THE WOLF MAN: MrHollywoodReviews
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
In 1941, Universal Pictures had found most its success by way of the monsters. Even after ousting the Laemmle family from control, the studio heads couldn’t help but keep their little franchise going.
After the vampire and Dr. Frankenstein’s creation and the Egyptian undead, it was time for a more animal way of thinking. They gave us The Wolf Man.
With an original screenplay by Curt Siodmak and directed by George Waggner, this film carries on the tradition of classic storytelling. It comes without any bells or whistles – an old world flick for the folks back in the day – a tragic tale of one man’s nightmare.
THE WOLF MAN
Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) comes home to his family’s castle in Wales, after eighteen years of working in the States. He meets with their father, Sir John (Claude Rains), who is just happy to have that one surviving son back where he belongs. The eldest has died in a hunting accident.
Sir John is a scientist and they bond over the telescope in his attic observatory. Larry has been working for an optical company in California and worked on the project at Mount Wilson. As he plays with the lens himself, he catches the young woman in her bedroom above her family’s antique shop. Larry makes quick work, to try to charm this sweet girl.
Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers) is not moved, denying him the opportunity to buy the crescent moon earrings he claims to know about through being psychic. He grabs this walking stick instead – its handle silver in the shape of a wolf’s head. Gwen immediately laments on the idea of werewolves – something he thinks is funny.
She recites an old poem that the townsfolk carry deep. He thinks it’s funny. He insists that he’ll be back at eight to take her out, which he does. And even Gwen can’t ignore the Talbot son, inviting him along with good friend Jenny Williams (Fay Helm) to visit some gypsies and have their fortunes told.
Bela (Bela Lugosi) will visit with Jenny first. He explains that your left hand shows your past, while the right shows your future, but when we see her palm we get a glimpse of the pentagram; in this case, taking some creative license, the sign of the werewolf – the clue as to his next victim. Bela becomes upset and wants her to come back tomorrow.
Larry has taken Gwen for a private walk in the woods. She confesses that she’s engaged. Larry still persists, but the moment is ruined as it becomes clear that Jenny is now being attacked by a very nasty wolf. Larry takes that cane and lays on a beating with that silver head, but not before the wolf can manage to rip a chunk from him, too.
Larry ends up victorious but unconscious. Another gypsy, Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), rides up with her cart to help bring the poor guy home. His father is meeting with Dr. Lloyd (William Warren) when the party arrives. And the news about Jenny comes. Col. Montford (Ralph Bellamy)
takes his constables to look for her body, where Bela lies dead next to Larry’s cane.
Soon, all suspicions turn on the good son of Talbot as a psychotic murderer. Only a handful of people are willing to stick by him – including Gwen’s fiancé, being an employee of Sir John. The gypsies arrive in droves for a celebration of life. Larry winds up meeting with Maleva, who explains that any survivor of an attack becomes a werewolf themselves.
She gives him a charm to help, but he gives to Gwen who will need it more. She’s just had a fight with the fiancé and lets Larry kiss her as the gypsies leave in drones as the wolf word spreads.
That night, Larry goes home and the change comes, leaving him a hairy beast. He goes to the cemetery and kills the gravedigger. Now, this decent man is left scared and confused, like everyone; trying to make sense of something that cannot be reconciled. This tragedy will not end well.
THE WOLF MAN
This is a wonderful film, taking on a lot of significant issues that will plague our existence forever. As an older piece of cinema, bound by the Hays Code, is not able to expand much into the dark side but the filmmakers do their job well.
This film has a great deal of significance in history. Screenwriter Siodmak would be the sole inventor of many ideas that have not gone away, including the idea to use silver to defeat unworldly evil – an idea that has been carried on these past seventy years – including the great television show Supernatural.
This movie is just a great deal of fun, but it is hard to watch. Lon Chaney Jr., as that son of the man of a thousand faces, does his father proud. Claude Rains portrays his character as a man bound by love, faith and science with professional clarity. The tragedy of Larry’s story is ultimately his tragedy and it will settle in your heart like a rock. It’s not really a scary movie per se, but one of sadness. It’s about family and our nature to be willing to do anything for those we love, no matter our own personal cost.
The Wolf Man is a masterpiece. The first time you see it, it will never leave you. The final two minutes will go on with you until that day you die. It has that power. As a movie that was released just five days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it was a story that could not have come at a better time.