Restoration by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding from The Film Foundation
Sound restoration by John Polito, Audio Mechanics
This 1930’s classic was made in two-color Technicolor. It was recently restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive in 2019 with funding from The Film Foundation, and is receiving rave reviews for its picture and sound quality.
Scott MacQueen, Head of Preservation at UCLA: “We worked with Audio Mechanics to restore the sound, removing any noise and adding the missing words. It has a clarity now we’ve never experienced, quiet without sounding processed. Subtleties that have been forever masked, like the heavy breathing of the morgue monster, are heard for the first time. We now hear the subtle sound of a museum employee slipping a dagger into the chest of the wax figure of Marat. These sounds would have been barely audible in 1933, when a typical theatrical speaker reproduced little higher than 8000 Hertz. Even an obvious effect, like the sudden twang of a barrel organ being set in an exhibit, is so clear and dynamic that it finally achieves its original purpose of making the audience jump.”
Check out these incredible reviews:
Home Theater Forum – Audio: 5/5 – The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono sound mix will greatly impress you despite the age of the elements. All age-related problems with hiss, crackle, pops, and flutter have been eliminated, and the depth of the thunder in the opening sequence, the blazing crackle of the fire with the collapsing timbers, and the machinery in motion in the climactic waxworks sequence are all striking. Dialogue and other sound effects have also been skillfully mixed in the sound design (there is no music apart from the opening and closing credits).
Nitrateville.com – It is indeed a terrific restoration – both Pic and Sound. You heard cool lines and effects you’d never noticed before.
Just saw screening of the restored version at MoMA this evening…and can happily report it looks splendid. Luscious colors…clean picture…crystal clear sound. None of the color mess that plagued the DVD. Audience was very responsive (especially to Glenda Farrell) and overall it was really a pleasure to see this on the big screen.
High-def Digest – Amid all the hoopla surrounding the glorious video restoration of Mystery of the Wax Museum, it’s easy to forget the audio was restored as well. The extensive clean-up that makes this DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track sound so clear and vibrant may go unnoticed by those mesmerized by the visuals, but it deserves commendation. Early sound films often suffer from myriad imperfections born from the primitive recording equipment used at the time, but this incarnation lacks the tinny, harsh, distorted qualities that often afflict such vintage tracks. The audio is clear, vibrant, and devoid of such age-related defects as hiss, pops, and crackle. Atmospherics like rain and crowd noise subtly infuse the track without overwhelming it, while sonic accents like thunder claps, slamming doors, the bubbling cauldron of wax, and – of course – Fay Wray’s iconic screams are crisp and distinct. Eerie silences are utterly clean, and even the quietest effects, like the faint squeak of Igor’s wheelchair as it glides across the floor or the muffled moans of a corpse, make an impression. I can’t say I could understand every word of dialogue, but that’s only because Glenda Farrell and Frank McHugh just talk too darn fast at times! Overall, though, the exchanges are well prioritized and easy to comprehend. When examined in its proper context and compared with other films from the same period, this track far exceeds expectations and is a major asset to this disc.
New York Times. MoMA festival of preservation, To Save and Project
The Mystery of the Wax Museum [Warner Archive Blu-ray review]
