Quite a few horror films of the era started with a warning to alert the audience about the terror to come, as if one might get out of their theater seat and go do something else instead. This was one of those that used a flashing red screen and a horn to let the viewers know something dreadful was about to happen. Not necessary really and considering the slasher/gore stuff in movies today, the violence here is somewhat restrained by comparison. The surprise here is the principal character portrayed by Patrick O'Neill, perhaps somewhat out of his usual element. His appearance called to mind a contemporary, Vincent Price, who could easily have portrayed the insane Jason Cravatte. The character is introduced in the opening scene where he marries a corpse at gunpoint by a frightened minister!! Tipped off by the reverend, the authorities find and arrest Cravatte, and from there it's a cat and mouse game as he escapes a prison train by chopping off his own hand! He schemes to find and murder those responsible for his arrest and conviction, including the judge who sentenced him, the psychiatrist who proclaimed him sane to stand trial, and the arresting officer. The last one on his list is Anthony Draco (Cesare Danova), an assistant at Harold Blount's (Wilfrid Hyde-White) House of Wax. Draco, a very smooth operator, manages to court a couple of lovely ladies while pursuing Cravatte, including Marie Champlain (Laura Devon), who initially was recruited by the mad killer with promises of a refined and wealthy lifestyle. Like so many horror flicks of the era, Cravatte meets a fitting end when he's introduced to himself at the wax museum. You'll have to see it for yourself.
A curious note about the picture. Tony Curtis makes a brief uncredited cameo appearance in the story as a dinner patron named Mr. Julian. Having already appeared in dozens of roles by this time in his career, I had to wonder what that was all about. As for Marie Windsor, who portrayed Madam Corona, after she solicited Blount and Draco to find her crazy nephew, she was never heard from again!
A curious note about the picture. Tony Curtis makes a brief uncredited cameo appearance in the story as a dinner patron named Mr. Julian. Having already appeared in dozens of roles by this time in his career, I had to wonder what that was all about. As for Marie Windsor, who portrayed Madam Corona, after she solicited Blount and Draco to find her crazy nephew, she was never heard from again!