Are "House Of Wax" and "How To Make A Monster" The Same Movie????????????????

                    I found myself asking this question the other day, when, in some kind of fit of boredom, I watched "How To Make A Monster" all the way through, and it brought me back to "House Of Wax."

                    The answer is Yes....and No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                    Let's start with the differences.  "House Of Wax" was released in 1953.  "How To Make A Monster" was released five years later, in 1958!  Hey, that is 60 years ago!  Who knew I was having an unconscious anniversary screening???????????????

                    "House Of Wax" was made by a prestigious studio, Warner Bros., and given the A-list treatment--lush color, 3-D, Vincent Price, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones...oh, my God!!!!!!!!!!! And it was directed by Hungarian master, Andre De Toth!!!!!!!  Whereas, 'Monster' was made at that cheapie AIP, under the aegis of James H. Nicholson  and Samuel Z. Arkoff, who were not David O. Selznick!  It was shot on the cheap, in black and white, until the last scene, where it goes all "Wizard Of Oz," and the screen becomes ablaze with color.   Wait till you hear about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The best known actors in this film are Robert H. Harris, who actually gives a good performance, and would give an even better one, nine years later, in 1967, when he played agent Henry Bellows in "Valley Of The Dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Whereas, in 'Wax,' Vincent Price plays....well...Vincent Price!  But no one did it better!  And both perps have borderline intelligent assistants--Price has Igor, played by Charles Bronson in "House Of Wax," while Harris has Rivero, played by Paul Brinegar, in 'Monster,' with just a suggestive tinge that theirs is a homosexual master-slave relationship.  Like Dwight Frye and Colin Clive in "Frankenstein."

                      Speaking of "Frankenstein," Gary Conway, who played the monster in AIP's classic "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein," is on hand, again, in 'Monster.'  Michael Landon was wanted to recreate his Teenage Werewolf here, but had moved on to more verdant pastures.  His replacement was Gary Clarke.

                       Despite the differences, there are similarities.  Both Harris and Price play characters out for revenge.  Both are artists who take their work seriously, and do not take kindly to those who don't.

                       Vincent Price plays professor Henry Jarrod, in "House Of Wax," which takes place in turn of the century Manhattan.  He takes pride in his museum of carefully crafted wax models of historic figures, but his partner,  Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) wants to go commercial with a Chamber Of Horrors, which he says will bring in crowds.  Jarrod does not want to go that crass, and, in the end, he is right.  Jarrod has art critics coming to look at his work, so he can buy out Burke, and, when that falls through, Burke suggests arson and collecting the insurance.  No go with Jarrod, so Burke goes about it himself, leaving Jarrod, he thinks, to die in the fire.

                         Don't wish too hard for something, darlings, because, as this film proves, it comes true, but in a mangled way.  Jarrod survives, builds another wax museum, where the figures look SO lifelike...could it be??????????  Yes, he is killing people, and dipping them in wax, then putting them on display.  Some, like Burke, deserve to die, but not Carolyn Jones, as his fiancé, Cathy Gray, but, girls, wait till you see her waxed up as Joan Of Arc.  And Phyllis Kirk, as Cathy's friend, Sue Allen, has her suspicions, but Jarrod is obsessed with molding her into Marie Antoinette, which he considers his best creation. It almost comes to pass, until the cops break in, and Jarrod, a face of fire unmasked, falls into the boiling wax.  He will NEVER look as good as Carolyn Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Now, in "How To Make A Monster," Pete Dumond is the studio's top make-up man.  Has been, for 25 years.  His make-up creations are precious to him; he calls them his "children."  Well, when one is a closeted homosexual, with a special needs assistant, what is one to do?????????
In a scene right out of Rod Serling's "Patterns," the new regime breaks in, and tells him after this picture, Dumond is out.  Monster pictures are finished, and people, they say, now want trashy teenage musicals--the forerunners of Frankie and Annette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Dumond arrogantly turns down severance pay; he is not going to be tossed out onto the street.  So, he cons the Teenage Frankenstein and Werewolf actors, in their make-up, to kill all those who have done him wrong.  He almost gets away with it.  But, let's face it, he has the hots for the two young actors, and invites them one evening to his home for a "party"--yeah, sure.  As soon as Dumond lights a candle, the film becomes aglow with color almost too lavish for AIP, who poured a good chunk of this film's budget into just this scene.  The actors are first impressed; on the walls are head models of all AIP's classic monsters--the Saucer Man; my favorite, and cutest, Cucumbo, from "It Conquered The World," and the She Creature, who, next to "Voodoo Woman" was the biggest boobed monster!  Poor She Creature!  All she wanted was a date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Alone with his young actors, Dumond kills Rivero, which is sad, after years of....devotion.  Meanwhile, the actors are getting antsy, because they have real dates!   They try to leave, but get into an altercation with Dumond, which sets the place on fire.  The one moment I felt sorry for Dumond is when he sees his creations burning up, and plaintively cries, "My children!  I have to save my children!"  The cops arrive to save the actors, but it is too late for Dumond.  Whether he is trapped in the fire, or suicidally remained, out of loyalty to his children, is not made clear.  But I prefer the latter interpretation; it gives the end a degree of poignancy.

                           Creativity versus Business, Art versus Commerce, Revenge On The Oppressors...old stories done here in very similar, yet different ways!

                             You have to see them both, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Here is the climax of "House Of Wax!"  Catch Carolyn Jones, girls!!!!!!!!!!!

                                And here is the Technicolor makeup sequence from "How To Make A Monster." Too bad I could not get Harris' poignant last scene; it truly is Shakespearean, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Menawhile….have fun...making your own monster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!