House of Wax (1953)

Vincent Price: Prof. Henry Jarrod

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Quotes 

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Once in his lifetime, every artist feels the hand of God, and creates something that comes alive.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : I'm afraid that the visit of a such distinguished critic may cause my children to become conceited. To you they are wax, but to me, their creator, they live and breathe.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Here we have two great lovers from the past. Cleopatra Queen of Egypt and Marc Antony, their last meeting. You'll recall that Antony, believing Cleopatra to be dead, killed himself with his own sword. When Cleopatra discovered what had happened, she quickly followed her lover.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Here's President Lincoln and his assassin John Wilkes Booth. One of my few concessions to the macabre.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Here we have Joan of Arc - a favorite subject of mine.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Everything I ever loved has been taken away from me, but not you, my Marie Antoinette, for I will give you eternal life.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : This is Igor - he's a deaf mute. He's one of my assistants.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : People say they can see my Marie Antoinette breathe; that her breast rises and falls. Look at her eyes. They follow you where ever you go. She's very real to me.

  Bruce Allison : You know her eyes do follow you.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : They're made of glass, more's the pity, the exact size and color of the original. They're inserted into the sockets from inside by way of the hollow neck before the head is attached to the body.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : [speaking to the figure of Marie Antoinette]  Forgive me, my dear, for discussing your intimate secrets.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : [to the men accompanying him]  Oh, I'm sorry. I lose myself at times.

  Sidney Wallace : Professor, if people knew what you have inside these walls, you couldn't accomodate the crowds. What you need here is exploitation - more advertising.

  Bruce Allison : Thats exactly what I've been telling him.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : Oh, my partner wouldn't agree. He's not happy here. He wants to invest in something else. Mr. Wallace, would you care to become a partner in this venture? Would you buy him out?

  Sidney Wallace : You know, I might take you up on that offer, if my lawyers approve and the price is right.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : With your support I could do wonders. I'd make any sacrifice.

  Sidney Wallace : Unfortunately, I'm leaving this weekend for Egypt. I'm financing some excavations there. However, I'll be back in three months - then I'll be glad to discuss the deal.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : [heavy with menace after Sue unwigs Cathy]  You shouldn't have done that, my dear!

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Jarrod is dead. I'm a reincarnation.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Was it murder or suicide? Only time will tell.

  [misquoting Hamlet] 

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : Foul deeds will rise, Though all the world o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.

• Matthew Burke : You ever thought of what would happen if we had a fire here? In the cellar, there are six barrels of wax. Wax is paraffin based. It's highly inflammable. This place would go up like a paint factory.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : Burn? Burn all of my people? You think I'm a murderer?

  Matthew Burke : Stop dreaming, will you? These dummies are insured for $25,000. That's $12,500 for each of us. You wouldn't need Wallace, you'd have enough to begin again.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : No, I'd rather die myself than see my friends destroyed; I won't let you do it, and I'll kill you if you try!

  Matthew Burke : Don't be stupid! All you have to do is strike a match, and the thing is done.

  [Lights the fire and begins to scorch the wax museum] 

• Matthew Burke : Who cares a hang about history and wax.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : There are people in the world who love beauty.

  Matthew Burke : But, more who want sensation, shock!

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : Morbidly curious, huh, I won't cater to that.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : I put in a Chamber of Horrors. Murder, torture, executions. Scare the living daylights out of people. I don't care for that kind of patronage.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : I'm rebuilding my exhibition from the ground up. I'm going to give the people what they want. Sensation. Horror. Shock. Send them out in the streets to tell their friends how wonderful it is to be scared to death.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry the Eighth and the mother of Queen Elizabeth, with the executioner Henry borrowed from the French King, so that Anne's head would be cleaved from her body without too much pain. He was a thoughtful husband, Henry. It was he who invented the shortcut to divorce.

• Sue Allen : I just don't understand how it can seem so real.

  Prof. Henry Jarrod : That's the finest compliment I've ever received.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Let me see your hands. Yes. Yes, mine were once like that. How I envy you.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : Once in his lifetime, every artist feels the hand of God and creates something that comes to life. So it was with my Marie Antoinette and I loved her. But, she's gone now. Horribly destroyed. Perhaps you will help me to bring her back? You will come to see me?

  Sue Allen : I'd be glad to.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : We'll find immortality together. They'll remember me through you.

• Prof. Henry Jarrod : The exhibits in this room will be added to, from time to time, as various crimes are committed. You will read about them in your newspaper, and see them enacted here in waxen tableaus.