‘Frozen into zombies… doomed to unbearable horrors!’
Nightmare in Wax is a 1969 American horror film directed by Bud Townsend (Terror at Red Wolf Inn) from a screenplay by Rex Carlton (Blood of Dracula’s Castle; Unearthly Stranger; story for The Brain That Wouldn’t Die).
The Paragon International Pictures production stars Cameron Mitchell, Anne Helm, Scott Brady, Berry Kroeger and Victoria Carroll.
Plot:
Vince Rinaud (Cameron Mitchell) is a former film special effects engineer who is disfigured by Max Block, the head of Paragon Pictures, and also a rival for the affections of a woman (Anne Helm).
Leaving the film industry, Vince becomes a recluse and opens a wax museum. Within a few months, four popular Paragon stars disappear. Wax figures of the missing stars soon feature as wax models in the museum and the police become suspicious…
Reviews:
” …does its best with the limited wax museum theme and builds to an effective enough climax. However, the overall impression is one of time-spinning and the film is no match for either Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) or House of Wax (1953).” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
” …the movie has a pretty cool dimestore Mario Bava candy colored aesthetic. The photography is especially effective in the scene where Cameron chases around the aforementioned redhead through the museum, what with the atmospheric lighting and distended camera angles.” Cinema Gonzo
“Mitchell chews the scenery in an eye-patch while reliable TV actors Anne Helm (as our big haired heroine), Scott Brady (as the gruff detective), and Victoria Carroll (as the ditzy go-go dancer) get some hilariously banal dialogue to spout off during uninspired scenes. The occasionally skewed camera angles, garish lighting (I thought this was in 3-D for a few moments there), and out-of-focus fun can’t make up for how dull Nightmare in Wax truly is.” Cinema Somnambulist
“Rather too slow to be really effective, the climactic scene where the embalmed stars come to life and destroy their ‘creator’ is well realized.” Alan Frank, The Horror Movie Handbook, Batsford, 1982
“The script whips up a series of melodramatic conflicts with a certain vigour. There is a particularly gruesome scene where Cameron Mitchell gets one side of his face melted. There is a typical score of the era that tries to make everything, even a scene as mundane as Cameron Mitchell answering the phone, into something sinister.” Richard Scheib, Moria
“Yes, it does offer a few giggles – but simply not enough to make it worth recommending. Likewise, it is never either sleazy or shocking enough to appeal to one’s more puerile nature – excepting, perhaps, the rather unappetizing scene of Cameron Mitchell, the nutcase of the film, making out with the corpse of one of his victims as he drives through the LA night.” A Wasted Life
Cast and characters:
Cameron Mitchell … Vincent Renard – Trapped Alive; Without Warning; The Toolbox Murders; Maneater of Hydra; Blood and Black Lace; et al
Anne Helm … Marie Morgan
Scott Brady … Detective Haskell – Castle of Evil; Destination Inner Space
Berry Kroeger … Max Black – Demon Seed; Chamber of Horrors
Victoria Carroll … Theresa
Phillip Baird … Tony Deen
John ‘Bud’ Cardos … Sergeant Carver (as Johnny Cardos) – director of Mutant; The Dark
Hollis Morrison … Nick
James Forrest … Alfred Herman
Virgil Frye … Ralph Tenier
Mercedes Alberti … Stella Costello
Barry Donohue … Leslie
Ingrid Dittmar … Secretary (as Ingrid Dittman)
Maria Polo … Nurse (as Marie Polo)
Lucio Pineda … Chauffeur
Filming locations:
Movieland Wax Museum – 7711 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, California
Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
Production:
The movie was apparently shot in 1966 as Monster of the Wax Museum.
Technical details:
Pathécolor
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Audio: Mono
Release:
Nightmare in Wax was released on a double-bill with Blood of Dracula’s Castle by Crown International Pictures on 14 May 1969.
Trailer:
