There are some serious flaws in Universal Studios' "The Wolf Man" but it's an enjoyable film whose influence still lasts to this day. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr. As Larry Talbot. He returns to his ancestral home in Llanwelly, Wales after learning of his brother's death. Larry and his estranged father do not get along very well and it's quite the grim visit. Things take a turn for the better though when he notices the beautiful Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers). When Larry is attacked by a wolf, he manages to fight it off but the creature has made it's mark. Having sustained a bite from the beast, Larry soon begins transforming into a werewolf at night.
The biggest problem with the movie is that it features numerous continuity and editing errors. There are scenes where doors are opened twice or objects moved twice, scenes Larry's clothing changes between him being a man and being fully transformed and the inexplicable biggie: why is it that the first wolf man we see took on the appearance of a wolf but Larry turns into a wolf-man hybrid? One or two mistakes you can overlook as just simple gaffes but there are a lot of these and other strange inconsistencies in the film that are genuinely distracting. Because of everything that's actually really good in the movie these mistakes are particularly disappointing. It could have been a great film if the script had been polished up a bit and the editing had been better.
This movie would have been forgotten as a film trying to ride on the coat tails of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" if it hadn't been for the protagonist Larry and the aspect of the werewolf curse. He's a sympathetic character that comes to a strange place and is taken aback by the town's weird obsession with werewolf legends (a legend that prior to the film was not very well known to American audiences). He's a charmer and when he gets afflicted with the werewolf curse (more on that in a second) you really see and feel the internal conflict he's faced with. Our character is literally and figuratively afflicted with a curse. The town's people do not know that it is only a matter of time before he turns into a raging beast and attacks but they still ostracize Larry because of a tragedy that happened while he was out with a young woman on the night he was bitten. The girl's mother blames him for what happened. Her logic is that Larry had no business taking out a woman who is engaged to be married in the first place (She has a point) and that he is the reason her daughter was out that night. He's already shunned by the town, but it gets worse. Half the people that surround him think that Larry's gone mad. Once that wolf that attacked him died, it reverted back to its normal, human form. Larry isn't really blamed for the death, it's ruled as accidental, but still. During the scuffle, they assume, Larry and the man exchanged a few unintentional blows with themselves as well as with the animal. He may be cleared of any wrongdoing as far as the law is concerned, but this doesn't mean that the people around him don't suspect his mental instability, not only because of the "accidental" death but also because of the psychological effect that the death has on Larry.
All of this is purely from a coincidental aspect because in reality, Larry is genuinely cursed. Not only does he turn into a monster by moonlight but he also knows ahead of time who he will attack next. On top of being responsible for the murders, Larry also has the added pain of wanting to warn his would-be victim(s) but is unable to do so because everyone thinks he's basically nuts. While I always look to the transformation sequences as the highlight of any werewolf film, this whodunit aspect is a terrific element I wish was more present in these stories because the beast is able to blend in with the rest of us during the day and this film takes that idea and puts a whole new twist on it.
The film is very iconic. The design of the wolf man is still recognizable over sixty years after the film's release and looks pretty good too. The film has some nice special effects with the transformation (though because this one predates a lot of modern effects they are kept to a minimum) and I love the atmospheric setting of the action. It's set in these terrific woodland sets full of mist. Even the script has its share of good quotes. The best is easily the poem that is repeated multiple times by the people of Llanwelly "Even a man who is pure in heart//and says his prayers by night//may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms//and the autumn moon is bright." That's some good stuff right there. It's interesting too to see a werewolf movie that SURPRISE! does away with all of that nonsense about the full moon. A full moon never appears during this movie, Larry just transforms at night time.
For its historical importance and the interesting drama present, I do recommend you see "The Wolf Man". The recommendation is stronger still if you are a fan of horror films and for lovers of the old Universal Monsters, it's an absolute must. Granted it has not aged as well as some of the other black-and-white horror films of the time and by today's film standards you're unlikely to get scared. It also has a lot of technical problems but there's a lot more good here than bad. You may believe you know all there is to know about this classic, but there's a lot more going on here than you think. (Theatrical version on DVD, November 2, 2013)
The biggest problem with the movie is that it features numerous continuity and editing errors. There are scenes where doors are opened twice or objects moved twice, scenes Larry's clothing changes between him being a man and being fully transformed and the inexplicable biggie: why is it that the first wolf man we see took on the appearance of a wolf but Larry turns into a wolf-man hybrid? One or two mistakes you can overlook as just simple gaffes but there are a lot of these and other strange inconsistencies in the film that are genuinely distracting. Because of everything that's actually really good in the movie these mistakes are particularly disappointing. It could have been a great film if the script had been polished up a bit and the editing had been better.
This movie would have been forgotten as a film trying to ride on the coat tails of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" if it hadn't been for the protagonist Larry and the aspect of the werewolf curse. He's a sympathetic character that comes to a strange place and is taken aback by the town's weird obsession with werewolf legends (a legend that prior to the film was not very well known to American audiences). He's a charmer and when he gets afflicted with the werewolf curse (more on that in a second) you really see and feel the internal conflict he's faced with. Our character is literally and figuratively afflicted with a curse. The town's people do not know that it is only a matter of time before he turns into a raging beast and attacks but they still ostracize Larry because of a tragedy that happened while he was out with a young woman on the night he was bitten. The girl's mother blames him for what happened. Her logic is that Larry had no business taking out a woman who is engaged to be married in the first place (She has a point) and that he is the reason her daughter was out that night. He's already shunned by the town, but it gets worse. Half the people that surround him think that Larry's gone mad. Once that wolf that attacked him died, it reverted back to its normal, human form. Larry isn't really blamed for the death, it's ruled as accidental, but still. During the scuffle, they assume, Larry and the man exchanged a few unintentional blows with themselves as well as with the animal. He may be cleared of any wrongdoing as far as the law is concerned, but this doesn't mean that the people around him don't suspect his mental instability, not only because of the "accidental" death but also because of the psychological effect that the death has on Larry.
All of this is purely from a coincidental aspect because in reality, Larry is genuinely cursed. Not only does he turn into a monster by moonlight but he also knows ahead of time who he will attack next. On top of being responsible for the murders, Larry also has the added pain of wanting to warn his would-be victim(s) but is unable to do so because everyone thinks he's basically nuts. While I always look to the transformation sequences as the highlight of any werewolf film, this whodunit aspect is a terrific element I wish was more present in these stories because the beast is able to blend in with the rest of us during the day and this film takes that idea and puts a whole new twist on it.
The film is very iconic. The design of the wolf man is still recognizable over sixty years after the film's release and looks pretty good too. The film has some nice special effects with the transformation (though because this one predates a lot of modern effects they are kept to a minimum) and I love the atmospheric setting of the action. It's set in these terrific woodland sets full of mist. Even the script has its share of good quotes. The best is easily the poem that is repeated multiple times by the people of Llanwelly "Even a man who is pure in heart//and says his prayers by night//may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms//and the autumn moon is bright." That's some good stuff right there. It's interesting too to see a werewolf movie that SURPRISE! does away with all of that nonsense about the full moon. A full moon never appears during this movie, Larry just transforms at night time.
For its historical importance and the interesting drama present, I do recommend you see "The Wolf Man". The recommendation is stronger still if you are a fan of horror films and for lovers of the old Universal Monsters, it's an absolute must. Granted it has not aged as well as some of the other black-and-white horror films of the time and by today's film standards you're unlikely to get scared. It also has a lot of technical problems but there's a lot more good here than bad. You may believe you know all there is to know about this classic, but there's a lot more going on here than you think. (Theatrical version on DVD, November 2, 2013)