Customer Reviews

The Wolf Man

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Firstly, apologies for the corny title of my review. Now the DVD. Universal has pulled out all the stops for its Classic Monster Collection DVDs and 'The Wolf Man' is a contender for best of the series. The DVD boasts several special features including an informative documentary, cast/crew notes and trailer. In keeping with the other Classic Monster DVDs, the real bonus is the incredible picture quality. Not just better than VHS, not just better than a revival cinema print, this print is better than I ever recall seeing on TV! 'The Wolf Man' also features the best commentary of any of these Universal DVDs. Tom Weaver provides an exceptional degree of insight into the movie in a very fast but conversational manner - you'll need to listen to the commentary more than once in order to gain full benefit. Like all good 'horrors' the emphasis is on suspense and mystery, not mindless gore. In fact, the image of Lon Chaney Jr in full werewolf make-up could easily overshadow the fact that this is also a superb psychological thriller - until you watch the DVD. This impressive package is an essential purchase for all vintage horror fans. When Leonard Maltin describes 'The Wolf Man' as 'one of the finest horror films ever made' you know you're not going to be disappointed!

Among the pantheon of classic Universal monsters, only Dracula and Frankenstein's monster stand taller than The Wolf Man. This 1941 classic starring Lon Chaney, Jr., is a must-see for anyone claiming any interest in horror movies. The film has exerted a huge influence on the art of bringing horror to life for over six decades now, thanks to the heralded make-up prowess of Jack Pierce, the tight and powerful script of Curt Siodmak, some impressive photography work, and wonderful performances from a truly stellar cast of actors and actresses.

There is just something different about The Wolf Man; I have a hard time viewing him as a monster Larry Talbot is a thoroughly sympathetic and tragic character. Dracula loves being a vampire, Frankenstein's monster is just an unfortunate victim of circumstance whose various body parts have already lived full lives, but Larry Talbot desperately hates the monster he has become. He's already a sympathetic character, coming home after eighteen years following the death of his older brother, trying to fit in among the folks he said goodbye to long ago. Then, when he hears a fateful howl accompanied by a scream, he races off in heroic fashion, taking on a wolf in order to try and save a woman's life, killing the doggoned creature. And what does he get for his noble, self-less act? First of all, suspicion, because instead of the wolf he described, the authorities find the body of a gypsy fortune teller (played by Bela Lugosi, who gets all of seven lines in the film) clubbed to death by Talbot's cane. Then, tragically, he finds himself inflicted with the curse of the werewolf, thanks to the bite he suffered in the struggle. Chaney's performance also adds to his tragic status. He had a style of acting all his own; at times, I watch him and think the guy just couldn't act his way out of a dark room with a flashlight, but his strange and slightly awkward manner, tempered by a sort of gentle slowness ends up leaving me mesmerized. In most horror movies, I'm always ready to bring the monster on and get the party started, but I never look forwarding to watching Talbot turn into the werewolf.

I think everyone is pretty well acquainted with the story here. Man gets bitten by werewolf, man turns into werewolf, man suffers a tragic fate. The Wolf Man, though, succeeds in becoming much more than just the simple tale of a hairy monster. The inimitable Claude Rains lends the film character and class as Talbot's father. The lovely Evelyn Ankers makes a great leading lady in the form of Gwen Conliffe. Lugosi is of course terrific as the gypsy Bela, but the role is a minor one indeed. Maria Ouspenskaya is masterful as the gypsy woman Maleva who tries to warn Talbot and help him deal with the curse that suddenly consumes his life. Siodmak really provided a tight plot; there would be a number of sequels, but The Wolf Man is a completely self-contained movie of great power and meaning.

There are a number of really interesting things about this movie. For instance, we never actually see Talbot's transformation from man to wolf - we see the legs change, but that is it. There is a scene toward the end where we witness the transformation from wolf to man, but you won't see any time-lapse treatment of the change from man to monster. Of much more interest to me is the fact that you don't hear a single reference to the moon in the entire film. Apparently, the transformation happens nightly to Talbot; there is nothing to indicate that a full moon plays any part at all. Thus, some of the core Wolf Man assumptions do not trace themselves back to the original movie.

The commentary by film historian Tom Weaver, included on the DVD, is just superb. It's one of the most engaging commentaries I've heard. This guy is loaded to the gills with facts and trivia, and he barely pauses over the course of the film's 70 minutes, delivering one gem after another. He also asks some of the questions I ask when I watch the movie, and I love that. This isn't a commentary by some stuffy "expert." Weaver is indeed an expert, but at the same time he is one of us, a true fan of classic horror movies.

When Universal started putting out the classic monsters on DVD this fall, I just knew I'd have to wait a long time for the underappreciated Wolf Man. But no! On the heels of the OUTSTANDING discs of Frankenstein, The Bride & The Mummy comes another first-class offering. Like the others, THE WOLF MAN contains an excellent documentary as well as the trailer and a commentary track by a film historian. The print of the film is gorgeous. I don't care what your age is or when you first saw this amazing film, if you're a horror fan you simply must own this one.

This film is brilliant for its combination of everyday events with eerie and uncontrollable malignity. The contrast between Lord Talbot's scientific, sympathetic mind and the inexplicable evil that haunts those who seek to do no harm is powerful and compelling.

Much of the plot's cleverness and plausibility stems from having scenes with a wise gypsy woman inserted within normal, even banal, daily happenings. The gypsy's words, "The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own...", uttered with an invocation of peace over both "wolf men," is highly effective, as is the light-hearted but all too true, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night..."

Larry Talbot is by far the most sympathetic of Universal's monsters - basically a good man, with no evil inclinations or intentions, and a werewolf only because he was bitten while trying to save another from danger. One wishes his father had not insisted that he face the horror alone... the rational explanation of the werewolf as the product of schizophrenia was regrettably too convincing.

This is one of the best of the monster genre, intelligent and appealing to the mind rather than being gruesome. It is a treat for those who enjoy the classic monster flicks, particularly those of us who find present day horror films to be far too graphic and terrifying. It takes an adult mind to catch the deeper references, but even a child could view this (or the rest of Universal's "lot"), with no nightmares ahead.

George Waggner's(not Karl Freund) "The Wolfman" is undoubtedly the best film ever made that deals with the curse of lycanthropy. An outstanding cast, incredible photography and atmospheric music contribute to an excellent film. The transfer is good, though it could have been better(speckles and scratches abound). The supplementary materials-documentary, audio commentary- are top notch. Well worth adding to your DVD collection.

This DVD takes me back to the days when true classic horror films were produced. "The Wolf Man" doesn't need grotesque violence to be scary; it accomplishes its eerie nature through seemingly simple scenes of mysterious horror. "The Wolf Man" is definitely one of the Universal classics of the 30s and 40s, and should take an honored place in the collection of horror fans. The DVD itself is wonderful in every respect. It includes an interesting documentary about the making and evolution of "The Wolf Man", as well as an excellent feature commentary, which is both interesting, funny, and informative. The film's transition to DVD was also done well, and it looks great on the computer monitor.

A classic!

Don Smith, Lon Chaney, Jr.'s biographer, states that the most important horror film of the 1940's is "The Wolf Man". This new full screen(aspect 1.33:1) release of "The Wolf Man" is what DVD is all about: A clear, pristine restoration of a cinema classic, an original documentary with director John Landis(written by historian David J. Skal), commentary by expert Tom Weaver, a trailer, and bio's on the major stars, including listing every film by Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi. The Wolfman story, perhaps a classic Greek tragedy, is well-known. Lawrence Talbot returns to his father's estate in Wales. After romancing a local village girl, Talbot is bitten by a werewolf. At the full moon, he suffers the curse of lycanthropy. Like a football team, a movie is perhaps, only as good as it's players. "The Wolf Man" is all first string. Fresh from his accolades for "Of Mice and Men", Lon Chaney, Jr. steps into the leading role with conviction and empathy. This is his finest work. His father, Sir John, is played by Claude Rains. Just one year later, he would be Oscar nominated for "Casablanca". British actress Evelyn Ankers began a long Universal film career here as the love interest. Warren Williams plays the doctor. Williams was once touted as the next Barrymore. Ralph Bellamy appears as Constable Montford. Bellamy was in over 100 films. He won the Academy Award and a Tony for his work. Patric Knowles, a Universal staple, plays the gamekeeper. World famous Maria Ouspenskaya emigrated to the U.S. from Russia, surviving the Revolution and famine. Her role here as Maleva, the old gypsy woman, is pivotal.Finally Bela Lugosi, as Bela the gypsy, is at once riveting and magnetic. Originally considered for the lead, Lugosi's part was sadly cut to 7 lines. It is his only screen appearance as a werewolf. "Wolf Man" director George Waggner creates a frantic pace and eery backgrounds here. Waggner started as an actor, appearing in "The Shiek", with Rudolph Valentino, in 1921. The "Wolf Man" story comes from a taut script by Curt Siodmak. An original music score from Charles Previn and Hans J. Salter was so successful, it popped up in Universal films for years. Some of the track was recycled in 1954 for "Creature From the Black Lagoon". An early "Wolfman" scene in Talbot Castle includes a candlabra prop seen in 1935's "The Raven". In a later segment, Chaney exits a magnificent old church. That set was built for his father in "Hunchback of Notre Dame". "The Wolf Man" finished shooting in November, 1941. Just weeks later it opened in theaters. It was an instant hit, earning over $1 million. Within days, five of the principal actors were rushed into Universal's next opus, "Ghost of Frankenstein". Lon Chaney, Jr.'s grandson, Ron Chaney, lives in Palm Springs, Calif.. I have spoken with him several times. He holds his famous ancestors in high esteem, thanks to his web-site (...). He remembers his grandfather as warm and generous. For "The Wolf Man" commentary, Tom Weaver is detailed and inspired. He makes one error, however,mentioning that Lon Chaney, Jr. died of lung cancer. He's wrong. It was actually his father, Lon Chaney,Sr., who passed away in 1930 after shooting his only sound film, a re-make of his own "The Unholy Three". Lon Chaney,Jr. died in 1973 of a heart attack and liver failure. He was 67. In "The Wolf Man"'s final epic scenes, Maleva, the old gypsy woman, bends over the battered body of Lawrence Talbot, and whispers the words that have echoed down and haunted Hollywood horror film history..."The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to their predestined end. Your suffering is over, my son. Now you will find peace..."

When watching THE WOLF MAN it's just amazing to think that this movie is a mere 70 mins long. By comparison, PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE runs eight mins longer... and each is a classic, although not for the same reasons. THE WOLF MAN is a great movie. Well scripted, acted and performed all around, there isn't a moment when something is not happening on the screen... which is good, because there is no time to waste in this movie. UNIVERSAL has done their usual fantastic job of presenting not only one of their classic films, but have added the usual bells and whistles to go along with it. The best thing I can say about this DVD is the commentary by Tom Weaver... it's fast, funny, and speaks to the audience on a street level (which is to say, he dosen't mind sharing the same confusion, humour and wonder at what is happening both on and off the screen). For the mere 70 mins of running time Weaver packs it in... by the roll of the closing credits you know who everyone is... where all the props came from, what was just PR and what was real, what was cut out, left out, or just left around. Great stuff... worth the purchase and a worthy addition to any collection.

There is no doubt that Universal's THE WOLF MAN is first and foremost a classic monster movie from the famed studio's golden age of horror, but if you look beyond the hairy make-up and the obvious chills and thrills, it is easy to see that the film is much more than standard horror fare. Beyond its scary but decorative facade, THE WOLF MAN is also an excellent psychological character study of a man who is struggling with his inner demons and of the loved ones around him who fail to recognize the depth and significance of his suffering.

It is both the presence and the performance of Lon Chaney, Jr., that creates such a great degree of psychological depth in this film. Though a tall and solidly built man, Chaney is able to instill a genuine vulnerability into his character of Lawrence Talbot, and this stark contrast of raw physical power against frail emotional sensitivity serves as a constant reminder to the audience of the perpetual struggle between the moral human side and bestial wolf side that exists in Talbot's--and, indeed, our own--psyche. This, in turn, generates an ambivalent mixture of pathos and horror that ultimately makes Lawrence Talbot a character with which the audience can both identify and sympathize.

The other players in the film are also quite adequate. The famous Claude Rains excellently portrays the aristocratic father (though it is sometimes hard to accept the small and compact Rains as the progenitor of the tall and husky Chaney). The beautiful Evelyn Ankers does a fine job playing the love interest, and no one can forget Maria Ouspenskaya's over-the-top performance as the old gypsy woman who tries to aid the doomed Talbot. Bela Lugosi, of DRACULA fame, also has a small but memorable part as the lycanthropic gypsy who initially infects Talbot with werewolfism.

As for the decorative aspects of the film, Jack Pierce's Wolf Man make-up is outstanding--Chaney doesn't look like a wolf per se, but he nonetheless appears frighteningly canine and bestial--and it set the standard for werewolf make-up for many years following. Also, the foggy outdoor sets and the beautiful black-and-white photography all add to the eerie ambiance and the sense of classic Greek tragedy.

It may have been panned by critics in its day, but THE WOLF MAN is definitely a classic in the horror genre. In fact, its well-written script, brilliant acting, and high production values make it stand out against most of the films of its time irrespective of the genre. A must-see for any film buff.

This was a classic during the 60's late night horror host programs. I can hear the howl of the Wolfman as he creeps through those wonderful foggy sets looking for his next victim! Hans J. Salter was responsible for most of the music in Universal's horror films and what incredible scores he gave us! The thing that I love about this movie is like the original Frankenstein there is a generous amount of pathos with the monsters in these films. You can't help but feel sorry for these creatures and the cruel hands of fate bestrode upon them. The make-up for the Wolfman is unsurpassed to this day. This is the best and coolest looking wolfman I've ever seen! Jack Pierce really out did himself with this creation. The DVD transfer looks really good even better in the legacy collection.