Mystery of the Wax Museum
Seen it?1933 | 78 min | Horror, Mystery
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and horror fans. If you loved King Kong, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 18 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1933: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A wax sculptor opens a new museum years after he is severely injured during a fire that destroyed his original collection. The disappearance of both people and corpses coincides with this grand reopening and leads a reporter to start investigating.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 48K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Michael Curtiz
- Lionel AtwillIvan Igor
- Glenda FarrellFlorence Dempsey
- Allen VincentRalph Burton
- Fay WrayCharlotte Duncan
- Frank McHughJim
- Edwin MaxwellWorth
- Arthur Edmund CareweProfessor Darcy
- Gavin GordonGeorge Winton
- Matthew BetzHugo
- Bull AndersonOtto