Curt Siodmak (1902–2000)

“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”

Universal was famous for their horror films and “The Wolf Man” is one of their most entertaining. Foggy sets, a great cast and an atmospheric score from musical director Charles Previn offer late-night fun for classic film fans.

Lon Chaney Jr., son of one of the great actors of the silent film era, stars as Larry Talbot. He has come home to Talbot Castle after the tragic death of his older brother. Talbot Castle is the family estate, and returning to see his father (Claude Rains), Larry finds himself surrounded by old legends of men who transform into wolves at the full moon. He dismisses them as nonsense in the beginning, finding something much more pleasant to focus on in Gwen (Evelyn Ankers). Romantic touches such as Larry first spotting Gwen through his telescope and immediately becoming smitten offer old-fashioned charm, making the events which follow that much more tragic.

While Larry is wooing Gwen, her best friend, Jenny (Fay Helm) is attacked in the woods by something once a man, but no longer human. When Larry rushes to save her he is bitten by the mysterious creature, which suddenly, and inexplicably, proves to be a man. That is the least of Larry’s worries, however, as he has been bitten while trying to save her. Maria Ouspenskaya nearly steals the film as the knowing gypsy woman who foresees his dark future and tries to help. Once Larry suspects the legends are true and no one is safe, he turns over the charm given him for protection to Gwen, praying she will not need it.

Curt Siodmak’s original screenplay has just the right mix of romance and horror to make this one of the most famous and entertaining of Universal’s horror films, catapulting him to prominence in the genre. The former reporter began his long and fruitful association with the film industry in the 1920s, with Fritz Lang’s famous Metropolis. His reputation in Hollywood has grown over the decades. The Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur masterpiece, I Walked With a Zombie, is even listed among his screen credits.

This film sparked the career of the lovely Evelyn Ankers, who went on to star in many of Universal’s horror and mystery films during that productive cycle. She looks too pretty for words in Vera Ralston’s gowns and makes the perfect heroine to Chaney’s tortured character in The Wolf Man. Their romance is actually at the heart of this film, everything poignant because Larry has everything to live for in Gwen.

Ralph Bellamy as Colonel Montford, Warren William as Doctor Lloyd, Patrick Knowles as Larry’s rival for Gwen’s affections, Frank Andrews, and Bela Lugosi as the gypsy, Bela, round out an excellent cast. This is about as much fun as you can have on a rainy night with the lights down and a big bowl of popcorn in your lap. Don’t miss it!… (mais)

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