THE single most important one of his entire career.  Released in the new technique of 3D, House of Wax would go on to become a box office sensation and help make Price's name synonymous with horror.

Here are fifteen fun facts you may not know about HOUSE OF WAX:

1. HOUSE OF WAX (1953) was filmed under the working title THE WAX WORKS, and is a remake of the 1933 film MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM, which, incidentally, was directed by Michael Curtiz, with whom Vincent Price had previously worked on the film THE PRIVATE LIVE OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX in 1939.

2. Both MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and HOUSE OF WAX were made by Warner Brothers Pictures, and both films were based on a three-act play called THE WAX WORKS, written by Charles Belden. 

3. Even though it is a 3D movie, HOUSE OF WAX was directed by Andre De Toth, who was blind in one eye, and therefore unable to reap the benefits of the 3D process.  

4. HOUSE OF WAX was not the first 3D movie. That honor went to the film BWANA DEVIL a year prior, from writer/producer/director Arch Obler (best remembered for the Lights Out old-time radio series). But it was the first 3D movie from a major studio, and the first 3D HORROR movie.

5. Though most famous for its 3D, HOUSE OF WAX was also the first widely distributed film using the new process of Sterophonic Sound.

6. House of Wax had two premieres, one for each coast. The East Coast premiere was held in New York April 10, 1953, and the West coast premiere was held in Los Angeles CA on April 16, 1953, and kicked off with a midnight spookshow. 

7. Bela Lugosi appeared at the LA premiere in a cape and tuxedo, with a gorilla on a leash. It was the only time Bela and Vincent would meet. 

8. HOUSE OF WAX was re-released in 3D in 1971, and again in 1982.

 9. Vincent Price almost turned down the role of Professor Jarrod, as he was offered the lead role in the Broadway play MY THREE ANGELS at the same time. He said it was a decision that “changed his life.”

10. This was Vincent’s first true horror film. He would go on to make many more over the years (6 more in the 50s alone), including THE MAD MAGICIAN the following year, which was a loose reinterpretation of HOUSE OF WAX. In fact, it even shared a number of crew members, including the same writer (Crane Wilbur), producer (Bryan Foy), and cinematographer (Bert Glennon).

11. Dr. Jarrod’s mute assistant Igor is played by a young Charles Bronson, credited as Charles Buchinsky. Price and Bronson would meet again in the 1961 film; MASTER OF THE WORLD, but this time Bronson would play the lead (Price is the villain).

12. During the fight between Bronson and actor Paul Picerni, Bronson got a little over-enthusiastic, and lifted and slammed Paul onto his back, injuring his tailbone. Picerni had to go to the hospital for x-rays.

13. Actor Nedrick Young plays Jarrod’s alcoholic assistant Leon Averill. He appears uncredited in this film because he was blacklisted at the time during the McCarthy red scare. His character is a heroin addict in MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM, but was changed to an alcoholic due to Production code restrictions for HOUSE OF WAX. 

 

Interestingly, Price had played a drug addict just eight years earlier in DRAGONWYK, and would play a character experimenting with LSD just six years later in THE TINGLER.

14. The guillotine used in the film in Jarrod’s wax museum was a real working guillotine, procured from a French museum, with an actual sharp blade. Director Andre De Toth initially wanted to do the shot, where actor Paul Picerni is knocked unconscious and placed in the guillotine (then pulled out at the last moment), in one take while the blade was falling toward him. He refused and after a heated argument was kicked off the set. The following day studio head Jack Warner ordered De Toth to bring Picerni back and continue filming, and extra precautions were put in place.

 

15.  The movie poster for House of wax can be seen in the music video THRILLER by Michael Jackson, along with the posters for the Price films THE MAD MAGICIAN and THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (as well as director John Landis’ SCHLOCK). Price, of course, recites his famous “rap” during the middle of the song.

Monster Kid Radio House of Wax Special

Back in August 2014 I made an appearance on the MONSTER KID RADIO podcast, speaking with host Derek Koch, and we discussed the film HOUSE OF WAX. I put together a video version of the podcast. Check it out here and if you haven't subscribed to the Monster Kid Radio podcast yet, definitely check it out -  host Derek Koch does a great job on it! http://www.monsterkidradio.net

The Merit of Remakes

Yesterday's post on movie remakes drew quite a few views here yesterday. I posted a link on FB and got a number of comments on the topic there, too, many of them, surprisingly, in defense of remakes. Which brought me to today's topic - is there merit to remakes of classic films?

Remakes are nothing new. They've been done for years. One of my favorite Vincent Price films - in fact, the movie I ranked #1 on my top ten Vincent Price films countdown - HOUSE OF WAX, is a remake. So why are some remakes okay and others not?

To help answer that question I'll reference author Harlan Ellison, who said, "We live in a society that values less and less the original." Indeed. Of course, Ellison has plenty of reason to feel that way, since had his own work flat out stolen by one of Hollywood’s biggest directors, James Cameron - yes THAT James Cameron - in the film TERMINATOR. Cameron shamelessly lifted the plot from Ellison’s work on the Outer Limits TV show. Ellison sued, Cameron lost - and Ellison was granted a monetary award and credit in the film.

(This isn't the only instance Cameron's been accused of intellectual theft - the film AVATAR is reportedly a blatant rip-off of Poul Anderson's story CALL ME JOE. I haven't read it for myself, but plan to soon, and will report my thoughts here. Considering Cameron’s track record in this department, I don’t find that hard to believe at all).

Regarding the topic of remakes Ellison also said if a film got it right the first time why bother remaking it? You're not going to improve on perfection, so what's the point? (I’m paraphrasing, because I don’t have the book where he mentioned this with me as I write this - I believe it was an article in HARLAN ELLISON’S WATCHING) I agree with him 100% - unless the movie fell short because of budgetary restraints or technological limitations, there is no point.

Remakes are often problematic for filmmakers, too. Just ask Rob Zombie, who remade John Carpenter’s Halloween. I once heard him say in an interview that it was a lose-lose situation. Fans of the film would hate it if he deviated too far from the original, yet scream bloody murder if he simply copied it note for note, too.

Look, if you’re dead set on doing a remake then at least approach it from a new direction and add something new to the story. Revisit the source material and write your own interpretation of the author’s work. It all starts with the writer – why not go there first instead of looking at someone else’s interpretation to base your film upon? A photocopy of a work of art will always be inferior to the original.

Pick movies that leave room for improvement, revisit the source material, take the time to write a good script, and hire a fantastic cast. THAT is the recipe to a successful remake… such as THE FLY, a film that was referenced several times on Facebook as a remake that worked. In fact someone even went so far as to say it was the best remake ever.

The original FLY film was made in 1958 and was based on a short story by George Langelaan (first published in Playboy magazine). You think Director David Cronenberg read the original story before forming his own ideas for his version? Of course he did! That’s what a true artist does, not merely steal others ideas or mindlessly ape their work – Gus Van Sant’s abominable Psycho remake from 1998 comes to mind, a “shot for shot remake.” Top on my list of worst movies ever. Ever.

In closing, let me repeat something from yesterday’s post. Re-releases are the way to go, not remakes. I really hope everyone supports the Universal re-releases coming up in theaters over the next few months – The Birds in September, Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein in October, To Kill A Mockingbird in November. Perhaps if these showings sell out all across the country studios will get the picture, and do this more often. Also, if you have a local theater that shows older films (and Indy films), go support them, see them in the theater the way they were meant to be seen. Vote with your dollar. It’s the only thing studios listen to.

Vincentennial Post #80 - Life-size Vincent figures

Robert Taylor, who so graciously shared his collection with us over the past few weeks, isn't the only member of his family with a passion for all things Price. His cousin Sara has many items as well, and today I'm going to share two very unique objects...

Here are two items which you can note as coming from the Sara Waugh Collection.  

 

First up - a life-sized figure of Vincent as Mr. Loren, from THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. The head was sculpted by artists Ray Santoleri, the bodies made by Robert Taylor and Sara:

 from the Sara Waugh collection

 

 

and next is Vincent as Prof. Jarrod from HOUSE OF WAX....again, both are full life size (6'4). I love the attention to detail in clothing and hair.

from the Sara Waugh collection

 

 I wonder if there is a burned and scarred version of Jarrod just under the surface of this figure...?

Vincentennial Post #7 - Movieland Wax Exhibit

  This is a Vincent Price Wax exhibit that stood at the famous Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. It was established in 1962 but sadly permanently closed it's doors in 2005. The Vincent Price scene was from House of Wax, which is, if you think about it, the perfect choice for a wax figure of Vincent. This picture was taken off a postcard of the exhibit. You can see the entire now defunct museum here.