The Wolf Man (1941)

Director:

George Waggner

Writer:

Curt Siodmak (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

"His hideous howl a dirge of death!"

Plot:

A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | Wolf | Full Moon | Gypsy | Wolf Man

Cast

Claude Rains	...	Sir John Talbot
Warren William	...	Dr. Lloyd
Ralph Bellamy	...	Col. Montford
Patric Knowles	...	Frank Andrews
Bela Lugosi	...	Bela
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Maleva
Evelyn Ankers	...	Gwen Conliffe
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Charles Conliffe
Fay Helm	...	Jenny Williams
Forrester Harvey	...	Twiddle
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	The Wolf Man / Larry Talbot (as Lon Chaney)

Also Known As:

Destiny (USA) (working title)
El hombre lobo (Spain) (Venezuela) [es]
Der Wolfsmensch (Germany) [de]
El lobo humano (Venezuela) [es]
L'uomo lupo (Italy) [it]
Le loup-garou (France) [fr]
Varulven (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (2004) | Spain:13 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #7874) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Larry's silver wolf-headed cane, the only known surviving prop from the movie, currently resides in the personal collection of genre film archivist Bob Burns. Burns, who was a schoolboy at the time, was given the cane head by the man who made it for the film, prop-maker Ellis Burman.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the climactic scenes in the forest, the same log (resembling an open alligator's mouth) can be seen in different sections of the forest at the same time.

Quotes:

Larry Talbot: Don't try to make me believe that I killed a man when I know that I killed a wolf!
Doctor Lloyd: [patronizing Larry] Yes, yes. We're all a little bit confused.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: The Wolf Man (1941) (#1.16)" (1979)

Insert Clever Werewolf Joke Here

It wasn't the first werewolf movie (that honor goes to `Werewolf of London'), but it was `The Wolf Man' that gives us most of the werewolf mythology we still cling to today.

As with most classics, `The Wolf Man' draws its power from a combination of elements. First, there's Curt Siodmak's plausible and intelligent script. Siodmak said he was given a title, a star and a start date, and from there he consolidated and invented the werewolf myth into a cohesive, logical format.

Then there's the actors, a veritable who's who of 1930s-40s Universal horror. Lon Chaney joins the pantheon on great horror actors on this one, playing the tormented Larry Talbot. He manages to give Larry a tragic quality, a man trapped by a curse he doesn't understand or deserve. Chaney also generates considerable chemistry with the luminous Evelyn Ankers, which is surprising considering the rumors that the two practically hated each other. And then there's the always-excellent Claude Rains, who doesn't look very much like Lon Chaney's father, but still exudes quiet authority and authenticity.

Topping off the whole package is a healthy dollop of atmosphere: foggy forests, Gothic mansions and crypts, colorful Gypsy encampments. Each bit of design enhances the sense of mystery and dread that surround Larry Talbot, and burns `The Wolf Man' into your memory.

I'll never walk a foggy forest at night again!