Terror in the Wax Museum (1973)

Director:

Georg Fenady

Writers:

Jameson Brewer (writer)
Andrew J. Fenady (story)

Release Date:

May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Plot:

This is a rehash of old movies, starring the sculptor and manager of a mysterious wax museum. You can see the wax figures breathing.

Plot Keywords:

Wax Museum | Guillotine | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Harry Flexner
Elsa Lanchester	...	Julia Hawthorn
Maurice Evans	...	Inspector Daniels
John Carradine	...	Claude Dupree
Mark Edwards	...	Sgt. Michael Hawks (as Mark W. Edwards)
Louis Hayward	...	Tim Fowley
Patric Knowles	...	Mr. Southgott
Lisa Lu	...	Madame Yang
Steven Marlo	...	Karkov
Nicole Shelby	...	Meg Collins
Shani Wallis	...	Laurie Mell
Broderick Crawford	...	Amos Burns
Ben Wright	...	First Constable
Mathilda Calnan	...	First Charwoman
Peggy Stewart	...	Second Charwoman

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Italy:VM18 (DVD rating) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Company:

Andrew J. Fenady Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In several scenes, the wax figures can be seen moving and breathing.

Quotes:

[after Harry shows up to work with a hangover]
Julia Hawthorn: You're late and you look a disgrace!
Harry Flexner: I feel splendid!

Movie Connections:

References House of Wax (1953)

Interesting cast, but very dull

John Carradine doesn't last long as Claude Dupree, owner of "Dupree's Wax Museum" in turn-of-the century London, who wears coke-bottle glasses and coaches deformed hunchback half-wit Karkov in the art of wax dummy production. Carradine plots to sell his business to Amos Burns (Broderick Crawford), dreams his creations come to life and kill him, wakes up (love that cap!) and one dressed like Jack the Ripper stabs him. His niece Meg (Nicole Shelby) and her bitchy guardian Julia (Elsa Lanchester) show up to reopen the business and everyone fights about who actually owns the place. After a few more murders, police think the killer is angry museum curator Harry Flexner (Ray Milland), but there are many others after the inheritance.

This Bing Crosby production has poor period detail, is cheap and very restrained (no gore, nudity, bad language), plus there are several unsuccessful attempts to copy Corman-esque nightmare sequences, but the lovable cast of veteran horror stars (also including Maurice Evans from ROSEMARY'S BABY and Patric Knowles from THE WOLF MAN) helps a little.

My favorite moment is when John Carradine snarls, "You know I always insist on perfection!" (Check out his resume!)

Score: 4 out of 10.