I truly love this movie and it fits so well into the 1930s horror genre. Thrills and comic relief in just the right dosages. The use of German Expressionism in the individual shots as well as the lighting that made the horrific sufficiently creepy. Leonard Maltin in his usual dismissal of 30s films as "creaky" comes off as just a purist snob and it's as if he can't just go along for the fun ride. Unlike the remake "House of Wax" it doesn't come off as corny or a kind of "tongue and cheek" that is more like a thumbing of the nose. Glenda Farrell and Frank McHugh make their scenes a delight and move the story along as we get a true feel of the cinema of that time. Things that are sorely missing in the 1953 remake. The use of two strip Technicolor is not as vibrant as the later product. but it gives the charm of the silent picture period with it's use of color for atmosphere, with the blues of night scenes and all. It's so good that this film was rescued from Jack Warner's garage when it was so that we may all enjoy it.
Review of Mystery of the Wax Museum
