In the opening of the museum, when Ivan Igor is introducing his statues to guests, there is a supposed 'was statue' of Queen Victoria (in a weelchair) and her servant. The only problem is that SHE BLINKS more than once!
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It's also possibly to see Fay Wray twitch a bit as Marie Antoinette. In some instances live actors were used in place of wax figures because the intense lighting required by the two-color Technicolor photography melted the wax!
"...don't let's ask for the moon - we have the stars!"
Didn't notice that before, but after I've read the posts here I had a look. Unfortunate goofs in a good movie.
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An enemy deserves no mercy. - KK3
Movie audiences back in those days were much more forgiving and easier to please. Its only been in recent years we've come to demand absolute pristine perfection.
sharemabye the person inside wasn't dead and was trying to signal someone.
shareI've just watched at least 3 other Warner Bros. films made from 1932-1937, and each one had a scene in which the shadow of a "boom" mike was visibly moving across a wall or, in one instance, actually settling across an actor's face!
Those of you who think you know everything should politely defer to those of us who actually do!
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I thought I saw Fay Wray twitch. Regardless, these little goofs are part of what makes these old movies such a delight.
shareHa, when I was watching I thought, "Damn, those are some bloody good wax statues."
I think the monkeys at the zoo should have to wear sunglasses so they can't hypnotize you.share
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Wray said later that she was completely unprepared for the sight of Atwill's disfigured face - she had not been present when any of his scenes in the makeup had been filmed. I believe she also said that they did make another mask [of Atwill's normal face] and refilm the scene.
"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker
Hey, they pulled the same trick in Doctor X when Lionel Atwill is presenting the victims of the moon killer.
shareI've heard people mention this several times so I went back and looked, and would you believe that the first thing I noticed was that the figure of her elderly consort (or attendant) standing behind her holding a paper was clearly and obviously moving.
He was not part of the crowd because he held the same position for the entire scene and didn't walk away.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question."
I went back to see that (Thank You TiVo), and not only is he moving, but in the long shot his right arm is down, and in the close-up, his arm is up holding the paper.
Others, like the knife-impaled Marat, were obviously wax, and looked it. A harder one to pin down is Joan of Arc. She looks so real in both incarnations (in London and NY)especially in close-up. But they could be static shots. There's no movement when she's in frame.
And what's really fun is to slowly fast-forward through the scene in London with Marie Antoinette and watch Ms. Wray swaying ever so slightly.
The Joan of Arc figure was played by Monica Bannister, the same woman who played Joan Gale (seen only one in a newspaper photo). All the close shots of the Joan figure were played by the actress. I think only one or two long shots were doubled by a statue.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question."
Igor was just the best damn wax statue maker in the world, the pieces were so lifelike you only THINK it blinked.
share^^Hahahaha....great comment, Lightening!
shareI noticed a few of the statues moving as well. Though, as someone earlier posted it does make the film more of a delight and considering the movie was filmed nearly 80 years ago it's still an excellent watch all the same.
Cherry Darling: I was going to be a stand-up comedian.
At 71:49 [times might be a little off, depending on version], Worth's left eyelid moves when coffin lid is opened (before he falls flat on the floor. I think he's just dead at that time, not yet waxed.)
Joan of Arc moves a couple times. At 35:00, when Florence first sneaks in and stares curiously at her, Joan's upper right lip twitches (looks like she's fighting a sneeze.) Exactly same thing again at 45:05.
According to the trivia, because the technicolor lights were too hot for wax figures, they were often real posed actors. Personally, my theory is Curtiz encouraged these little twitches just to give us the willies. (Works on me!)
LOL, you're right.
But, honestly, it didn't bother me at all. I think that made the movie even more charming!
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop