House of Wax

House of Wax (1953) (1953)

  • 94% of critics liked it
    (33 reviews)

  • 69% of users liked it
    (40,591 ratings)

This simplified (but lavish) remake of the 1933 melodrama The Mystery of the Wax Museum was the most financially successful 3-D production of the 1950s. In his first full-fledged "horror" role, Vincent Price plays Prof. Henry Jarrod, the owner of a wax museum, whose partner, Matthew Burke… More

PG,
Directed By
Written By
Crane Wilbur, Charles S. Belden
Genres
Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Apr 10, 1953 Wide
Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    An intermittently gripping shocker.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Casting is competent, Vincent Price is capital as the No. 1 menace.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    The effects are done with playfulness, zest, and some imagination (they range from a barker batting paddleballs in your face to a murderer leaping from the row in front of you), making this the most entertaining of the gimmick 3-Ds.

  • Bosley Crowther, New York Times

    Dimly we foresee movie audiences embalmed in three-dimensional wax and sound.

  • Tom Milne, Time Out

    De Toth brings off one classic sequence with Kirk fleeing through the gaslit streets pursued by a shadowy figure in a billowing cloak.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Tim S


    House of Wax lives up to its reputation as one of Vincent Price's finest films. The film can also be a contender for an early giallo film story-wise. It seems to have been more of a mainstream success than most horror movies at the time and I'm not quite sure why, although I… More

  • Sophie B


    Such an enjoyable and interesting film which kept me gripped and involved as I tried to figure out the twists and turns as they happened on screen. A brilliant cast which really does the characters justice, especially Price, Gray and Picerni. Definitely watch again.

  • Tsubaki S


    Simple but effective, look for Charles Bronson in a support role.

  • Jeff "


    The original House Of Wax starring Vincent Price is a masterpiece of horror. The film is a remake of the 1933 film The Mystery Of The Wax Museum and it succeeds in being a classic film all it's own. House Of Wax is a terrifying film that is superbly acted about a wax sculptor who… More

  • Michael E


    An interesting plot and a very dark movie for the 50s

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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