Rick Michel's Blog

Did you ever want your favorite movie star to live with you?  Maybe a wax version is what you need!  Seriously, for those celebrities you admire, it would be wonderful to have a photo taken with them as a memento, but that’s not an easy task for most people.  Even if they’re still alive, the chances of getting them to pose with you seems to decrease in probability with how big a star they are.  And if they’re no longer with us, you have an even bigger problem.  Enter wax figures.

Everyone of any age has heard of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and for good reason.  Marie Tussaud was born in France in 1761 and would create her first was figure at the age of 16 and go on to create works of many important people of the time, even modelling Benjamin Franklin.  Eventually she settled in London and opened her own was museum in 1835.  The rest is literally history.

Each of the Rat Pack has been immortalized in wax.  Madame Tussauds Las Vegas museum has all three of them on display.  Together, the trio make quite an impression; Sammy is on the left, looking quite lively, Frank standing with his arms folded in the center, and Dean seated on a bar stool showing off his trademark King of Cool look.

Meanwhile in New York, Madame Tussauds has another wax of Ol’ Blue Eyes.  He looks quite dapper in his suit and hat, standing with his arms folded on a mic stand.  It looks as though he’s ready to joke with the audience between songs.

Madame Tussauds doesn’t have the exclusive on wax though.  I’ve seen both Frank and Sammy appearing “on stage” at the Movieland Wax Museum in California.  Sammy is quoted as saying, “If it starts singing Candy Man, I’m out of business,” after seeing his doppelgänger for himself!  The wax figures were auctioned after the museum closed in 2006.

How would you like to be forever remembered in wax?  Would you put a 6-foot tall Frank Sinatra in your living room?