Review of The Wolf Man (1941) by Preacher P — 19 Jan 2008

Part of a horror season on bbc2 when I was a kid one of the 1st films I fell in love with along with the mummy and frankenstein which all starred lon chaney jnr at some point."There's something very tragic about that man" So says one of the characters in "The Wolf Man," and they're right: Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney), heir to a prestigious estate, is an easygoing, nice guy.

He flirts with local shopkeep Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), and, one fateful night, is bitten by a werewolf. Let the interweaving threads of superstition, religion, and psychology commence! A full decade after "Frankenstein" shows Universal's formula for success in full swing, with an end product that is arguably better (and somehow even more tragic).

I've never been a big werewolf fan (I think "The Howling" is one of the most overrated horror films ever), but Chaney's tragic downfall mixed with a good deal of insight and sympathy makes for a brilliantly realized performance.

Claude Rains ("The Invisible Man") and Ralph Bellamy ("Rosemary's Baby") provide strong support as Larry's father and the town constable, respectively. And Bela Lugosi (as a gypsy named Bela) is fantastic in a small yet crucial role.

Curt Siodmak's original screenplay crafts a convincing mythology that has since become the industry standard, and George Waggner's direction renders its German-Expressionist cues with fog-heavy style and skill.

"The Wolf Man" is an excellent piece of work that holds up extremely well today.