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| House of Wax | 
 enlarge | Directors: Andre De Toth, Michael Curtiz
Actors: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, Paul Picerni
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $6.08
You Save: $8.90 (59%)
New (50) Used (20) from $5.11
Avg. Customer Rating:  97 reviews
Sales Rank: 5590
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 165
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.5
MPN: WARD11054D
ISBN: 0790765381
UPC: 085391105428
EAN: 9780790765389
ASIN: B00009NHBC
Theatrical Release Date: April 25, 1953
Release Date: August 5, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In order to rebuild his wax museum after a fire professor henry jarrod has resorted to using human bodies covered with wax.. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Starring: Vincent Price Frank Lovejoy Run time: 90 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Andre De Toth
Amazon.com
House of Wax brought Vincent Price into the horror genre, where he fit as snugly as a scalpel in a mad scientist's hand. A remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum, this entertaining Gothic shocker casts Price as a sculptor of wax figures; his unwilling victims--er, "models"--lend their bodies to his lifelike depictions of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc. The film was one of the top 10 moneymakers of its year, thanks in part to the 3-D gimmick, which explains why so many things are aimed at the camera (why else would the paddleball man be there?). Footnote to history: director Andre De Toth was blind in one eye, and thus could not see in three dimensions. Not at all a musty relic of the early-sound era, the original Mystery of the Wax Museum (shot in a soft, trial version of Technicolor) is saucy, pre-Code fun. As corpses disappear from the morgue, Lionel Atwill's wax museum adds to its displays. Coincidence, or the work of the hideously deformed fiend stalking the Manhattan night? Most of the snappy dialogue comes courtesy of reporter Glenda Farrell, a vintage wisecracking dame. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 92 more reviews...
 one of Price's best films October 8, 2004
33 out of 36 found this review helpful
This movie has wit, excellent pacing and a strong supporting cast (including a blonde Carolyn Jones "Morticia" from the Addams Family) and a small role for Charles Bronson (playing Igor and billed as Charles Buchinsky). Prince gets to be both understated and hammy in the brilliant film, that he is likely best know for.
It catches the atmosphere of the Gaslight period, and is lighting speed, as Price goes from a brilliant artist of life-like wax figures, to a scarred man, nearly killed by his partner wanting the insurance. He is forced to watch his two crowning glories, his Joan of Arc and his Marie Antoinette destroyed in the fire. With scared hands, he is forced to use bodies to fill his new house of wax, while Price also manages to meet out a little revenge to his former partner.
At first bodies are vanishing from the morgue, but when Price sees Jones - the living image of Joan of Arc - and Phyllis Kirk, his Marie Antoinette come to life in his mind - he knows he must possess the bodies of both women to see if greatest works recreated.
Is so spooky, and Kirk ably screams her way from one mishap to the next. Just does not get any better.
 Solid, 50s Gothic Horror Flick October 11, 2004
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
Horror films in the 1950s were often set in earlier times - including "House of Wax" - a gothic-styled thriller. Vincent Price stars, and this movie was his first of many, many horror films. He's perfect in this role, and it's puzzling why no one had cast him as this type of character before. He plays Prof. Henry Jarrod, a wax figure sculptor who's far too obsessed with his work. He's the head of an unsuccessful wax museum and watches in disgust as other museums make money by showing horror style wax figures, such as mass murderers. When his museum is burned to the ground, he re-emerges and seeks vengeance on persons responsible.
The film received a great deal of buzz as the second 3-D film released by a major studio ("Bwana Devil" was the first); not surprisingly, it was a major hit, becoming the 7th biggest money-maker of 1953. "House of Wax" was actually a remake of a 1933 film, "Mystery of the Wax Museum." In addition, a remake of this film is currently in the works, and should be released in 2005. One of the stars of the upcoming film is Paris Hilton, which should be interesting!
Although I prefer Castle's horror films from this period, Price alone makes this film worthwhile. Carolyn Jones ("Addams Family") is also fun as a kind harlot. Overall, the movie holds up pretty well, mostly because of its creepy tone. I saw the movie in 2-D but still enjoyed it quite a bit.
 movie good, DVD BAD! February 6, 2004
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
I saw this movie on Turner Classic Movies, and it was beautiful looking and entertaining and atmospheric and I just LOVE Vincent Price. So to me it seemed a perfect idea to own this DVD. But I should have read more of the professional reviews about how awful the picture quality is. Too many reviewers on Amazon talk about how great the movie is (and it is), but we're supposed to also be reviewing the DVD itself. And I feel I must warn anyone who cares about good quality DVDs to STAY AWAY! This is one of the grainiest, blurriest and worst looking DVDs I've ever seen (not exaggerating). On first impression, even my wife said, "Why is that so grainy looking?" I had to tell her that it was the DVD. She was sure something was wrong with our player or the tv, because DVDs are NOT supposed to look like this. It didn't help that we had both recently seen the movie on TCM, where it was beautiful and crystal clear. So I have to ask: If TCM can show the movie in perfect condition, why can't the DVD do the same?
OLD-FASHIONED CHILLS AND THRILLS.... August 6, 2003
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Five stars don't do this DVD justice. It's more than I hoped for. "House of Wax" is a wonderful time capsule of what going to the movies were about in the 50's. Technicolor and 3-D. The print is gorgeous on this disc and the sound is great---allowing the "terror music" full impact. A remake of 1933's "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (also included on the flip side), it's a full-blooded chiller done right. Never a dull moment. When an unscrupulous partner burns his prized wax collection for the insurance money, Prof.Jarrod (Vincent Price) survives and seeks revenge to recreate his creations. Set in turn-of-the-century New York, the gaslit streets never looked so sinister as a horribly burned black-cloaked man wrecks murderous mayhem and stalks the heroine Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk) whom Jarrod wants for his wax recreation of Marie Antoinette. The men are one in the same, of course, as Jarrod has used his considerable skill to fashion a new face of wax and assembled an equally skilled crew of ex-cons to aid him in rebuilding his collection in a new show place called the "House of Wax". Charles Bronson is featured in an early role as a mute assistant to Jarrod and Carloyn Jones is memorable as Cathy, Sue's roommate, who falls victim to Jarrod and becomes his "Joan of Arc". Jones is delightful and shows the comic skill she would use later as Morticia Adams in TV's "The Addams Family". But of course, it's Price's show all the way. You can see why he was a natural for horror films...honing his florid style as Jarrod. The famous 3-D effects show through with the action aimed straight at the camera and that paddle ball man. But of some interest also is the "Intermission" that pops up on screen. This was never in any print of "House of Wax" I've ever seen. I loved it. But it's "Mystery of the Wax Museum" that I found a treat also. The print is remarkable---a few scratches here and there but overall a truly excellent print. I had never seen it before, it's been so rare. "House of Wax" follows it faithfully with only a few minor changes. Lionel Atwill and a lovely Fay Wray enact the mad wax artist and potential Marie Antoinette. It's in a clever early Technicolor process and features wonderful, cavernous sets and some racy dialogue like Glenda Farrell (as an aggressive reporter) asking a cop, "How's your sex life?" Just a hoot. Enjoy them both--"House of Wax" and "Mystery of the Wax Museum". A fabulous DVD package.
The House of Whacks September 3, 2003
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
In the tiny print on the "House of Wax" cover it says that you are also getting the 1933 classic, "Mystery of the Wax Museum." Which makes this DVD a great deal. The House of Wax is the classic 1950's remake of the Lionel Atwill/Fay Wray classic. Both movies are great and present great villians who stalk great beauties. They are equally eerie and scenic but the "Mystery of the Wax Museum" has the advantage of being pre-code which allows it to be saucy and even a little daring.
Both films have fantastic supporting casts. The Mystery... has the wise-cracking Glenda Farrell and House... has Frank Lovejoy and an early performance by the great/late Charles Bronson.
Both films have wonderful sets and fine mad sceintist's labs (well, insane wax modeler's museums) The Mystery...is also a nice example of early two strip technicolor process. Also both movies are presented in good clean, clear form. I applaud the company for using good master copies to create this DVD.Halloween is coming and you need a good movie to watch. These films are two goodies from days gone by that are good to watch and hear. Lose youself in foggy streets and shadowy museums. They are of an age when masters created horror forms of wax and whacked-out disfigured artists created figures in boiling wax.
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