Travis Simpkins

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933): Fay Wray

Artfully directed by Michael Curtiz, Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) was one of the last films to utilize the two-color (red and blue) technicolor process. The macabre story focuses on a talented sculptor of wax figures who is disfigured in a fire and can no longer sculpt, so he resorts to stealing corpses and dipping them in wax to create his new displays. The cast is great, including Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill, Glenda Farrell and Frank McHugh. The story was re-filmed twenty years later as House of Wax, starring Vincent Price.

Mystery of the Wax Museum. 1933

Mystery of the Wax Museum. 1933: Fay Wray

Mystery of the Wax Museum. 1933

Mystery of the Wax Museum. 1933: Fay Wray

Mystery of the Wax Museum. 1933

The Vampire Bat (1933): Fay Wray and Melvyn Douglas

Directed by Frank R. Strayer, The Vampire Bat (1933) was Majestic Pictures' low-budget answer to the Universal Studios Monster films. Released during the Great Depression, Majestic Pictures knew how to get a good look without paying the upfront price... The Vampire Bat used many of the sets left over from Universal's films, Frankenstein (1931) and The Old Dark House (1932). The story focuses on a town in which people are dying of blood loss... and locals are rushed to conclude that a vampire must be responsible. The cast is good, including the original "Scream Queen" Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas and Lionel Atwill.

The Vampire Bat. 1933: Fay Wray and Melvyn Douglas

King Kong (1933): Fay Wray

The classic "Beauty and the Beast" story, King Kong (1933) has been emulated and parodied, but never replicated or equaled. The title alone brings thoughts of instant recognition, even for those who have never seen the original film. Full of, what was for 1933, groundbreaking special effects and stop-action animation, the film still dazzles viewers 80 years later. Fay Wray, as Ann Darrow, created one of the most iconic scream-queen performances in Film History. King Kong is a Classic all around.

Movie director Carl Denham is looking for a pretty girl to star in his next picture, to take place on a remote island. He meets the beautiful Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) in New York City, down on her luck. She happily agrees to take the job...

King Kong. 1933: Fay Wray

They head to the remote, mythical and mysterious Skull Island by way a a hand-drawn map and a vague tip. Something horrific is on that island, and Denham wants to capture it on film. They arrive to find Natives in fear of a beast called "Kong." During the night, the Natives, kidnap Ann and offer her as a sacrifice to Kong...

King Kong. 1933: Fay Wray

Kong is smitten, and takes Ann off into the jungle. The crew follows suit, in a desperate attempt to rescue Ann from the beast...

King Kong. 1933: Fay Wray

In love with Ann, Kong defends her from all kinds of Prehistoric monsters and dinosaurs (including a great fight with a T-Rex)...

King Kong. 1933: Fay Wray

Kong is eventually captured and taken back to New York. Billed as "Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World", he is to be placed on display for curious, deep-pocketed audiences...