A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Mystery of the Wax Museum - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

The Mystery of the Wax Museum is a restoration success story - literally a film returned to life from the ashes.

A 1933 two-color Technicolor horror/thriller, and the basis for the 1953 House of Wax, survived for decades only via a well-used
35mm nitrate print found in Mr. Warner's vault.

Now thanks to the discovery of a second print, a great deal of hard work, proper use of available technology, and
the kindness of strangers, it lives again.

And it's gorgeous!

Historically important is one thing, and a good reason to view old films. But when you combine that with a film
actually being a superb production, it becomes something that shouldn't be missed.

This is the case with MotWM, directed by Michael Curtiz and photographed by Ray Rennahan, one of the
Technicolor giants of the era.

Wonderful commentary and restoration featurette. With all of the fake restorations out there,
it's nice to be able to recommend a real one!

For those who await more classics from The WB Archive Collection, look no further.

To allow credit where due, the project was overseen by Scott MacQueen, UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Head of Preservation.

A Before, and after...



Image - 4

Audio - 4

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from DVD - Absolutely!

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[John Sparks]

Ordered and waiting for delivery!

 

[Cranston37+]

Warner Archive shared some clips...

 

[Patrick McCart]

I honestly never expected this to get that much of a remaster (perhaps only as much as Doctor X received), let alone a complete restoration. And on top of all that, there's supplements! Pre-ordered this as soon as it went up.

 

[benbess]

This looks good, considering the original negative is long gone.

I read somewhere a few years ago how all of the 2-strip Technicolor negatives for dozens and dozens of films were kept by the Technicolor company itself in their vault. But sometime in the late 1940s Technicolor asked the studios to either take the negatives off of their hands or start paying rent. Since the studios didn't do either, Technicolor threw all of their 2-strip negatives away at that time, in the late 40s iirc.

 

[Robert Harris]

This looks good, considering the original negative is long gone.

I read somewhere a few years ago how all of the 2-strip Technicolor negatives for dozens and dozens of films were kept by the Technicolor company itself in their vault. But sometime in the late 1940s Technicolor asked the studios to either take the negatives off of their hands or start paying rent. Since the studios didn't do either, Technicolor threw all of their 2-strip negatives away at that time, in the late 40s iirc.

They no longer had the infrastructure to print them. Universal was savvy enough to take some, including a sequence from Phantom.

2-color was not the norm. It was used very sparingly.

Here's a (probably) incomplete list, but it will tell the basic tale. You'll probably find that most are new titles to you.

1918 - The Gulf Between

1920 - Way Down East (sequences)

1922 - Toll of the Sea

1923 - The Ten Commandments (sequences)

1924 - Cytherea
The Uninvited Guest (sequences)
Wanderer of the Wasteland

1925 - The Big Parade (sequences)
The King of Main street (sequences)
Marionettes
The Merry Widow (sequences)
The Phantom of the Opera (sequences)
Pretty Ladies (sequences)
Seven Chances (sequence)
Stage Struck (sequences)

1926 - An American Venus (sequences)
Beau Geste (sequences)
Ben-Hur (sequences)
The Black Pirate
Irene (sequences)
Michael Strogoff (sequences)
The Sea Beast

1927 - The Fire Brigade (sequences)
King of Kings (sequences)
The Joy Girl

1928 - Casanova (sequences)
Court Martial
None But the Brave
Red Hair (sequences)
The Viking
The Water Hole
The Wedding March (sequences)

1929 - Broadway (sequences)
Broadway Melody (sequences)
Dance of Life (sequences)
The Desert Song (sequences)
Footlight and Fools
Glorifying the American Girl (sequences)
Gold Diggers of Broadway
His First Command (sequences)
The Hollywood Revue
Loves of Casanova
Mamba
The Mysterious Island
On with the Show
Paris
Red Hot Rhythm (sequences)
Red Skin
Rio Rita
Show of Shows

1930 - Bride of the Regiment
Chasing Rainbows (sequences)
Dixiana (sequences)
Follow Through
Golden Dawn
Hell's Angels (sequences)
Hit the Deck
Hold Everything
King of Jazz
Leathernecking
The Life of the Party
Lord Byron of Broadway (sequences)
The Lottery Bride (sequences)
Mammy (sequences)
No, No, Nanette (sequences)
Paramount on Parade (sequences)
Puttin' on the Ritz (sequences)
The Rogue Song
Sally
Showgirl in Hollywood (sequences)
Son of the Gods (sequences)
Song of the Flame
Song of the West
Sweet Kitty Bellaire
Toast of the Legion (sequences)
Under a Texas Moon
The Vagabond King
Viennese Nights
Whoopee

1931 - Bright Lights
Fanny Foley Herself
Fifty Million Frenchman
Kiss Me Again
The Runaround
Woman Hungry

1932 - Doctor X
Manhattan Parade

1933 - Below the Sea (sequences)
The Mystery of the Wax Museum

 

[Roger Grodsky]

The opening of Keaton’s “Seven Chances” (1925)?

 

[Robert Harris]

The opening of Keaton’s “Seven Chances” (1925)?

Thank you. Added.

 

[Dick]

Warner Archive shared some clips...

Much too teal. In truth, it looks quite spectacular.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Also, here's what's available on Blu-ray with 2-color Technicolor intact from that list:

The Ten Commandments '23 (Paramount - big box/digibook for '56 film, included supplement in HD instead of in the film proper)
The Phantom of the Opera (Kino Lorber's is the best US edition, but the BFI region free release includes additional color digitally re-created)
Stage Struck (Kino Lorber - soon to be OOP, so grab a copy before it's gone!)
Seven Chances (Cohen Media, though apparently the color isn't as good as the out of print Kino edition)
The Black Pirate (Kino Lorber, though currently out of print)
The King of Kings (Lobster Films France, region free - not sure why it hasn't been released by Criterion or Flicker Alley here)
Broadway (Criterion - included as bonus film on Lonesome, which has some stencil color and duo-tone tinting effects)
Glorifying the American Girl (Kino Lorber, also includes the UCLA restoration of the first 3-strip Technicolor live-action short La Cucaracha)
King of Jazz (Criterion - stunning 4K restoration by Universal using surviving camera negative and other elements)

National Film Preservation Foundation has Toll of the Sea available for viewing on their website, though from an older SD master (same used on the long-OOP Treasures from American Film Archives set)

National Film Preservation Foundation: The Toll of the Sea (1922)

www.filmpreservation.org

 

[PMF]

Stories such as these inspire me to no end.
My thanks to WAC and RAH;
I shall reciprocate this uplift with a purchase of support.

 

[RolandL]

Great news!

I do wish they would restore (with the help of the 3D Film Archive to reduce costs) a 1950's 3D title:

The Charge at Feather River
The Moonlighter
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
The Command
The Bounty Hunter
Lumber Jack-Rabbit short

 

[Johnny Angell]

According to an enthusiastic reviewer there are 2 commentaries on the disc and a documentary “Remembering Fay Wray.” Just ordered it.

 

[warnerbro]

Can't wait to see this tomorrow! One of the most beautiful and scary films of all time!

 

[warnerbro]

Hopefully DOCTOR X will be given the same treatment? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Hopefully DOCTOR X will be given the same treatment? Anyone? Anyone?

After finally watching the Blu-ray of Mystery.... please yes! Do Doctor X.