The House Of Wax was an early 3D film, it was made in 1953, the Globe has 4 showings in one day and it appears that it was being shown for quite some time as the “Final Week” notice indicates.
I remember my parents going to see a 3D film in the early 1950s, it was probably at Billingham Picture House and much later than the initial release, my Father was unimpressed and my Mother thought it was “All Right”, damned by faint praise, as the saying goes. The main thing I remember was wearing the red/green spectacles the following day at school and having them confiscated.
3D cinema was never a success, it was unrealistic and unconvincing and very expensive to make, I have seen a number of I-Max films over the years and they are quite good but I don’t think they improve the cinema going experience, they can be quite novel for a short time but they do pall.
Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The first 3D film I saw was at the Empire, I remember a skeleton coming out of the screen it really scared us, then it was on a wire.
I bought a Samsung smart -3D television and watched a few films 3D movies like you say some good some bad
LikeLike
Derek I think that film was ‘House on Haunted Hill’ with Vincent Price. It was advertised as having a new special effect called ‘EMERGO’ (I think) but as you say it was just a rather sad looking skeleton on a wire.
LikeLike
The film was ‘The House on Haunted Hill’, at the Empire. When I went to see it the word had got out about the skeleton, and the kids were well prepared with small missiles to throw at it!
LikeLike
Saw one at the Norton Picture House, later the Fiesta Club. I wasn’t impressed either
LikeLike