House Of Wax starring Vincent Price - Black & White or Color? (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

The existing print of Mystery of the Wax Museum is kind of worn, but has great photographic quality. A new transfer for DVD would make it look as best that it can, even with some print damage.

WB likely wouldn't give any sort of digital restoration to the film, though. That's probably why it's on the House of Wax DVD rather than its own.

 

[Rob Ray]

Most sources list "The Toll of the Sea" from 1922 as the first official two-color Technicolor feature film. There had been earlier processes used by Technicolor and other companies. In addition to its use in selected scenes within films like "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur", several features were shot in the process. "The Black Pirate" with Douglas Fairbanks comes to mind. During the conversion to talkies, many of the early musicals were shot in the process. UCLA has done a superb job restoring 1931's "Follow Thru". But times being what they were in the early thirties, the process fell out of favor and "Mystery of the Wax Museum" was that last of the two-color Technicolor features, not the first by any means. By 1933, three-strip was on the horizon and was already in use for animation at Disney.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Toll of the Sea was the first in Technicolor's 2-strip format...

But they used a different process from 1918 until then. It was single-strip and had dual-frames which would be projected through filters.

 

[Bill Burns]

And happily The Toll of the Sea is available in nice condition on the Treasures From American Film Archives DVD set. The packaging of the set is rather flimsy, so be cautious when ordering on-line -- discs may come loose in the mail (one on-line reviewer reported as much, though the manufacturer does place a foam insert over the discs to help keep them in place). I was able to find a copy at just one of the half dozen Borders stores in the area, and the "tilt" test revealed a loose disc, so I didn't buy it. A few months later, it sold and they got in another copy, which thankfully passed the tilt test, and this copy I purchased.

Note that the final reel of The Toll of the Sea doesn't survive, and had to be recreated with intertitles and a brief shot of the ocean made with a vintage 2-strip camera -- but otherwise the film survives in original negative form, and proves very pleasing on DVD. Here's a link to the set at DVD Empire:

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_ite...&item_id=17681

 

[Bill Burns]

The great Bill Burns has already linked that site in this thread!

Nah, that's Houdini. When folks mistake our titles, it never seems to amount to a compliment ... I'm "the crazy Bill Burns," for the record.

 

[SteveP]

The first three-strip Technicolor feature was BECKY SHARP in 1935.

 

[Johnny G]

Has anyone got any screen shots of 2 strip color just to see how it looks?

 

[Brian Kidd]

There are some links further up the page that give you examples of the two-strip system. It works, but it looks a bit surreal.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The color isn't full, but the movie takes advantage of the limited colors.

 

[Derek M Germano]

There are some links further up the page that give you examples of the two-strip system. It works, but it looks a bit surreal.

For my money, both MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and DR. X benefit from the surreal quality of the colors in the two-strip Technicolor process.

 

[Bill Burns]

OT, but you have a terrific website, Derek. I've been reading it for years.

I love the 2-strip qualities of Toll of the Sea and The Black Pirate, which remain the only films I've seen in the process (to my recollection). I look forward to seeing Mystery of the Wax Museum, and certainly hope WB afford it the best transfer possible with surviving elements (I don't anticipate, nor would I fault WB for the lack of, any further video restoration, as such would likely prove uneconomical on a feature which is being included here as a minimally-advertised bonus).

 

[Brian Kidd]

Oh I don't mean to imply by "surreal" that the effect isn't stunning. I love two-strip, from what little I've seen of it. I've seen BEN HUR, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and a scene from an Eddie Cantor film (not sure if it's WHOOPEE! or not) with their two-strip scenes intact and have found them to be quite effective. Can't wait for the WAX MUSEUM disc!

 

[Jim Peavy]

Oh, man--what is the name of that movie. It's the one that ends with the "I've got my great big ice cream fac-tory..." production number, right? It's not Whoopee!...

Somebody big (Jack Warner, Michael Curtiz?) said actors in two-color technicolor looked like "salmon that had been dipped in holandaise sauce...", or something to that affect.

 

[Roderick Gauci]

Even though I know that it was considered a lost film for quite a long time, I’m still surprised that so few people here have actually watched MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933)!

I think it is one of the finest (and weirdest) horror films of its era, with a superb central performance from Lionel Atwill - who was never better – and wonderful camerawork (by Ray Rennahan) and art direction (by the great Anton Grot). Unfortunately I haven’t seen that other ‘classic’ two-color Technicolor horror film, DOCTOR X (1932)...

I have watched MYSTERY twice so far on VHS. Since I began purchasing DVDs I’ve been hoping to see a fully restored Special Edition of it, because I must say that the surviving elements (at least judging from my PAL copy) are nothing to write home about: while I don’t recall any glaring print damage, the colors could hardly be described as vibrant here - though one perhaps needn’t expect the full-blown (three-color) splendor of, say, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) either!

On the other hand, I haven’t watched HOUSE OF WAX (1953) in ages: actually, the one time I’ve seen it on TV I don’t think I even caught it from the beginning!! I’m sure it is a serviceable enough remake with a typically smooth turn from Vincent Price – and as much gimmick-laden in view of its 3-D effects as the original was in being a “Technicolor” production – but I don’t think this version holds as much satisfaction for the consummate film buff as does the 1933 MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM. Still, it will be great to be able to compare them on DVD, and I can’t say how much I am looking forward to its release (as well as that other ‘lost’ classic THE GHOUL [1933] due on 8/26 from MGM)!

 

[Derek M Germano]

OT, but you have a terrific website, Derek. I've been reading it for years.

Thanks Bill, I appreciate hearing that.

Getting back to MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (and DOCTOR X), I have the Laserdisc double feature and the transfer is fairly dated looking, so I am hoping the movie is receiving a new transfer that will give it a smoother and better defined overall appearance.

 

[Jim Peavy]

If you think Wax Museum is weird...!

I actually like Dr. X better. It's even weirder in my opinion, and the Anton Grot sets are even more impressive and, well... weird. To me it's more of a straightforward horror film, more-so than even MotWM, which I've always thought of as more of a mystery with horrific elements.

However, in both films, Fay Wray has never looked lovelier. And I agree the two-color gives them both a great ambience.

 

[Bill Burns]

The release date approaches (August 5th): has anyone heard if Mystery of the Wax Museum will receive a new transfer or other care to distinguish it from the laserdisc edition Derek mentions? I'm planning to buy it, but would first like very much to know how much care has been taken with the presentation of this "bonus" feature (I understand that any reviews cannot be posted for another week, but if the studio has released any details about the presentation -- restored elements, new transfer, etc. -- I haven't found them). WB is a great studio, both for its films and its commitment to DVD, and I certainly trust they'll present Mystery in as fine a form as surviving elements allow -- but some confirmation would be reassuring.

 

[RolandL]

House of Wax was released in Natural Vision 3 Dimension and WarnerPhonic sound. On DVD we get mono sound and no 3-D.

 

[Steve Phillips]

For those who want to see the film as intended, HOUSE OF WAX is being screened in all its polarized, dual projector glory at the World 3-D expo this September, along with 32 other 3-D features! www.3dfilmfest.com has details.

 

[John Sparks]

...and I'll be at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for 3 days seeing 13 of the greatest 3-D movies ever made, shown just like they were 50 years ago!!!

Anyone else?