Lionel Atwill plays Ivan Igor a sculptor in wax whose museum in London is failing because he's creating figures of French historical significance rather than pandering to the public desire for the macabre. His philistine business partner burns it down for the insurance money and Igor is badly injured in the process. Twelve years later though he's planning to re-open the museum in New York but with his hands destroyed he's using real bodies with a wax coating instead. That's where the plotting becomes a bit shaky with some of his employees complicit in the crimes and another completely but inexplicably innocent . That's not the only aspect of the story that isn't explained sufficiently
The film is unusual in having two female leads with Glenda Farrell as the hard -nosed reorter on the scent of a story and Fay Wray in a disappointingly passive role as her flat mate.
Fay Wray ( as Charlotte Duncan )
Sex : Fay is stripped for her ordeal at the climax of the film but this happens offscreen. We do get another good look at her legs though.
Death : Survives
As noted above, this isn't one of Fay's better roles.
Glenda Farrell ( as Florence Dempsey )
Sex : Glenda has one scene in a silky nightgown but the brassy blonde isn't to my taste.
Death : Survives
Glenda went on to play a news reporter in a franchise known as "Torchy Blane" beginning in 1937. She died in 1971 of lung cancer aged 66.
Monica Bannister ( as Joan Gale )
Sex : No
Death : Apparently suicide through an overdose. It is left unclear if Igor has procured her death to act as his Joan of Arc or opportunistically stolen the body.
This is one of the very few films in which Monica played a named character. She died in 2002 aged 91.
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