The Horror! (Old Time Radio) – "The Waxwork" by The Price Of Fear

Podcast Date: February 21, 2026
Production Date: Originally aired October 13, 1973
Host: RelicRadio.com
Main Voice/Narrator: Vincent Price as himself

Episode Overview

This chilling episode presents "The Waxwork," a macabre tale adapted from a story by A.M. Burridge, performed by Vincent Price for the BBC radio series "The Price Of Fear." In this story, a down-on-his-luck writer spends the night in the eerie Chamber of Horrors at a London wax museum, hoping for inspiration. But as reality and imagination blur, terror takes a physical–and fatal–form.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Introduction – Setting the Tone (00:06–01:42)

• Vincent Price opens with an atmospheric invocation of classic supernatural dread:

  "Oh, stories. Real stories. And murder too." [00:06]

• The host introduces the "The Price Of Fear" series and today's featured story, "The Waxwork," first broadcast in 1973. [01:02–01:42]

2. The Writer and the Dare (03:08–04:46)

• Vincent Price (playing himself) unexpectedly meets Raymond Hewson, an unsuccessful freelance writer who’s arranged to stay overnight in the wax museum's Chamber of Horrors for a story.

  Raymond: "I've arranged to spend tonight all night in the Chamber of Horrors at the waxworks around the corner. I'm hoping to write a piece about it..." [04:22]

• Raymond seeks Vincent’s presence for credibility and comfort but insists on staying alone as part of his gamble for literary success.

3. Permission and Warning from the Museum (05:14–06:56)

• Ms. Frayne, the wax museum director, reluctantly agrees to Hewson’s request, seeing publicity value:

  “In your case, we have something to gain. Publicity.” [05:55]

• She sternly cautions about the psychological toll:

  “If you are at all susceptible to atmosphere, you are in for a most uncomfortable night.” [06:44]

4. Descent into the Chamber of Horrors (07:01–09:32)

• The group tours the dim, vault-like chamber lined with notorious wax murderers:

  “It was, by design, an eerie and uncomfortable chamber, the very atmosphere of which invited its visitors to speak in whispers.” —Vincent Price [08:01]

• Notable Figures: Dr. Crippen, Wilkinson the Strangler, the murder of the princes in the Tower, and especially Dr. Bordet, their "star turn."

5. The Figure of Dr. Bordet (09:35–11:52)

• Ms. Frayne explains Bordet’s real-life legend: a French doctor and hypnotist who killed for pleasure and was never apprehended.

  Ms. Frayne: “He carried on his work of healing by day and of throat cutting by night.” [10:32]

• Bordet’s wax figure unnerves both Vincent and Raymond:

  Raymond: "Those eyes, they seem to bite into you." [11:27] Ms. Frayne: "This figure's a little masterpiece. It's excellent realism, really, for Bordet practiced hypnotism and was supposed to mesmerize his victims before dispatching them." [11:35]

6. The Isolation Begins (12:02–13:08)

• Raymond is left alone—ostensibly to spend the night and write his story.
• Both Price and Ms. Frayne reiterate final warnings and goodbyes.

  "Good night. And thanks for tucking me in." –Raymond Hewson [13:02]

7. The Ordeal – Alone Among the Waxworks (13:08–22:23)

• Using Raymond’s notebook, Vincent reconstructs the night from Raymond’s perspective:
• Raymond sets up tape recorder and begins taking notes; the uncanny stillness unravels his nerves.
• A watchman delivers a chair, departing with a sardonic warning:

  Watchman: "Don't let any of them sneak up behind you, sir, and touch you with their clammy hands." [16:36]

• Raymond's agitation mounts—he thinks the wax figures are moving when unobserved:

  "They're all only waxworks. What was that? Something moved. Come on, come on. This won't do." –Raymond [17:30]

• He tries to rationalize but grows convinced someone—or something—is breathing in the room besides him.

8. The Horror Unmasked – Dr. Bordet (20:40–25:54)

• The Bordet figure comes to life; it is the real Dr. Bordet, who hid among the waxworks to evade police by swapping places with his statue during a fire scare.

  Dr. Bordet: "I raised a cry of fire, stripped my effigy of the cape, hid it, and simply took its place on the platform." [22:24]

• Bordet reveals a chilling philosophy:

  "The world is divided into two classes: collectors and the non collectors... I collect throats." [23:39]

• Bordet mesmerizes the terrified Raymond, preparing to kill him while denying his pleas.

  Dr. Bordet: "No, sir. Your appeals are useless. You are now completely under my control. You cannot even speak unless I tell you to do so. Now, you will please have the goodness to raise your chin a little. Thank you. Just a fraction more. Mercy, monsieur." [25:19–25:54]

9. Aftermath and Ambiguous Conclusion (26:09–29:53)

• Vincent, Ms. Frayne, and the watchman discover Raymond’s corpse:

  "Raymond Hewson sat still leaning far back in his armchair. His chin was tilted up, as if he were waiting to receive attention from a barber. And although there was not a scratch upon his throat, he was cold and dead." –Vincent Price [27:49]

• Were Raymond’s terrors the result of an overactive writer’s imagination, or did something supernatural occur?
• Creepy ambiguity as Price ponders unexplained laughter on the tape and the possibility of waxworks themselves laughing at Raymond's fate:

  "Could it really have been the waxworks, those vacant, staring effigies laughing at the fate of Raymond Hewson? Could it, I wonder? Well, good night. Sleep well." [29:53]

Notable Quotes

• Vincent Price / Narration:

  "Isn't it strange how the coming of night can alter the whole shape, appearance, even the atmosphere of a house or a room? Sounds are different at night too." [01:42]

• Ms. Frayne:

  "If you are at all susceptible to atmosphere, you are in for a most uncomfortable night." [06:44]

• Raymond Hewson:

  "Better have a. That's better. Or Zane. It's not good enough. I'm going upstairs. I'm not going to spend the night with a lot of shifty bloody dummies who move when you're not looking." [18:13]

• Dr. Bordet:

  "The collectors collect anything according to their individual tastes. I collect throats." [23:39]

• Vincent Price:

  "His previous employers had been wrong in crediting him with no imagination. If anything, he had an overabundance of that particular commodity." [27:49]

• Final chilling sign-off:

  "Could it really have been the waxworks, those vacant, staring effigies laughing at the fate of Raymond Hewson? Could it, I wonder? Well, good night. Sleep well." [29:53]

Memorable Moments & Tension Highlights

• The introduction of Dr. Bordet’s figure and Ms. Frayne’s account of his legend sets an early tone of unease [09:35–11:52].
• Raymond’s increasing paranoia—the sense that the wax figures are watching and even moving—escalates the psychological horror [16:49–18:13].
• Bordet’s sudden “awakening” and casual malice—his cool explanation of how he switched places with the waxwork combines plausible crime and supernatural suggestion [20:41–22:43].
• The ambiguous cause of Raymond’s death: no mark is found, leaving both rational and supernatural explanations open [27:49–29:53].

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:06 – Vincent Price’s opening remarks
• 01:02–01:42 – Podcast host introduces "The Waxwork"
• 03:08–04:46 – Vincent and Raymond's meeting, the dare revealed
• 05:14–06:56 – Ms. Frayne grants permission, warns of the chamber’s atmosphere
• 09:01–09:35 – Introduction to the waxwork gallery
• 09:35–11:52 – Dr. Bordet’s legend explained, his figure unnerves all
• 13:08–14:13 – Raymond settles in for the night, the experiment begins
• 16:05–18:13 – Raymond’s nerves fray, watchman’s unsettling joke
• 20:40–25:54 – Dr. Bordet is revealed alive, confesses his crimes
• 27:49–29:53 – Discovery of Raymond’s body, Price’s philosophical musings

Tone & Atmosphere

• Filled with classic Gothic dread, the episode maintains a blend of dry British humor and psychological horror.
• Vincent Price’s voice, at once bemused and ominous, gives the tale a wry, chilling edge.
• Dialogue drips with unease and resignation; characters are distinctly British in their blend of skepticism and fatalism.

Conclusion

"The Waxwork" stands as a superb example of old-school radio horror—grounded in atmosphere, psychological suspense, and subtle supernatural suggestion. Vincent Price’s narration and the interplay between the characters elevate a simple premise into a memorable parable about imagination, fear, and crossing the line between observer and victim.

For fans of classic horror or radio drama, this is a must-listen episode. But as Vincent Price reminds us:

"Well, good night. Sleep well." [29:53]