The House of Wax (1953)

Plot Summary for The House of Wax -
This 1953 horror movie is very creepy and disturbing without relying on the usual slice and dice we can probably expect from the remake of “House of Wax”. Vincent Price is Professor Henry Jarrod, a desperate and failing business owner of the almost defunct wax museum. Jarrod shares the attraction with his business partner, but his business partner isn’t nearly as obsessesd with the sculpted figures as Professor Jarrod is. When he proposes the two of them cash in by burning the place down, our man Vincent disagrees and a fight among the flames begins. Professor Jarrod leaves his partner to die.

Time passes and a new House of Wax opens in town with Jarrod as the owner. He doesn’t look damaged from the fire, but he is confined to a wheelchair. He’s also desperately pining for all the figures he lost in the fire, most importantly Marie Antoinette. Jarrod has been relying on his assistant Igor (charles Bronson credited as Charles Buchinsky) the mute to carve the exquisite, life-like creatures. However, he wants more figures to add to his collection. That means more sculptors – and more bodies. Let’s just say the new sculptor’s girlfriend quite resembles Marie Antoinette – how convenient, hmm? Oh, and then there is the matter of the disappearing corpses from the local bonepile – oops – graveyard.

Memorable scene from The House of Wax:
The ending. We can’t say much more than that – you’ll have to see for yourselves.

This is really a classic horror movie worth renting because it is shocking and let’s face it, wax figures are scary like mannequins are scary. You know what we mean. Charles Bronson is almost unrecognizable because he’s so young, almost decent looking, and the character Cathy Gray is played by Carolyn Jones. You know her, don’t you? Of course you do!! She’s Morticia Addams from the television series!

Frightening Fact:
In the original “House of Wax” starring Vincent Price, you will also spy a very young Charles Bronson as Igor (the assistant). However, you won’t see his name in the credits – he’s billed as Charles Buchinsky.