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The Wolf Man (1941 film)

The Wolf Man is a 1941 American gothic horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf.[2] The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London (1935). This film is part of the Universal Monsters movies and is of great cinematic acclaim for its production.

The Wolf Man
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGeorge Waggner
Written byCurt Siodmak
Produced byGeorge Waggner
Starring
CinematographyJoseph Valentine
Edited byTed J. Kent
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • December 9, 1941 (1941-12-09)
(United States)
  • December 12, 1941 (1941-12-12)
(United Kingdom)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$180,000[1]

After this movie's success, Lon Chaney Jr. would reprise his role as "The Wolf Man" in four sequels, beginning with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man in 1943.

Plot edit

Larry Talbot returns to his ancestral home in Llanwelly, Wales, to bury his recently deceased brother and reconcile with his estranged father, Sir John Talbot. Larry falls in love with a local girl named Gwen Conliffe who runs an antique shop. As an excuse to talk to her, he purchases a walking stick decorated with a silver wolf's head. Gwen tells him that it represents a werewolf, a man who changes into a wolf "at certain times of the year". The werewolf always sees a pentagram on the palm of his next victim. Various villagers recite a poem whenever werewolves are mentioned.

Though Gwen firmly refuses Larry's persistent proposals for a date, they meet that night at the proposed time, and are joined by Gwen's friend Jenny to go have their fortunes told. The Romani fortuneteller, Bela, sees a pentagram when he examines Jenny's palm, and frantically sends her away. While awaiting their turns, Larry and Gwen take a walk. Gwen informs Larry that she is engaged. They hear screams from Jenny, who is being attacked by a wolf. Larry attempts to rescue Jenny. He kills the wolf with his new walking stick but is bitten on the chest. Police investigating the scene find Jenny's throat torn out and Bela battered to death, with Larry's walking stick clearly the murder weapon in the latter case. Suspicion on Larry deepens when he cannot substantiate his story of fighting a wolf, since his chest wound miraculously healed overnight. The fact that Larry and Gwen were not with Jenny when she was attacked additionally raises suspicions of adultery. Though Gwen's fiance Frank believes in their innocence, Larry and Gwen become local pariahs.

Bela's mother, Maleva, reveals to Larry that the wolf which bit him was Bela in the form of a wolf, and Larry is now a werewolf too because he was bitten by one. Silver is the only thing that can kill a werewolf. Maleva gives him a charm to prevent the transformation. Uncertain whether or not to believe her, he instead gives the charm to Gwen for protection.

Like Maleva warned, Larry transforms into a humanoid wolf hybrid on the following night and kills a villager. He returns to normal the next morning with no memory of his rampage. Authorities believe the killing to be the work of a wolf; they set traps and send out hunting parties. The next night, Larry turns into a werewolf and is caught in one of the traps. Maleva uses a spell to temporarily change him back to human form, allowing him to free himself before a hunting party finds him.

Now convinced he is a werewolf, a distraught Larry decides to leave town. When he says his goodbye to Gwen, he sees a pentagram on her palm. He tells his father he is a werewolf and killed Bela and the villager, but his father thinks Larry is delusional and ties him to a chair to prevent him from leaving and prove to him he is not a werewolf. When the moon rises Larry transforms again, breaks free of his restraints, and attacks Gwen. Not recognizing the werewolf as his son, Sir John bludgeons him over the head with Larry's silver-headed cane which Larry gave him. Maleva arrives and again uses the spell. Sir John watches in horror as the dead werewolf transforms into Larry's human corpse.

Cast edit

 
Promotional image featuring Evelyn Ankers and Lon Chaney Jr.

Themes and interpretations edit

In an essay for the 1984 book Planks of Reason, academic Bruce F. Kawin wrote that, "The Wolf Man expresses and exorcises the Id-force of uncontrolled aggression in its own system (the werewolf), in Larry Talbot (his werewolf phases), and in the community (the destabilizing forces of rape, murder, gypsy liminality, and aristocratic privilege—Talbot often behaves as if he had droit du seigneur when courting the engaged Gwen)."[3] In 1995, author Edmund G. Bansak compared Talbot's "blindly aggressive drive" in his romantic pursuit of the Welsh Gwen to that of Oliver Reed, a character played by Kent Smith in the 1942 film Cat People who courts the Serbian-born Irene Dubrovna (Simone Simon): "neither of these stereotypical All-American males will take no for an answer."[4]

As with other werewolf films, The Wolf Man has been analyzed as an allegory for puberty.[5] In his 2012 book Horror and the Horror Film, Kawin wrote: "The fear of sexual passion and its ability to bring chaos is part of the arsenal of anxiety inherent to puberty, and the werewolf does, as has been widely noted, grow hair and become subject to animalistic drives as if it were going through puberty. In The Wolf Man (1941) as well as in Cat People (1942), desire is dangerous. The monster is one's animal nature, out of control and making one behave like an animal."[6]

In 1993, film historian David J. Skal characterized The Wolf Man and its sequels as reflecting the anxieties of American audiences amidst World War II, calling the series "an unconscious parable of the war effort" that centers around Talbot's "crusade for eternal peace and his frustrated attempts to control irrational, violent European forces."[7] In his 2004 book Nightmares in Red, White and Blue, Joseph Maddrey wrote that the resolution of The Wolf Man "is not reassuring in the way that earlier Universal horror films, with their distinctly Manichean view of the world, were. Larry Talbot is not torn between forces of good and evil; he is a victim of a cruel or indifferent fate in a less comprehensible world."[8]

Production edit

 
Publicity photo of Chaney in full makeup.

Special effects makeup edit

Chaney did not undergo an on-screen facial transformation from man to wolf in the original film, as featured in all sequels. The lap-dissolve progressive makeups were seen only in the final ten minutes and were presented discreetly. In the first transformation, Larry removes his shoes and socks. His feet are seen to grow hairy and become huge paws (courtesy of uncomfortable "boots" made of hard rubber, covered in yak hair). In the final scene, the werewolf gradually returns to Larry Talbot's human form through the standard technique.

Application process edit

Stories about the makeup and transformation scenes have become legendary and are mostly apocryphal. The transformation of Chaney from man into a monster was certainly laborious; the entirety of the makeup took five to six hours to apply and an hour to remove.[9] Jack Pierce had initially designed it for Henry Hull in Werewolf of London (1935), but Hull argued that the disguise made no sense within the plot since "Dr. Glendon" needed to be recognizable by the characters even in his werewolf form. Pierce was ordered to design a second version which left more of Hull's face recognizable. Pierce then recycled his original design for the 1941 film.

Chaney claimed he was forced to sit motionless for hours as the scenes were shot frame by frame. At times he claimed he was left to remain sitting while the crew broke for lunch and was also equivocal about using the bathroom. Chaney even said special effects men drove tiny finishing nails into the skin on the sides of his hands so they would remain motionless during close-ups.[citation needed]

However, studio logs indicate that during the filming of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), the entire crew, including Chaney, took a two-hour break during the filming of a transformation and filmed the rest of the scene later that day (though the makeup for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein had significantly been redesigned and streamlined by Bud Westmore over the original Jack Pierce makeup). A plaster mold was made to hold his head still, as his image was photographed and his outline drawn on panes of glass in front of the camera. Chaney then went to makeup man Jack Pierce's department, where Pierce, using grease paint, a rubber snout appliance, and a series of wigs, glued layers of yak hair to Chaney's face. Then Chaney would return to the set, line himself up using the panes of glass as a reference, and several feet of film was shot. Then Chaney would return to the makeup department. A new layer would be applied to show the transformation being further along. He would then return to the sound stage to film. This was done about a half-dozen times. Talbot's lap dissolve transformation on screen only took seconds, while Chaney's took almost ten hours.

Reception edit

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A handsomely told tale with an affecting performance from Lon Chaney, Jr., The Wolf Man remains one of the classics of the Universal horror stable."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on eight critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]

Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it "one of the finest horror films ever made". Maltin praised the film's makeup effects, atmospheric music, and Chaney's performance in his review.[12]

Home media edit

In the early 1990s, MCA/Universal Home Video released The Wolf Man on VHS as part of the "Universal Monsters Classic Collection".[13]

In 1999, Universal released The Wolf Man on VHS and DVD as part of the "Classic Monster Collection", a series of releases of Universal Classic Monsters films.[14][15][16] On April 27, 2004, Universal released The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection on DVD as part of the "Universal Legacy Collection".[17][18] This two-disc release includes The Wolf Man, along with Werewolf of London, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, and She-Wolf of London.[17][18] In 2009, Universal digitally remastered and re-released The Wolf Man on DVD as a two-disc "Special Edition", as part of the "Universal Legacy Series".[19][20] In 2012, The Wolf Man was released on Blu-ray as part of the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection box set, which includes a total of nine films from the Universal Classic Monsters series.[21][22]

In 2013, The Wolf Man received a standalone Blu-ray release.[23][24] In 2014, Universal released The Wolf Man: Complete Legacy Collection on DVD.[25] This set contains seven films: The Wolf Man, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, The House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and She-Wolf of London.[25] In 2016, the seven-film Complete Legacy Collection was released on Blu-ray.[26] That same year, The Wolf Man received a Walmart-exclusive Blu-ray release featuring a glow-in-the-dark cover.[27] In September 2017, the film received a Best Buy-exclusive steelbook Blu-ray release with cover artwork by Alex Ross.[28]

The Wolf Man was included in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection Blu-ray box set in August 2018.[29][30] This box set also received a DVD release.[31] In October the same year, the film was included as part of a limited edition Best Buy-exclusive Blu-ray set titled Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, which features artwork by Alex Ross.[32] Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released The Wolf Man on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 5, 2021.[33]

Legacy edit

The Wolf Man is the only Universal monster to be played by the same actor in all his 1940s film appearances. Lon Chaney Jr. was very proud of this, frequently stating in interviews that the Wolf Man was his 'baby'.[34] The Wolf Man is listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which stated that the film 'remains the most recognizable and most cherished version of the [werewolf] myth'.[35]

The Wolf Man is one of three top-tier Universal Studios monsters without a direct literary source. The others are The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. In the 1970s, novelizations of the original films were issued as paperback originals as part of a series written by "Carl Dreadstone", a pseudonym for British horror writer Ramsey Campbell.[36]

Sequels edit

The Wolf Man proved popular, so Chaney reprised his signature role in four more Universal films. However, unlike his contemporary "monsters", Larry Talbot never had a sequel all to himself. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) had Talbot's grave opened on a full moon night, causing him to rise again (making him, in the subsequent films, technically one of the undead). The full moon, which had not been shown or mentioned in the first film, was used as a quasi-explanation for the monster's resurrection, and the poem known to the local villagers was retconned to mention the full moon so that the last line became "and the moon is full and bright."

The resurrected Talbot seeks out Dr. Frankenstein for a cure but finds the monster (Bela Lugosi) instead. The two square off at the climax, but the fight ends in a draw when a dam is exploded, and Frankenstein's castle is flooded. In 1944 Universal wanted to pair Dracula and the Wolf Man in "The Wolf Man vs. Dracula", but it was canceled in favor of a remake of Phantom of the Opera.[citation needed] In House of Frankenstein (1944), Talbot is once again resurrected and is promised a cure via a brain transplant but is shot dead with a silver bullet instead. He returns with no explanation in House of Dracula (1945). He is finally cured of his condition, but he is afflicted once again, in the comedy film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). This time the Wolf Man is a hero of sorts, saving Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello) from having his brain transplanted by Dracula (Bela Lugosi) into the head of the Monster (Glenn Strange). Grabbing the vampire as he turns into a bat, the Wolf Man dives over a balcony into the sea, taking Dracula with him.[37]

Remake edit

Universal Pictures produced a remake of The Wolf Man with Joe Johnston directing the film and Benicio del Toro starring as Lawrence Talbot (also producer of the film). The remake followed the same basic plot as the original. However, the story and characters were significantly altered, with Anthony Hopkins in a radically altered version of the Claude Rains role. The film was released on February 12, 2010, and opened at No. 2 at the box office that weekend. The film was met with mixed reviews and a low box office reception but won an Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2011.

Due to the 2010 remake performing below expectations at the box office, Universal chose not to produce a sequel. Universal's 2012 film Werewolf: The Beast Among Us was originally planned as a spin-off from The Wolfman but was ultimately unrelated.[38]

Reboot edit

Universal announced that it would reboot their Universal Monsters properties as part of their Dark Universe, with Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan attached to develop the structure of the shared universe.[39] In November 2014, Universal hired Aaron Guzikowski to write the shared universe's reboot of The Wolf Man.[40][41] In June 2016, Dwayne Johnson was reported to star as the character.[42] Later in October, David Callaham was brought on board to re-write the script.[43] The following year on November 8 however, Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan moved on to other projects, leaving the future of the Dark Universe in doubt.[44]

In May 2020, Ryan Gosling had been cast as Wolf Man for an upcoming reboot of the titular character. Lauren Shuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo co-wrote the script from an original story pitched by Gosling. The actor has previously been in negotiations to also serve as the director, but was ultimately decided that he would instead focus entirely on acting. Universal is actively pursuing a director.[45] By July, Leigh Whannell entered early negotiations to direct the project, with Jason Blum announced as an additional producer.[46] In October 2021, Deadline reported that Derek Cianfrance will write and direct the reboot.[47] On December 13, 2023, it was confirmed that Whannell was back as a director, taking Cianfrance's place, and that Christopher Abbott was cast as the main character, replacing Gosling who will remain as the executive producer. The film is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2025.[48]

Notes edit

The poem mentioned more than once in the film was not, contrary to popular belief, an ancient legend, but was in fact an invention of screenwriter Siodmak.[49] "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night / can become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the Autumn moon is bright." The poem is repeated in every subsequent film in which Talbot/The Wolf Man appears including the film Van Helsing with the only exceptions being House of Dracula and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The later films change the last line of the poem to "And the moon is full and bright", and in episode 944 of Dark Shadows, Christopher Pennock (as Jeb Hawkes) recites this version of the poem.

References edit

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  4. ^ Bansak, Edmund G. (2003). Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career (Reprint ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 139. ISBN 0-7864-1709-9. {{cite book}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
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  49. ^ Vieira, Mark A. (2003). Hollywood Horror: From Gothic to Cosmic. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. p. 98. ISBN 0-8109-4535-5.

External links edit


wolf, 1941, film, wolf, 1941, american, gothic, horror, film, written, curt, siodmak, produced, directed, george, waggner, film, stars, chaney, title, role, claude, rains, warren, william, ralph, bellamy, patric, knowles, bela, lugosi, evelyn, ankers, maria, o. The Wolf Man is a 1941 American gothic horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner The film stars Lon Chaney Jr in the title role Claude Rains Warren William Ralph Bellamy Patric Knowles Bela Lugosi Evelyn Ankers and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood s depictions of the legend of the werewolf 2 The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London 1935 This film is part of the Universal Monsters movies and is of great cinematic acclaim for its production The Wolf ManTheatrical release posterDirected byGeorge WaggnerWritten byCurt SiodmakProduced byGeorge WaggnerStarringClaude Rains Warren William Ralph Bellamy Patric Knowles Bela Lugosi Maria Ouspenskaya Evelyn Ankers Lon Chaney Jr CinematographyJoseph ValentineEdited byTed J KentMusic byHans J SalterFrank SkinnerCharles PrevinProductioncompanyUniversal PicturesDistributed byUniversal PicturesRelease datesDecember 9 1941 1941 12 09 United States December 12 1941 1941 12 12 United Kingdom Running time70 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 180 000 1 After this movie s success Lon Chaney Jr would reprise his role as The Wolf Man in four sequels beginning with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man in 1943 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Themes and interpretations 4 Production 4 1 Special effects makeup 4 1 1 Application process 5 Reception 6 Home media 7 Legacy 7 1 Sequels 7 2 Remake 7 3 Reboot 7 4 Notes 8 References 9 External linksPlot editLarry Talbot returns to his ancestral home in Llanwelly Wales to bury his recently deceased brother and reconcile with his estranged father Sir John Talbot Larry falls in love with a local girl named Gwen Conliffe who runs an antique shop As an excuse to talk to her he purchases a walking stick decorated with a silver wolf s head Gwen tells him that it represents a werewolf a man who changes into a wolf at certain times of the year The werewolf always sees a pentagram on the palm of his next victim Various villagers recite a poem whenever werewolves are mentioned Though Gwen firmly refuses Larry s persistent proposals for a date they meet that night at the proposed time and are joined by Gwen s friend Jenny to go have their fortunes told The Romani fortuneteller Bela sees a pentagram when he examines Jenny s palm and frantically sends her away While awaiting their turns Larry and Gwen take a walk Gwen informs Larry that she is engaged They hear screams from Jenny who is being attacked by a wolf Larry attempts to rescue Jenny He kills the wolf with his new walking stick but is bitten on the chest Police investigating the scene find Jenny s throat torn out and Bela battered to death with Larry s walking stick clearly the murder weapon in the latter case Suspicion on Larry deepens when he cannot substantiate his story of fighting a wolf since his chest wound miraculously healed overnight The fact that Larry and Gwen were not with Jenny when she was attacked additionally raises suspicions of adultery Though Gwen s fiance Frank believes in their innocence Larry and Gwen become local pariahs Bela s mother Maleva reveals to Larry that the wolf which bit him was Bela in the form of a wolf and Larry is now a werewolf too because he was bitten by one Silver is the only thing that can kill a werewolf Maleva gives him a charm to prevent the transformation Uncertain whether or not to believe her he instead gives the charm to Gwen for protection Like Maleva warned Larry transforms into a humanoid wolf hybrid on the following night and kills a villager He returns to normal the next morning with no memory of his rampage Authorities believe the killing to be the work of a wolf they set traps and send out hunting parties The next night Larry turns into a werewolf and is caught in one of the traps Maleva uses a spell to temporarily change him back to human form allowing him to free himself before a hunting party finds him Now convinced he is a werewolf a distraught Larry decides to leave town When he says his goodbye to Gwen he sees a pentagram on her palm He tells his father he is a werewolf and killed Bela and the villager but his father thinks Larry is delusional and ties him to a chair to prevent him from leaving and prove to him he is not a werewolf When the moon rises Larry transforms again breaks free of his restraints and attacks Gwen Not recognizing the werewolf as his son Sir John bludgeons him over the head with Larry s silver headed cane which Larry gave him Maleva arrives and again uses the spell Sir John watches in horror as the dead werewolf transforms into Larry s human corpse Cast edit nbsp Promotional image featuring Evelyn Ankers and Lon Chaney Jr Lon Chaney Jr as Lawrence Larry Talbot The Wolf Man Claude Rains as Sir John Talbot Warren William as Dr Lloyd Ralph Bellamy as Captain Paul Montford opening credits show Colonel Montford Patric Knowles as Frank Andrews Bela Lugosi as Bela the Romani fortune teller and werewolf Maria Ouspenskaya as Maleva the Romani sorceress Evelyn Ankers as Gwen Conliffe J M Kerrigan as Charles Conliffe Fay Helm as Jenny Williams Forrester Harvey as Twiddle Doris Lloyd as Mrs Williams Jenny s Mother Harry Stubbs as Reverend NormanThemes and interpretations editIn an essay for the 1984 book Planks of Reason academic Bruce F Kawin wrote that The Wolf Man expresses and exorcises the Id force of uncontrolled aggression in its own system the werewolf in Larry Talbot his werewolf phases and in the community the destabilizing forces of rape murder gypsy liminality and aristocratic privilege Talbot often behaves as if he had droit du seigneur when courting the engaged Gwen 3 In 1995 author Edmund G Bansak compared Talbot s blindly aggressive drive in his romantic pursuit of the Welsh Gwen to that of Oliver Reed a character played by Kent Smith in the 1942 film Cat People who courts the Serbian born Irene Dubrovna Simone Simon neither of these stereotypical All American males will take no for an answer 4 As with other werewolf films The Wolf Man has been analyzed as an allegory for puberty 5 In his 2012 book Horror and the Horror Film Kawin wrote The fear of sexual passion and its ability to bring chaos is part of the arsenal of anxiety inherent to puberty and the werewolf does as has been widely noted grow hair and become subject to animalistic drives as if it were going through puberty In The Wolf Man 1941 as well as in Cat People 1942 desire is dangerous The monster is one s animal nature out of control and making one behave like an animal 6 In 1993 film historian David J Skal characterized The Wolf Man and its sequels as reflecting the anxieties of American audiences amidst World War II calling the series an unconscious parable of the war effort that centers around Talbot s crusade for eternal peace and his frustrated attempts to control irrational violent European forces 7 In his 2004 book Nightmares in Red White and Blue Joseph Maddrey wrote that the resolution of The Wolf Man is not reassuring in the way that earlier Universal horror films with their distinctly Manichean view of the world were Larry Talbot is not torn between forces of good and evil he is a victim of a cruel or indifferent fate in a less comprehensible world 8 Production edit nbsp Publicity photo of Chaney in full makeup Special effects makeup edit Chaney did not undergo an on screen facial transformation from man to wolf in the original film as featured in all sequels The lap dissolve progressive makeups were seen only in the final ten minutes and were presented discreetly In the first transformation Larry removes his shoes and socks His feet are seen to grow hairy and become huge paws courtesy of uncomfortable boots made of hard rubber covered in yak hair In the final scene the werewolf gradually returns to Larry Talbot s human form through the standard technique Application process edit Stories about the makeup and transformation scenes have become legendary and are mostly apocryphal The transformation of Chaney from man into a monster was certainly laborious the entirety of the makeup took five to six hours to apply and an hour to remove 9 Jack Pierce had initially designed it for Henry Hull in Werewolf of London 1935 but Hull argued that the disguise made no sense within the plot since Dr Glendon needed to be recognizable by the characters even in his werewolf form Pierce was ordered to design a second version which left more of Hull s face recognizable Pierce then recycled his original design for the 1941 film Chaney claimed he was forced to sit motionless for hours as the scenes were shot frame by frame At times he claimed he was left to remain sitting while the crew broke for lunch and was also equivocal about using the bathroom Chaney even said special effects men drove tiny finishing nails into the skin on the sides of his hands so they would remain motionless during close ups citation needed However studio logs indicate that during the filming of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein 1948 the entire crew including Chaney took a two hour break during the filming of a transformation and filmed the rest of the scene later that day though the makeup for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein had significantly been redesigned and streamlined by Bud Westmore over the original Jack Pierce makeup A plaster mold was made to hold his head still as his image was photographed and his outline drawn on panes of glass in front of the camera Chaney then went to makeup man Jack Pierce s department where Pierce using grease paint a rubber snout appliance and a series of wigs glued layers of yak hair to Chaney s face Then Chaney would return to the set line himself up using the panes of glass as a reference and several feet of film was shot Then Chaney would return to the makeup department A new layer would be applied to show the transformation being further along He would then return to the sound stage to film This was done about a half dozen times Talbot s lap dissolve transformation on screen only took seconds while Chaney s took almost ten hours Reception editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 91 based on 43 reviews with an average rating of 7 8 10 The site s critical consensus reads A handsomely told tale with an affecting performance from Lon Chaney Jr The Wolf Man remains one of the classics of the Universal horror stable 10 Metacritic which uses a weighted average assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100 based on eight critics indicating generally favorable reviews 11 Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film 3 5 out of 4 stars calling it one of the finest horror films ever made Maltin praised the film s makeup effects atmospheric music and Chaney s performance in his review 12 Home media editIn the early 1990s MCA Universal Home Video released The Wolf Man on VHS as part of the Universal Monsters Classic Collection 13 In 1999 Universal released The Wolf Man on VHS and DVD as part of the Classic Monster Collection a series of releases of Universal Classic Monsters films 14 15 16 On April 27 2004 Universal released The Wolf Man The Legacy Collection on DVD as part of the Universal Legacy Collection 17 18 This two disc release includes The Wolf Man along with Werewolf of London Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and She Wolf of London 17 18 In 2009 Universal digitally remastered and re released The Wolf Man on DVD as a two disc Special Edition as part of the Universal Legacy Series 19 20 In 2012 The Wolf Man was released on Blu ray as part of the Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection box set which includes a total of nine films from the Universal Classic Monsters series 21 22 In 2013 The Wolf Man received a standalone Blu ray release 23 24 In 2014 Universal released The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection on DVD 25 This set contains seven films The Wolf Man Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man The House of Frankenstein House of Dracula Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Werewolf of London and She Wolf of London 25 In 2016 the seven film Complete Legacy Collection was released on Blu ray 26 That same year The Wolf Man received a Walmart exclusive Blu ray release featuring a glow in the dark cover 27 In September 2017 the film received a Best Buy exclusive steelbook Blu ray release with cover artwork by Alex Ross 28 The Wolf Man was included in the Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection Blu ray box set in August 2018 29 30 This box set also received a DVD release 31 In October the same year the film was included as part of a limited edition Best Buy exclusive Blu ray set titled Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection which features artwork by Alex Ross 32 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released The Wolf Man on 4K Ultra HD Blu ray on October 5 2021 33 Legacy editThe Wolf Man is the only Universal monster to be played by the same actor in all his 1940s film appearances Lon Chaney Jr was very proud of this frequently stating in interviews that the Wolf Man was his baby 34 The Wolf Man is listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die which stated that the film remains the most recognizable and most cherished version of the werewolf myth 35 The Wolf Man is one of three top tier Universal Studios monsters without a direct literary source The others are The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon In the 1970s novelizations of the original films were issued as paperback originals as part of a series written by Carl Dreadstone a pseudonym for British horror writer Ramsey Campbell 36 Sequels edit The Wolf Man proved popular so Chaney reprised his signature role in four more Universal films However unlike his contemporary monsters Larry Talbot never had a sequel all to himself Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man 1943 had Talbot s grave opened on a full moon night causing him to rise again making him in the subsequent films technically one of the undead The full moon which had not been shown or mentioned in the first film was used as a quasi explanation for the monster s resurrection and the poem known to the local villagers was retconned to mention the full moon so that the last line became and the moon is full and bright The resurrected Talbot seeks out Dr Frankenstein for a cure but finds the monster Bela Lugosi instead The two square off at the climax but the fight ends in a draw when a dam is exploded and Frankenstein s castle is flooded In 1944 Universal wanted to pair Dracula and the Wolf Man in The Wolf Man vs Dracula but it was canceled in favor of a remake of Phantom of the Opera citation needed In House of Frankenstein 1944 Talbot is once again resurrected and is promised a cure via a brain transplant but is shot dead with a silver bullet instead He returns with no explanation in House of Dracula 1945 He is finally cured of his condition but he is afflicted once again in the comedy film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein 1948 This time the Wolf Man is a hero of sorts saving Wilbur Grey Lou Costello from having his brain transplanted by Dracula Bela Lugosi into the head of the Monster Glenn Strange Grabbing the vampire as he turns into a bat the Wolf Man dives over a balcony into the sea taking Dracula with him 37 Remake edit Main article The Wolfman 2010 film Universal Pictures produced a remake of The Wolf Man with Joe Johnston directing the film and Benicio del Toro starring as Lawrence Talbot also producer of the film The remake followed the same basic plot as the original However the story and characters were significantly altered with Anthony Hopkins in a radically altered version of the Claude Rains role The film was released on February 12 2010 and opened at No 2 at the box office that weekend The film was met with mixed reviews and a low box office reception but won an Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2011 Due to the 2010 remake performing below expectations at the box office Universal chose not to produce a sequel Universal s 2012 film Werewolf The Beast Among Us was originally planned as a spin off from The Wolfman but was ultimately unrelated 38 Reboot edit Main article Wolf Man 2025 film Universal announced that it would reboot their Universal Monsters properties as part of their Dark Universe with Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan attached to develop the structure of the shared universe 39 In November 2014 Universal hired Aaron Guzikowski to write the shared universe s reboot of The Wolf Man 40 41 In June 2016 Dwayne Johnson was reported to star as the character 42 Later in October David Callaham was brought on board to re write the script 43 The following year on November 8 however Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan moved on to other projects leaving the future of the Dark Universe in doubt 44 In May 2020 Ryan Gosling had been cast as Wolf Man for an upcoming reboot of the titular character Lauren Shuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo co wrote the script from an original story pitched by Gosling The actor has previously been in negotiations to also serve as the director but was ultimately decided that he would instead focus entirely on acting Universal is actively pursuing a director 45 By July Leigh Whannell entered early negotiations to direct the project with Jason Blum announced as an additional producer 46 In October 2021 Deadline reported that Derek Cianfrance will write and direct the reboot 47 On December 13 2023 it was confirmed that Whannell was back as a director taking Cianfrance s place and that Christopher Abbott was cast as the main character replacing Gosling who will remain as the executive producer The film is scheduled to be released on January 17 2025 48 Notes edit The poem mentioned more than once in the film was not contrary to popular belief an ancient legend but was in fact an invention of screenwriter Siodmak 49 Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night can become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the Autumn moon is bright The poem is repeated in every subsequent film in which Talbot The Wolf Man appears including the film Van Helsing with the only exceptions being House of Dracula and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein The later films change the last line of the poem to And the moon is full and bright and in episode 944 of Dark Shadows Christopher Pennock as Jeb Hawkes recites this version of the poem References edit Michael Brunas John Brunas amp Tom Weaver Universal Horrors The Studios Classic Films 1931 46 McFarland 1990 p267 The Wolf Man Classic Monster Collection 1941 www dvdmg com Archived from the original on 2011 10 09 Retrieved 2008 02 18 Kawin Bruce F 1996 The Mummy s Pool In Grant Barry Keith ed Planks of Reason Reprint ed Scarecrow Press p 8 ISBN 0 8108 2156 7 Bansak Edmund G 2003 Fearing the Dark The Val Lewton Career Reprint ed McFarland amp Company p 139 ISBN 0 7864 1709 9 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a archive date requires archive url help Douglas Adam 1993 The Beast Within A History of the Werewolf Avon Books p 306 ISBN 0 380 72264 X Kawin Bruce F 2012 Horror and the Horror Film Anthem Press p 134 ISBN 978 0 85728 449 5 Skal David J 1993 The Monster Show A Cultural History of Horror Faber and Faber p 217 Maddrey Joseph 2004 Nightmares in Red White and Blue The Evolution of the American Horror Film McFarland amp Company p 22 ISBN 0 7864 1860 5 Vieira p 97 The Wolf Man 1941 Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes com Flixer Archived from the original on June 17 2018 Retrieved October 24 2023 The Wolf Man Metacritic Fandom Inc Retrieved October 20 2022 Leonard Maltin 3 September 2013 Leonard Maltin s 2014 Movie Guide Penguin Publishing Group p 1572 ISBN 978 1 101 60955 2 The Wolf Man Universal Monsters Classic Collection VHS Amazon com Archived from the original on April 10 2022 Retrieved January 16 2020 The Wolf Man Classic Monster Collection VHS ASIN 6300183092 The Wolf Man Classic Monster Collection DVD Amazon com Archived from the original on March 9 2002 Retrieved January 16 2020 Arrington Chuck May 4 2000 The Wolfman 1941 DVD Talk Archived from the original on August 12 2020 Retrieved January 16 2020 a b The Wolf Man The Legacy Collection The Wolf Man Werewolf of London Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man She Wolf of London DVD Amazon com 27 April 2004 Archived from the original on April 10 2022 Retrieved January 16 2020 a b Erickson Glenn May 5 2004 The Wolf Man The Legacy Collection DVD Talk Archived from the original on February 27 2014 Retrieved January 16 2020 The Wolf Man Special Edition DVD Amazon com 2 February 2010 Archived from the original on April 10 2022 Retrieved January 16 2020 Felix Justin February 10 2010 The Wolf Man DVD Talk Archived from the original on August 4 2020 Retrieved January 16 2020 Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection Blu ray Amazon com 2 October 2012 Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection Blu ray Blu ray com Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 The Wolf Man Blu ray Amazon com 17 September 2013 Archived from the original on June 17 2018 Retrieved January 16 2020 The Wolf Man Blu ray Blu ray com Archived from the original on April 21 2020 Retrieved January 16 2020 a b The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection DVD Amazon com 2 September 2014 Archived from the original on April 10 2022 Retrieved January 16 2020 The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection Blu ray Amazon com 13 September 2016 Archived from the original on October 14 2019 Retrieved January 16 2020 Squires John September 13 2016 Walmart Releases Universal Monsters Classics With Glow In Dark Covers iHorror com Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 16 2020 Squires John June 27 2017 Best Buy Getting Universal Monsters Steelbooks With Stunning Alex Ross Art Bloody Disgusting Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 16 2020 Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection Blu ray Amazon com 28 August 2018 Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection Blu ray Blu ray com Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection DVD Amazon com 2 September 2014 Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection Blu ray Blu ray com Archived from the original on January 21 2020 Retrieved January 19 2020 Vorel Jim August 3 2021 The Universal Monsters Are Creeping to 4K UHD for the First Time Paste Magazine Archived from the original on August 3 2022 Retrieved August 3 2022 DIAL B for BLOG THE WORld s GREATEST COMIC BLOGAZINE Archived from the original on 2015 04 02 Retrieved 2011 11 28 Steven Jay Schneider 2013 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Barron s p 169 ISBN 978 0 7641 6613 6 Dreastone Carl 1977 The Wolfman New York NY Berkley Publishing Group ISBN 978 0425034460 Eggertsen Chris February 1 2010 A Look Back at a Hairy Franchise The Transformation of The Wolf Man Films Archived from the original on October 11 2020 Retrieved October 8 2020 Werewolf The Beast Among Us Blu ray Review IGN October 2012 Archived from the original on 2020 10 12 Retrieved 2020 10 08 via www ign com Fleming Mike Jr July 16 2014 Universal Taps Alex Kurtzman Chris Morgan To Relaunch Classic Movie Monster Franchises Deadline Archived from the original on October 28 2021 Retrieved February 19 2020 Fleming Mike Jr November 12 2014 Will Justin Lin Rev Fast amp Furious Finale Deadline Archived from the original on May 28 2020 Retrieved February 19 2020 Fleming Mike Jr November 12 2014 Sony Confirms Dark Matter Universal Confirms Aaron Guzikowski To Write Wolfman Deadline Archived from the original on September 25 2019 Retrieved February 19 2020 Fleming Mike Jr June 22 2016 Dwayne Johnson Sets Jay Longino Graphic Novel Son Of Shaolin At Sony Deadline Archived from the original on April 8 2020 Retrieved February 19 2020 Ford Rebecca October 13 2016 Universal Taps The Expendables Writer to Pen The Wolf Man Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on October 14 2016 Retrieved February 19 2020 Kit Borys Couch Aaron November 8 2017 Universal s Monsterverse in Peril as Top Producers Exit Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on November 8 2017 Retrieved November 8 2017 Kroll Justin May 29 2020 Ryan Gosling s Wolfman Gears Up at Universal as Director Decision Nears EXCLUSIVE Archived from the original on October 26 2021 Retrieved May 29 2020 Fleming Mike Jr 2020 07 08 Ryan Gosling s Wolfman Howling At Universal As Director Leigh Whannell amp Blumhouse Join The Pack Deadline Archived from the original on 2020 09 18 Retrieved 2020 07 08 Kroll Justin October 26 2021 Ryan Gosling And Universal s Wolfman Sets Derek Cianfrance As Director Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on October 27 2021 Retrieved October 27 2021 Kit Borys October 13 2021 Christopher Abbott Replacing Ryan Gosling to Star in Wolf Man for Blumhouse Universal Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on December 13 2023 Retrieved December 14 2023 Vieira Mark A 2003 Hollywood Horror From Gothic to Cosmic New York Harry N Abrams Inc p 98 ISBN 0 8109 4535 5 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to The Wolf Man 1941 film The Wolf Man at IMDb nbsp The Wolf Man at AllMovie The Wolf Man at Rotten Tomatoes The Wolf Man at the TCM Movie Database The Wolf Man at the American Film Institute Catalog Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Wolf Man 1941 film amp oldid 1220955437, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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