Except for a very few occasional independent productions, such as September Storm (1960), The Bubble (1966), Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1974) and some X-rated 'adult' films, there would be no new English-language 3-D feature films until the early 1980s.Īll of the 1950s US feature-length 3-D films were originally shown by the polarized light method and viewed through gray-lensed polarized glasses, but in the 1970s a few were theatrically re-released as red-and-blue-glasses anaglyph 3-D prints, which, unlike the original format, did not require special projection equipment and a non-depolarizing screen. Just over fifty films were released in 3-D during its brief 1950s heyday, which dawned with the premiere of Bwana Devil in late November 1952, only began in earnest with the first major-studio 3-D releases in the spring of 1953, showed signs of faltering in the fall, seemed to be recovering in the winter, then rapidly faded and died early in 1954, with a belated last gasp provided by the spring 1955 release of Revenge of the Creature. Like CinemaScope and other wider-and-larger-screen formats, stereoscopy 3-D was an alternative technology that Hollywood]turned to in the early to mid-1950s in an attempt to compete with the television, which had halved theater attendance. Nedrick Young as Leon Averill (uncredited).Charles Bronson (credited Charles Buchinsky) as Igor.Vincent Price as Professor Henry Jarrod.With the situation resolved, Sue Allen is offered a replica of her head, but turns it down. Henry Jarrod tries to escape, but gets into a fight with a policeman who knocks him into a vat of molten wax. She fights him off, striking his face, which is revealed to be a wax mask that shatters and exposes fire-scarred flesh beneath, the same face of the man who murdered Burke.Įxposed by her as the killer, he subdues her and nearly succeeds in making her into a wax figure, but the police, having learned the whole truth from Averill, arrive in time to save her. Sue is confronted by Jarrod, who proclaims her his new 'model' for a sculpture of Marie Antoinette. Unsatisfied, Sue returns after hours and uncovers the horrifying truth behind the House of Wax: many of the figures are wax-coated corpses, including Cathy and Burke. Jarrod explains that Cathy was the model for the sculpture. Her body mysteriously disappears from the morgue.Ĭathy’s friend Sue Allen visits the museum and is troubled by the strong resemblance of the Joan of Arc figure to her dead friend. Burke's fiancée, Cathy Gray, is murdered soon afterward. In reality, Burke was murdered by a cloaked, disfigured killer who then staged the death as a suicide. Jarrod now concedes to popular taste and includes a 'Chamber of Horrors' that showcases both historical crimes and recent events, such as the apparent suicide of his former business partner Burke. He builds a new House of Wax with help from deaf-mute sculptor Igor and another assistant named Leon Averill.

Miraculously, Jarrod survives, but with severe injuries including crippled hands. Burke splashes kerosene over Jarrod's body and leaves him to die in the fire. In the process, he fights off Jarrod, who is desperately attempting to save his precious sculptures. That night, Burke deliberately sets the museum on fire, intending to claim the insurance money. Wallace, deeply impressed with Jarrod's sculptures, agrees to buy Burke out but will not be able to do so until after he returns from a continental trip. Jarrod then gives a private tour to renowned art critic Sidney Wallace. When his business partner Matthew Burke demands more sensational exhibits to increase profits, Jarrod refuses.

He specializes in historical figures such as John Wilkes Booth, Joan of Arc, and one that he considers his masterpiece, Marie Antoinette. Professor Henry Jarrod s a talented wax figure sculptor with a museum in 1890s New York.

House of wax cast