So how did this sound work? Well, according to Cinematheque, "The crack of the victim's spine as it snaps in two not only plays from the front channels but from the rear loudspeakers. as well as a sense of participation." New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther, on the other hand, gives us a window into what displeased viewers must have felt, writing that "the intolerable artlessness of sound" was "thrown and howled at the audience as though the only purpose was to overwhelm the naturally curious patron with an excess of brutal stimuli." The Hollywood Reporter described it as having a "spellbinding effect, giving a feeling of realism. Responses to House of Wax's debut make it clear that sound was a standout element. The Golden Age ended because of technical problems (from screen specifications to projection issues), not a lack of audience interest. An astonishing 50 movies came out during this period in almost every genre - horror, science fiction, adventure, musical, and even "nudie." If you could watch it at all, audiences in the '50s wanted to see it in 3D. According to the 3D Film Archive, audiences were so eager for more 3D that they kicked off what's known as the Golden Age, stretching from 1952-1955. It garnered $4.3 million, enough in 1953 for the American Film Institute to dub it "a tremendous box office hit." A newspaper article from the time ( via the 3D Film Archive) noted that "there was more screaming in the audience than on the screen." In other words, the excitement was palpable. House of Wax - a horror film about a mad artist (Vincent Price) who turns his victims into wax figures for his museum - was able to reach even more theaters than Bwana Devil.
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