Dr. Karol (Claudio Brook) owns and operates a wax museum. While giving a tour he is approached by Susan Madison, a photographer for New Arts magazine. Karol gives her permission to photograph some of his exhibits for an article. Susan’s sister Gloria is engaged to Charles. Charles is the reporter who will be writing the article for the magazine.
Karol has Susan come back again another night after the museum is closed. He says it will give them more time and privacy to discuss his work. As Karol is talking Susan begins to get a little creeped out. When he wants to show her his work room she makes an excuse and quickly leaves. While walking home she is stalked by a strange man. He sneaks up on her, grabs her and takes off with her.
In the meantime Gloria and Charles are waiting anxiously at home. Susan is late. Charles calls Dr. Karol but he says she left a long time ago. Two little old ladies find Susan’s camera and bring it to Gloria. Now Gloria and Charles are really worried. They call the police and report her missing. The police say that there have been two other people missing that had been to the museum. The police question Karol and suspect he may be involved in the disappearances.
Previously, while Dr. Karol was visiting a Professor friend of his, the Professor (Jose Luis Jimenez) received a call from Samson (Santo). Samson is a masked wrestler that sometimes moonlights as a champion of justice. Samson was reporting on the arrest of some evil doers. Now Dr. Karol goes to the Professor and asks him if Samson will help find who is really responsible for Gloria's disappearance.
Soon Karol’s life is threatened. He believes that the person responsible for everything could be someone he knew when he was in a concentration camp. Others believe that Karol himself is responsible. It’s up to Samson to get at the truth and find out who is doing these evil things and why.
“Santo in the Wax Museum” AKA “el museo de cera” was released in 1963 and was directed by Alfonso Corona Blake and Manuel San Fernando. It is a Mexican superhero horror movie and a luchador film. This is one of K. Gordon Murray's films that he purchased dubbed and repackage for American audiences. He renamed the hero Samson instead of Santo to make the film appeal to American audiences. Some other names were also changed to sound more American.
This is your typical mad scientist in a wax museum, luchador superhero, wrestling movie. There are some similarities to “Nightmare in Wax” 1969 and “Island of Lost Souls” 1932 but with a Mexican flair and of course, wrestling. It is a fairly decent Santo film. There are at least three ring fights in it. The third one is the best and my favorite.
Murray bought, dubbed and released at least 70 movies from various countries, mostly Mexico. Toward the end of his life Murray had problems with the IRS. They ended up seizing his films thereby taking them out of circulation. He died before he was able to take them to court and reclaim his films. Murray died of a heart attack in 1979. He was 57. “Santo in the Wax Museum” is one of two Santo movies, which I am aware of, that Murray released. The other was “Santo VS the Vampire Women” 1962.