Ayoung scribe (William Dieterle) is hired by a wax museum to dream up backstories for three of its figures. The plots play out in an anthology format dextrously handled by Paul Leni (The Man Who Laughs), who segues from Baghdad-based comedy-fantasy to historical psycho-drama (a crazed Conrad Veidt as Ivan The Terrible) and, saving the best for last, a short proto-slasher encounter with Jack The Ripper (Werner Krauss), all shadows and superimpositions, mixing abstract beauty with pant-wetting terror. Unwind after with the vintage animated crosswords.