The Wolf Man: Who’s a Good Boy?
Contains spoilers!
It might be my love of dogs talking, but 1941’s The Wolf Man is my favorite of the Universal Classic Monster films. It’s a film that blends horror and tragedy, in the worst way a parent can imagine; more on that later. Unlike the previous installments of the Universal Classic Monster franchise, Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.), isn’t evil, like Dracula or the Invisible Man. Rather, a terrible set of circumstances of befallen him, forcing him to do evil. Directed by George Waggner (ha, wag!), the film tells story of Talbot, returns to his hometown following his brother’s death. During his visit, Lawrence is attacked by a werewolf and falls prey to the curse himself, spreading his own reign of terror and murder.
As mentioned in my review for 2010’s The Wolf Man, starring Benicio del Toro, I find Lon Chaney, Jr. charming as all get out in this role, despite some of his early interactions with Gwen (Evelyn Ankers) not having aged well when looking through a modern lens (spying on her with the telescope, for one). It makes it even more tragic when he’s bitten by the werewolf (Bela Lugosi) and becomes a monster in his own right; to paraphrase Billy Joel, “Only the good get bitten young.”
As mentioned, Lawrence returns home to bury his recently deceased brother. He stays with his father, Sir John (Claude Rains, of The Invisible Man fame), and it’s clear the two have a strained relationship. After Lawrence is bitten, Sir John largely refers to the condition as only a mental obstacle, insisting Lawrence seek help on his own. Nevertheless, it’s clear father and son are happy to be reunited, and Sir John is visibly shocked when, during the film’s climax, the werewolf he’s killed is revealed to be his own son. No doubt he had some mixed emotions running through him: “Yay, I killed the monster that’s been terrorizing our town,” quickly turns to, “Dear God, it was my son!”
Once again, I must praise the makeup talents of Jack Pierce, who had previously worked on other Universal Classic Monster films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932), among others. I think the makeup holds up remarkably well, to the point that this is the film I point to in the argument of CGI vs practical effects; I will take the latter every time.
This film’s legacy on the horror genre, particularly on werewolf fiction, has been immeasurable. For that, I’ll always be thankful, and you’ll never be able to kill my love for this movie with any bit of silver. To quote Warren Zevon: “I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen/doing the werewolves of London.” Evidently , I’m not alone.
Cast
Lon Chaney, Jr. as Lawrence “Larry” Talbot
Claude Rains as Sir John Talbot
Evelyn Ankers as Gwen Conliffe
Bela Lugosi as Bela the gypsy
