House of Wax (1953)

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While it wasn’t the first major motion picture released in 3D, House of Wax still has the distinction of being the first commercially popular one. Vincent Price became a household name after starring in this gothic spook show about a wax museum creator who begins a spree of murders after his business partner burns the museum down to claim insurance on it. Disfigured by the fire, Price’s character takes his vengeance on the populace, stalking and killing those who match the likeness of historical characters he seeks to recreate in wax — characters ranging from John Wilkes Booth to Joan of Arc. Once he kills, he covers the corpses in wax and puts them on display for an unsuspecting public. One of his would-be victims (Phyllis Kirk) tries to convince the police that Price is hiding a deadly secret, but by the time they’re on Price’s trail, she and her boyfriend are captured and sent to the waxwork.

I was expecting House of Wax to be more deliberately paced (okay, ‘slow’), like most Hammer Horror movies. But director Andre De Toth keeps the film moving at a surprisingly brisk pace. Price is reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera while prowling the streets of 1890s New York, his scarred face obscured under a wide-brim hat and his cloak flowing in the wind. Despite only having one eye, De Toth proves masterful with directing in three dimensions, constantly utilizing deeply layered staging full of objects hanging or passing through the foreground. A chase sequence in which Price pursues Phyllis Kirk through the long cobblestone streets look especially wonderful in 3D. While the film doesn’t constantly exploit the 3D as a gimmick, when it does, it’s all in cheeky fun — as when a wax museum barker uses a paddle ball straight into the camera’s lens.

Price and Kirk give memorable performances (minus a few unconvincing screams from Kirk that are obviously dubbed over by another performer), but Carolyn Jones steals the show as an eccentric blonde who becomes one of Price’s victims. Jones would later play Morticia Addams in 1960s television incarnation of The Addams Family, and her knack for dark comedy is on display here. She’s a hoot. The film also benefits from beautiful photography and production design, complete with terrific wax figures that really do look lifelike most of the time.

With Frank Lovejoy, Paul Picerni, and future action star Charles Bronson as Price’s mute henchman.