The Wolf Man (1941)
Genre: Horror
Duration: 70 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: George Waggner
Stars: Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi
IMDb score:
7,2 (34.647)
Releasedate: 12 December 1941
The Wolf Man plot
""His hideous howl a dirge of death!""
When his brother dies, Larry Talbot (Chaney) returns to Wales from America to his family's home. He visits a gypsy camp with a village girl, Jenny Williams, who is then attacked by Bela (Lugosi), a gypsy turned into a werewolf. Larry kills the werewolf but is bitten during the fight. Bela's mother tells Larry that he will turn into a werewolf during every full moon.
Actors and actresses
Larry Talbot / The Wolf Man
Sir John Talbot
Colonel Montford
Dr. Lloyd
Frank Andrews
Bela
Maleva
Gwen Conliffe
Jenny Williams
Charles Conliffe
Reviews & comments
Kiekerjan
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- 119 messages
- 106 votes
American monster film with an impressive cast, but a meager story that never fails to surprise. I was hoping for a nice supporting role from Bela Lugosi, but the poor wretch barely got two minutes of screen time. As mentioned, the plot is not very interesting. Lots of talk and little or no action. They introduce all kinds of characters, and then do nothing with them. The biggest problem is the fact that the monster itself, the werewolf, radiates almost no threat. On the contrary, his ridiculous appearance is more likely to make you laugh. He looks like a cross between a bison and a monkey and his howls and howls don't seem to match the movements of his mouth. He keeps waddling through the same patch of woods and ends up killed by his old dad. Not the first anti-climax I've come across in horror productions of this era. Some things were well portrayed, the sets are usually convincing and the acting is not bad, but the rest was quite mesmerizing. Fortunately it doesn't take too long.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
-
- 7517 messages
- 4475 votes
After movies with monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the mummy, Universal Pictures came up with the werewolf in The Wolf Man. Compared to previous Universal monster films, the film is less. Less exciting. Less exciting. Less ominous. Less powerful.
The aforementioned films are films in which the monster is actually the pivot of the story. They are fine oppressive films in which the monster convinces with a sinister presence. In The Wolf Man, the monster's input doesn't create an oppressive feeling. The monster is not threatening and even comes across as a bit laughable.
The appearance of the werewolf makes little impression. The monster looks pretty grim. And yes, I know the movie is from 1941 and you have to look at the creature with nostalgia, but even taking that into account, the werewolf still looks sad.
Perhaps this fact would have been more manageable if actor Lon Chaney Jr. had managed to make his character visibly suffer from the curse. His struggle with what has happened to him is not very intense and does not appeal to the imagination. His appearance as an overly gullible neck is rather preposterous. Stiff and uninspired, he is anything but the driving force in the film.
The film contains beautiful atmospheric images. The mist-shrouded forest landscape that was obviously created in the studio looks finely ghostly. For example, there are more attractive locations. They prevent too much emphasis on the unintended comedic aspects of the flawed acting and flawed grime.
The movie is nice, but not very catchy. The film does not evoke an intense emotional experience. The Wolf Man is just a likeable piece of movie history.
Translated from Dutch · View original
ikkegoemikke
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- 3508 messages
- 5029 votes
Yet another monster movie from Universal. Nicely filmed but not really exciting. but that is typical of most horrors of that period. The most positive thing I can say about movies from that period is the length of time. Perfect for a quick look in between 
3*
Translated from Dutch · View originalPre- and sequels
She-Wolf of London
1946
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
1943
2 comments
Werewolf of London
1935
3 comments
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