HOUSE OF WAX. 1953. Color. 88m. Directed by Andre de Toth (who was blind in one eye~preventing him from experiencing the film's 3-D effects). Starring: Vincent Price, Phyllis Kirk, Frank Lovejoy, Carolyn Jones (Morticia Addams from THE ADDAMS FAMILY), and Charles Buchinsky (Bronson) as "Igor".

Quite possibly the finest 3-D movie ever made, and certainly one of the most entertaining horror movies from the 1950's, HOUSE OF WAX still stands up today as a classic slice of scary cinema. The haunting, eerie atmosphere of the wax museum itself is unforgettable, as is Price's menacing, hooded figure, prowling thhe darkened streets of New York City, searching for fresh "models". Price portrays "Jarrod", a wax sculptor, who's studio is burned by his partner for insurance money. Price is left for dead, but survives, albeit totally mad and hideously disfigured. Because of his burns that prevent him from sculpting, he murders people who resemble (in)famous personalities, covers their bodies in wax and displays them in his new museum. In the early fire sequence, the shots of the wax figures melting is outstanding, even on TV, without the 3-D effects. I've always loved wax museums, manequins, etc., and HOUSE OF WAX exploits these "living" figures perfectly. After all, they look SO real, and when we discover Price has ACTUAL bodies underneath, our worst fears are confirmed.

Besides being great fun, HOUSE OF WAX has its fair share of sexual innuendo as well, with lovely ladies squeezed tight into corsets, and the "can~can" dance scene, where an array of shapely legs and bottoms kick and thrust right out of the screen. The sexiest part is near the climax (no pun intended), bordering on bondage~style thrills, wherein the lucious "Sue" (Phyllis Kirk) is strapped naked under a vat of boiling wax as Price menaces her with a large hypo and prepares her to be his next exhibit. Her beautiful toes point and wriggle in near orgasmic fashion as she fights the bonds and struggles to break free and the subsequent rescue sequence indeed makes for some real nail-biting viewing.

HOUSE OF WAX is about as entertaining as films can get, and even people who normally aren't thrilled by horror genre flix are pleased with it. Filmed in gorgeous color, with excellent sets, atmosphere and acting, HOUSE OF WAX is a classic. Don't pass it up~and watch out for those paddle~balls!.