Session: Pre-Code 1932 Horror on Tap, Week 1
Movie: Mystery of The Wax Museum (1933)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL
Plot:
A talented but crazed artist has an unorthodox method of creating his sculptures. Hilarity ensues.
Reaction:
First, a bit of housekeeping. This session focuses on pre-code movies from 1932. Though it was released in 1933, MysWaxMus was filmed in 1932 and therefore qualifies.
The visuals in this film are, for the most part, stunning. I was expecting to see something visually comparable to Freaks or Island of Lost Souls, but I was pleasantly surprised by the vivid color. MysWaxMus was the last feature film made with the two-stroke Technicolor process. And the makeup -- particularly on Lionell Atwill when we are supposed to see his grotesqu injuries -- was very well done. The whole effect of the film had a feel of German expressionism. Similarly, the dialogue was snappy and crisp, with several characters delivering a lot of clever lines.
But the pieces just didn't come together for me. I really didn't find any of the characters interesting, and just couldn't find myself engaged with this movie.
Ratings:
Me: 6.5
Christina: 8
Ethan: 8.5
Sean: 3 out of 4
Great pick Marc! Just a little background on the Motion Picture Code (or Hays Code) for future determinations of what is pre-code and what isn't: Although the Code was adopted in 1930, oversight was poor, and it did not become rigorously enforced until July 1, 1934, with the establishment of the Production Code Administration (PCA). So up until that date there are many films that can be considered pre-code films because they were not adhering to the code.
ReplyDeleteBefore the July 1, 1934 date, movie content was restricted more by local laws, negotiations between the Studio Relations Committee (SRC) and the major studios, and popular opinion, than by strict adherence to the Hays Code, which was often ignored by Hollywood filmmakers.
I didn't know that. Thanks.
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