April 10, 1953 –
Warner Bros.‘ first 3-D movie, House of Wax, starring Vincent Price, opened on this date. The director Andre DeToth was unable to see in 3D himself, having lost an eye at an early age. (The film revived Vincent Price’s career, positioning him as the go-to guy when you needed a mad scientist or fiendish psychopath.)
Vincent Price liked to attend screenings of the film incognito. As the actor once told biographer Joel Eisner, he’d regularly go out and see House of Wax during its run. Happily for Price, the requisite 3D glasses could usually conceal his identity in the back of a dimly lit theater. But one night, he decided to make his presence known. At a showing in New York City, Price quietly took a seat behind two teenagers. Right after a particularly frightening scene, he leaned forward and asked “Did you like it?” In Price’s words, “They went right into orbit!“
The Haus of Dcaligari 