The Wolf Man Review

The Wolf Man review.

The Wolf Man came relatively late in the Universal Classic Monsters portfolio. Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride, The Mummy and The Invisible Man had all made their debuts years earlier. Their classic movies had all seen sequels. It isn’t even Universal’s first attempt at a werewolf story. Still, Lawrence Talbot joined the ranks of the core monsters upon his arrival in 1941 and spawned his own sequels. The Universal model was definitely stretching itself thin by the time Talbot gets bit…but that doesn’t mean The Wolf Man doesn’t have a bite of its own.

Classic movie reviews will contain spoilers.

The Wolf Man

Directed by George Waggner

Written by Curt Siodmak

Starring Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy and Bela Lugosi

The Wolf Man Review

Despite the existence of earlier horror films by the studio, the Universal Classic Monsters era began in 1931 when Bela Lugosi donned his cape and gave viewers the definitive Count Dracula. Later that year, Boris Karloff brought Frankenstein’s Monster into the cultural zeitgeist. Lon Chaney Jr. brought The Wolf Man to screens a decade later.

Despite how some of this The Wolf Man review reads, it is a good movie…a very good movie even. It isn’t the best Universal Classic Monster movie. It might not even be top 5. The Wolf Man attains classic status more for its introduction of one of the core monsters than for the quality of the film itself.

Lawrence Talbot (Chaney) returns home following the death of his brother. One night he fights off and kills a wolf who turns out to be a man (Bela Lugosi). Having been bit by the wolf, Talbot is now cursed to be The Wolf Man.

We should really start by talking about Lon Chaney Jr. He turns in a terrific performance as the doomed Larry Talbot. His nervousness and fear as he begins to understand what he is provides the easy highlight of The Wolf Man. The different physical performance he brings while on Wolf Man for is also well done. The problem is that we get too little of both.

It takes over 40 minutes of a 69-minute run time for Talbot to transform into The Wolf Man. The movie suffers from the same problem that late stage MCU hero debut movies do. We’ve seen the original story before…and done better. In truth, the movie feels routine and boring through the first half. People who came to the theater in 1941 hoping to see the thrills of a man who turns into a wolf had to be very patient to get their payoff.

Thankfully, the payoff is worth the wait. Featuring Jack Pierce makeup and time lapse camera effects, The Wolf Man finally makes his appearance. It’s here where Chaney takes over the picture and gives The Wolf Man it’s iconic clout. His Talbot becomes as interesting as almost any Universal Monster character. The thrills for viewers of the day will come from watching him in his wolf form stalking the gorgeous foggy woods in search of prey. But it’s as Talbot, losing control of his life, that Chaney does his finest work.

We get some light investigation scenes as Talbot uncovers the lore of the werewolf in this world. Bite, full moon, silver…the standard stuff. Or now standard stuff. Universal has a way of making their way the way. We also get the time-honored tradition of the tragic ending in werewolf movies. This ending works solely because of Chaney. His performance draws you in. He’s trapped by fate and now we are too.

There is a lot to like in The Wolf Man…even if it almost all comes in the second half. The biggest issue is that there isn’t more of the mix of fun and sadness throughout the movie. For too long you feel like you’re just waiting. That’s never a good thing. When the credits roll you find yourself wishing you’d have had a lot more time with the cursed Talbot. Thankfully, despite his apparent demise at the end of the movie, Chaney and Talbot had plenty more to come.

Scare Value

The Wolf Man is surprisingly light on content when you consider it comes a full decade after Frankenstein. Not only doesn’t it build off of the successful blueprint James Whale laid out…it doesn’t even attempt to match it. What’s here is still of high quality, it just comes in a smaller package than you’d expect at this stage of the game. The final 30 minutes brings the goods. The first 40 is pretty pedestrian. Chaney’s performance and being a tentpole film in the Universal Monsters catalog, elevate The Wolf Man to classic status. Perhaps just a minor classic.

3.5/5