On Saturday, October 12th our not-so-secret Speakeasy Cinema series, curated by Raul Benitez, presents Michael Curtiz’s Pre-Code horror classic Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). Plus, we’ve added a special matinee screening for a discounted price on Sunday, October 13th! 

Step into the past with Speakeasy Cinema, where The Lounge transforms into an intimate cabaret-style screening room. Saturday evening tickets include a complimentary cocktail and a live set by Alchemist Connections, adding a touch of vintage flair. For Sunday’s matinee, enjoy a free cup of coffee as you settle in for a charming, old-timey cinema experience.

Starring two horror icons—Fay Wray (of King Kong fame) and Lionel Atwill (Doctor X, Mark of the Vampire)—Mystery of the Wax Museum unravels a chilling tale of a deranged wax sculptor and his disturbing obsession with using human bodies to replace melted wax figures in his museum. 

This film is famous for being the last made with the two-color Technicolor process, which gave it a unique, eerie visual palette. The hot lighting required for this process caused real wax figures to melt under the heat, so actors had to stand in as wax sculptures for many scenes. It adds an extra layer of creepiness, knowing that those “statues” might blink at any moment! 

Shot before the enforcement of the Hays Code, Mystery of the Wax Museum includes some surprising drug references and edgier content that were scrubbed clean in the 1953 remake.