House of Wax

Hello, Matthew,

what are you doing here so late?

I came to get the books.

I want to study our accounts.

We've been doing very well lately.

Over 200 paid admissions today.

You call that good Saturday business?

If you weren't so stubborn,

we'd be turning them away from here.

Who cares a hang about history in wax?

There are people in the world

who love beauty.

But more who want sensation, shock!

Morbidly curious! I won't cater to them.

Their money is as good as anybody else's.

You should have seen them turning

them away at that Wax Museum...

on 23rd Street tonight: The Eden Muse.

The story's the same at

Madame Tussaud's in London.

- If you'd only listened to me...

- I know, Matthew.

I'd put in a Chamber of Horrors:

Murder, torture, executions...

scare the life out of people.

I don't care for that kind of patronage!

You're a great artist, a genius sculptor.

I'm an ordinary businessman who wants

a quick return on his investment.

I've put $20,000

in this historic peep show of yours.

- I could use that to better advantage.

- All right, Matthew.

I've known for some time

you wanted to dissolve our partnership.

- I may be able to accommodate you.

- How?

A friend is bringing Sidney Wallace,

the art critic, to see my work tonight.

Wallace is rich, and I think

I might persuade him to buy you out.

That sounds interesting.

- I'll want a profit on my investment.

- Yes, Matthew.

I understand.

You leave everything to me,

and I promise you it will be...

- That should be they, now.

- I'll wait in the office.

I've heard of Wallace.

He has a pot of money.

If he likes your stuff, put a stiff price on it.

- Does Jarrod live here?

- Yes, he has a room upstairs.

You'll like him, Sidney.

He speaks your language.

Please come in.

I'm happy to see you, Bruce.

I thought you wouldn't come

on such a bad night.

We were delayed.

He had to be at a gallery.

Mr. Sidney Wallace. Professor Jarrod.

- A pleasure.

- For me also, Professor.

That title was bestowed on me

when I became an exhibitor.

It has little to do with my real work.

If you come, I will show you

what that work is.

The visit of such a distinguished critic...

may cause my children

to become conceited.

To you, they're wax. But to me,

their creator, they live and breathe.

Here we have two great lovers

from the past.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt,

and Mark Antony. Their last meeting.

You'll recall, Antony,

believing Cleopatra to be dead...

killed himself with his own sword.

When Cleopatra found out what happened,

she quickly followed her lover.

You noticed how cleverly

the hair is mounted on the scalp?

Yes. How do you do that?

Real hair of the proper color and texture...

is pressed into the slightly warmed wax

with a scalpel...

one hair at a time.

Each wave and curl

of the subject's own hair is reproduced.

Here's President Lincoln and his assassin,

John Wilkes Booth...

one of my few concessions

to the macabre.

That's the best figure of Booth I've ever

seen. You almost expect him to speak.

- I wonder what he'd say.

- I'm sure he'd rant a bit.

Even after he shot Lincoln and jumped

from the President's box onto the stage...

he couldn't resist turning to the audience

and taking a bow.

I found him a very stubborn person.

- Stubborn?

- Unbelievably.

For days I argued with this fellow

before he posed the way I wanted him to.

- You mean, he talked back to you?

- Of course.

It's not easy to shut an actor's mouth.

These groups are like

dimensional paintings of the old masters.

This is not only a great show,

it's an art exhibit.

That's what I told you.

Here we have Joan of Arc,

a favorite subject of mine.

- I understand that. It's beautifully done.

- Thank you.

I've done her over a dozen times,

and still she doesn't complain.

What was wrong with her?

There are no

authentic portraits available...

so sculptors and painters

have to work from models.

I've never found the right one,

but I will someday.

It's a shame to race through this exhibit.

These figures should be studied.

You're very kind.

My creations have some merit, I suspect...

but in bringing back to life

the lovely Marie Antoinette...

I feel I've done my best work.

I've never seen anything so exquisite.

People say they can see

my Marie Antoinette breathe...

that her breast rises and falls.

Look at her eyes,

they follow you wherever you go.

She is very real to me.

You know, her eyes do follow you.

They're made of glass, more's the pity.

The exact size and color of the original.

They're inserted into the sockets

from inside...

by way of the hollow neck,

before the head is attached to the body.

Forgive me, my dear,

for discussing your intimate secrets.

I'm sorry. I lose myself at times.

If people knew what you have

inside these walls...

you couldn't accommodate the crowds.

What you need here is exploitation,

more advertising.

- That's what I've been telling him.

- My partner wouldn't agree.

He's not happy here.

He wants to invest in something else.

Would you become a partner

in this venture? Would you buy him out?

I might be interested if my

lawyers approve and the price is right.

With your support, I'd do wonders.

I'd make any sacrifice.

Unfortunately, I'm leaving for Egypt.

I'm financing some excavations there.

I'll be back in three months,

then we can discuss...

You make me very happy.

You intrigue me, Professor.

I believe we'd get along together.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- And I'm grateful to you...

- It's all right.

Thank you for your visit

and your encouragement.

I'll see you in three months.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Mr. Wallace is a great art critic, darling.

You heard what he said.

Does he make you happy?

Of course you'd say that.

But I don't care about success.

The world will acknowledge your beauty.

And you, my friends...

Cleopatra, Mark Antony,

Lincoln, Joan of Arc, all of you.

How would it suit you to be famous again?

I know it'll please you,

you conceited devil.

It was like you to get yourself shot down

in a burning barn.

Couldn't do it

without a spotlight, could you?

Do you really hear what they say?

Of course.

A man has to be a little nuts

to be a good showman.

The sooner I'm out of it, the better.

You'll be out soon, Matthew.

Mr. Wallace returns from Egypt

in three months.

He'll be ready to talk business then.

- I heard him. That's no good for me.

- But, surely...

I want to buy something. It'll pay off

in a big way and three months is too late.

What guarantee do I have

that he won't go cold on the deal?

- Sorry. It's the best I could do.

- I can do better.

How would you like

to split $25,000 with me?

And you call me crazy?

You ever thought of what would happen

if we had a fire here?

In the cellar, there are six barrels of wax.

Wax is paraffin based.

It's highly inflammable.

This place would go up like a paint factory.

Burn? Burn all my people?

- Do you think I'm a murderer?

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