Review of The Wolf Man (1941) by Jeremy K — 19 Feb 2014

It's a no-brainer when it comes to picking a monster movie from the 1940s. Here we have "The Wolf Man," the classic chiller about a man bitten by a werewolf who later discovers that when the full moon rises, he will become a werewolf as well. It's a different type of monster movie; not about science experiments gone wrong or evil demons of the undead, but a regular man with a beast inside him that he can't control.

Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) returns home to England following the death of his brother to reunite with his father Sir John (Claude Rains); since he is now the eldest heir of the Talbot family, he will be the one to take over the estate. As he wanders around town, he takes an immediate liking to Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), who runs an antique shop; there he purchases a silver-headed walking stick decorated with a wolf. She tells him of the old legend, that "Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." And so does her friend Jenny (Fay Helm). Did everyone in this town just grow up being told this legend, and learn to recite that silly poem word-for-word?

As the three of them spend a night on the town, they wander over to a fortune teller named Bela (Béla Lugosi), who becomes a werewolf and attacks Jenny. Larry kills him with the stick but is bitten in the process and the wound then becomes a pentagram, symbolizing the mark of the beast that now inhabits him. This is especially awkward because the police don't find any sign of a wolf because Bela became human when he died, and the fact that the townspeople also suspect his intentions towards Gwen, who is already engaged. Quite unfairly, in my opinion, towards the both of them.

Lon Chaney Sr. had been one of the most famous film stars of the silent era, and with this movie, his son Lon Chaney Jr. became a star of the sound era of horror films. He's very good in the role; during the early part of the movie, he's cheerful, he's charming, he's even a little cocky, but still likeable. After he becomes the wolf man, his whole personality changes; you can see the look of tragedy and terror on his face as first he's panicked by nearly getting killed and the fact that people don't believe he killed a wolf, and then realizes what's happened to him. Bela, it turns out, was the son of a Gypsy woman named Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), who gives him a pendant for his protection; but he gives it to Gwen. Chaney would go on to be used in many other Universal films throughout the decade. He played Frankenstein's monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein," Count Alucard in "Son of Dracula," and donned the Wolf Man makeup four more times. Speaking of the makeup, it's really impressive, with the transformation scenes done through a series of stop-motion and cross-dissolves, where Chaney would have to sit or lie still for hours while the makeup was gradually applied.

Claude Rains plays his father; hey, I just realized that we have Dracula, the Invisible Man and the Wolf Man in the same movie. Sort of. I personally love the scenes between these two. Just like in "The Invisible Man," Rains' character is no-nonsense, intimidating and authoritative. But he's also supportive and helpful towards his son. They have a complicated relationship that only grows more strained with what happens to Larry. The rest of the cast is pretty hit-or-miss. Lugosi makes the most of the brief screen time he has, Ouspenskaya is memorable in her dialogue as Maleva and Ankers is actually quite good as a love interest, except I wish she was a little tougher.

I've already mentioned a few issues I have with this movie, like various plot points and other supporting characters. But there are some moments then genuinely leave me confused. Why does Gwen's fiancé Frank (Patric Knowles) warn her not to go near Larry but then he's suggesting they hang out with him at a festival the very next scene, only for him and Gwen to have an off-camera argument? Why did Larry turn back to human during the middle of the night in one scene? Why are the townspeople so resentful towards him seemingly for who his father is? I also have a hard time believing one of them saying how no murders seemed to occur before he arrived. Hadn't Bela been a werewolf for quite some time, and hence would've done some killing of his own? There also aren't any shots of the full moon, which I feel could've been important, but I guess it doesn't matter too much anyway.

Well, for as flawed as this movie is, you can't deny its status as another classic Universal film. This started a new wave for these monster films, as most of the ones of the 1940s were crossovers with plots involving mad scientists, brain transplants and even Abbott and Costello. It was all fun stuff, but we're gonna leave that for another time. Out of the '40s and into a new era. I know I'm missing Universal franchises like "The Mummy" and "Creature from the Black Lagoon." In all honesty, "The Mummy" sorta underwhelmed me, and I'm not too interested in "Creature." That's just me. Final thoughts on "The Wolf Man." It has plenty of heart, some really solid acting, impressive effects and really extravagant music. It's a gem that's worth repeated viewings.