After a fire destroys his initial creations, Professor Henry Jarrod, with the help of his assistants, reopens a sinister, more macabre wax museum with displays of recent, horrific murder and mayhem. At the same time, several local citizens have curiously gone missing. When Sue Allen recognizes the Joan of Arc display uncannily resembles her murdered roommate, Cathy, the true secrets behind the museum begin to take light. Here are a few movie mistakes to look for while watching 1953’s “House of Wax”.

∙ At the beginning of the movie, when the camera pans through Professor Jarrod’s museum, the Lincoln Assassination display can be seen. The view of John Wilkes Booth shows his head is turned toward his right shoulder. A few moments later, when Professor Jarrod is talking to Sidney Wallace and Bruce Allison at the display, the Booth figure is looking straight ahead and Jarrod moves the head to its right.

∙ The hair of the water bearer at the Cleopatra/Marc Antony display has long, shoulder length hair when Jarrod shows it to Wallace and Allison. Its right hand is also on its hip. When Matthew Burke douses it with the flammable liquid during the fight with Jarrod, the hair is noticeably shorter and its right arm is straight by its side.

∙ When Burke and Jarrod are fighting in the museum during the fire, the front view of Burke shows his black overcoat is unbuttoned. But, when he walks through the archway to the next room, his coat is now buttoned.

∙ Sue is running down the street, being pursued by Cathy’s murderer. She stops in the alley and takes her shoes off. She’s still carrying them when she knocks on Mrs. Andrews’ door. But when Mrs. Andrews opens the door and Sue comes in, she’s not carrying anything.

∙ At the opening of the Chamber of Horrors “Wax Museum”, the Barker with the two paddles is performing in front of the crowd. In the front view of him, when he comments “I’ll tap you on the chin”, there is a man in a blue suit over his left shoulder with a lady holding onto his left arm. It cuts to a rear view of the Barker when he tells the lady, “Don’t move your head” and there is now another woman with a black bow in her hair standing to the right of the man in the blue suit who wasn’t there before.

∙ At the opening of the museum, Jarrod is telling Sidney Wallace about William Kemmler. He mentions that Kemmler was executed on August 3rd, 1890. In reality, Kemmler was executed on August 6th, 1890.

∙ Sue goes into the museum to see Scott Andrews. When she enters, she leaves the front door ajar. But, when Igor comes behind her a few seconds later and locks the door, it’s now closed.

“House of Wax” (1953) stars Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, Paul Picerni, Roy Roberts, Dabbs Greer and Charles Bronson. It runs 88 minutes and is Unrated.

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