I've seen this movie in both 2-D and 3-D and highly suggest waiting until you have the opportunity to experience it its original 3-D if possible. If that's not an option for you then it's still worth checking out even in 2-D, it just won't be as fun. It offers lots of good and then some not so good elements. The leading lady is a bit bland and some of the supporting characters acting is weak. However, the story is solid and interesting, Price is excellent, the sets and score are engaging, and it's kind of fun seeing an early Bronson role. I have to admit that I never really found this film actually scary, but I still enjoy it quite a bit.

On a dark and rainy night in the 1890s, New York City wax sculptor Vincent Price (as Henry Jarrod) shows prospective investors his remarkably lifelike "House of Wax" figures. He hopes to sell part-ownership of his wax museum, but Mr. Price's partner won't wait for the potential sale. To collect a $25,000 insurance payoff, partner Roy Roberts (as Matthew Burke) sets fire to the wax museum. Price is furious, of course. His wax figures are destroyed in the meltdown. Even worse, Price is presumed to have gone up in flames. The star sculptor survives, of course. Later, Price turns up in a wheelchair. Because he can no longer sculpt, due to injuries sustained in the fire, Price hires some oddball assistants to help him recreate, "from the ground up," his burned-out "House of Wax"...This "3-D" remake of "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) doesn't hold a candle to the original. But it's nothing to scoff at, either. Among the featured cast, it is interesting to see future box-office superstar Charles Bronson (aka "Igor" Buchinsky) playing Price's rough and muscular assistant. Also appearing is future "Addams Family" TV mother Carolyn Jones (as Cathy Gray), high-pitched and giggling in a waist-consuming corset. Obviously, the main asset is Vincent Price, a second-tier star dating back to the late 1930s. By the late 1950s, he had achieved top star status as the premiere horror film star in the country. Price remained a major feature film star through the 1970s, and was beloved thereafter. "House of Wax" is the prototype for Price's deliciously appealing mad professor persona.******* House of Wax (4/10/53) Andre De Toth ~ Vincent Price, Phyllis Kirk, Paul Picerni, Charles Bronson

The premise for House of Wax was interesting; if only it wasn't so bloated with visuals thrown in primarily to get in our face since it was released in 3-D. It's awesome that this was one of the earliest movies to be released in 3-D, but it reminded me of what I dislike about 3-D in this day and age.At the core of this film is somewhat of a "mystery," which focuses on the question who is the man with the disfigured face murdering people all over town. Any audience member would think it has to be the wax sculptor who is trapped in a burning museum at the beginning of the film - and they would be right.There's the spoiler in this review, but what I dislike about it is that it is really not much of a spoiler at all. We have a murderer running loose, setting up situations that are later redesigned at a wax museum by the main character who just so happens to return, only injured at the legs as far as we can tell. How many people around have a motivation for these murders? That's right, one.Even worse than this is the idea that visuals including a paddle ball, dancers putting their rears to the camera, and a fist punching above a face at us tries to get us focused on the 3-D, and has little relevance to making a good story. Also, it throws off its fast pace when there is an intermission to his 90 minute film due to the fact it was filmed with 3-D cameras.I don't much like this film, but it somewhat redeems itself for themes such as spectator-ship - the sculptor is obsessed with various women he recreates and marvels at their beauty - along with the motif of art vs reality - a friend of one of the murdered victims swears that the Joan of Arc sculptor must be that victim; it is too similar not to be.

House of Wax is a remake of The Mystery of the Wax Museum. It is directed by Andre de Toth in the 3-D process. Technical gimmicks aside, this production is more reverential to the original source material. For instance, great pains have been taken to explain the main character's background; and though his motivation is not completely spelled out, the relationship he has with the imperiled women is much clearer. Vincent Price seems right at home playing this sort of part. So with such perfect casting (including not only Price but Carolyn Jones) and de Toth's assured direction, this is a decent enough version to watch.