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Olga Belajeff, John Gottowt, Emil Jannings, Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt ... see more see more... , William Dieterle

German filmmaker Paul Leni functioned as both director and production designer for the Caligariesque Waxworks (Das Wachsfigurenkabinett). Using a wax museum as the unifying factor, Leni weaves three s... read more read more...eparate stories of Evil Incarnate. Emil Jannings stars as middle-Eastern despot Harroun al Raschid; Conrad Veidt is cast as Ivan the Terrible; and Werner Krauss impersonates Jack the Ripper. Of the three, Ivan is perhaps the most odious, especially in his sadistic cat-and-mouse treatment of his victims (it is said that Russian director Sergei Eisenstein patterned his Ivan the Terrible after Veidt's). On the strength of this film, Leni was invited to Hollywood by Universal's Carl Laemmle, and the result was the classic "old dark house" meller The Cat and the Canary. Sadly, most surviving prints of Waxworks are taken from the watered-down, expurgated American released version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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50% liked it

1,095 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 3 min.

Directed by: Leo Birinsky, Paul Leni

Release Date: March 18, 1926

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DVD Release Date: March 8, 2005

Stats: 55 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (55)

  • ajv2688
    October 14, 2011
    ajv2688
    I really liked this movie, it was cool. Not only does it have three famous German actors of this period, Jannings, Veidt, and Krauss, but it's got a good story and cool sets. This is an expressionist style movie, so the sets are too. They're not as pronounced as in Caligari, b... read moreut they're there and really cool looking. The movie is about a wax museum that hires a writer to write down the stories of three notorious figures from history, who are part of their museum. We get to see the stories he writes, and the three famous actors play the three notorious bad guys. I recommend this movie if you liked Caligari.
  • CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    September 5, 2009
    CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    A sort of anthology in which a series of stories are told about those featured in the wax museum including Ivan the Terrible and Jack the Ripper. Fantastical for the most part, it delves into horror when Jack comes to life. Not as enjoyable as the contemporary The Cabinet of Dr. ... read moreCaligari or Golem.
  • seanawert
    May 10, 2009
    seanawert
    Crazy movie about wax figures and their habitats sucking you into their world. Dracula, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and other tales come to life when you step past the barriers.
  • xmkatx
    July 10, 2008
    xmkatx
    The first part of the movie (about the Caliph) was good, but the other stories, especially with Conrad Veidt as Ivan the Terrible, were kind of a letdown. This is a great idea, too. A writer is hired at a wax museum to create stories for some of the wax figures. Could've been a l... read moreot better.
  • Jubei
    November 10, 2006
    Jubei
    I wanted to go to a wax musuem so bad. Once I actually got to go, my mom had to take me out screaming because I thought the sculptures would come to life, loll

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Waxworks Trivia

  • What actor made a cameo in the movie *Waxworks* as a doctor investigating paranormal activities, and was tied and captured in the basement?  Answer »
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