The Wolf Man (1941)

My take: It’s a solid werewolf/monster movie. Bonus: it stars Lon Chaney’s son and Bela Lugosi has a bit part.

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

The Wolf Man was a smash hit when it came out in 1941, rising to the heights of Dracula and Frankenstein before it. It’s easy to see why.

In The Wolf Man, Lon Chaney, Jr. (son of the famous “man of the thousand faces” Lon Chaney, Sr.) plays Larry Talbot. Larry is an estranged son who returns to his father’s Welsh estate after the death of his older brother. Larry must now take his place as his father’s heir.

Larry quickly sets his sights on a girl in the village who works at the antique store. While attempting to woo her, he purchases a silver-handled cane carved like a wolf with the pentagram, which she tells him is the sign of the wolf. This is how Larry first learns of the local legend of the werewolf.

While on a (sort-of) date with the girl, he hears her friend being attacked in the woods. He uses his new cane to beat off and kill the wolf, but not before he himself is bitten. You can imagine what happens next.

The story is simple, solid, and easy to follow. The high production value is evident throughout the film, and it adds a gloss to the story that makes it easy to watch. Additionally, the makeup is impeccable. Lon Chaney, Jr. is a hairy, frightening visage when dolled up as the werewolf.

Additionally, the film is studded with great names. Bela Lugosi plays a bit part as a gypsy fortune teller. Claude Rains (from Casablanca) plays Larry’s father, Sir Talbot. And Lon Chaney, Jr. takes the star role, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a terrific character actor in Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Unknown and other films of the 1920s.

I would recommend The Wolf Man to anyone who likes a good monster movie or who is a fan of classic horror.

I bought a DVD copy of the movie off Amazon (which has a really good documentary on it hosted by Jon Landis). Here is the original trailer: