The Wolf Man (1941)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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 imbued with a malady his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | Gypsy | Full Moon | Wolf | Mirror

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jessie Arnold	...	Gypsy woman (uncredited)
Caroline Cooke	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Wykes (uncredited)
Margaret Fealy	...	Woman (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Villager (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Kendall (Talbot butler) (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Villager (uncredited)
Kurt Katch	...	Gypsy with bear (uncredited)
La Riana	...	Gypsy dancer (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Mrs. Wykes (uncredited)
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Williams (Jenny's mother) (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Mrs. Bally (uncredited)
Eddie Polo	...	Churchgoer (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	...	Phillips (member of search party) (uncredited)
Tom Stevenson	...	Richardson (the gravedigger) (uncredited)
Harry Stubbs	...	Rev. Norman (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)

Directed by
George Waggner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Curt Siodmak		writer

Produced by
George Waggner	....	producer
Jack J. Gross	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Previn		(uncredited)
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)
Frank Skinner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent		(as Ted Kent)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vernon Keays	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert F. Boyle	....	associate art director (as Robert Boyle)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Joe Lapis	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
Ellis Burman	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Other crew
Ellis Burman	....	property maker: Larry's Silver Wolf Head Cane (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Video (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Destiny (USA) (working title)

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:

Evelyn Ankers had a rough time on the set. Lon Chaney Jr. delighted in sneaking up on her in full makeup and scaring her senseless. In other deleted scene, a bear was to wrestle with the werewolf but broke loose, chasing the actress up into the soundstage's rafters.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Larry looks through the telescope at the beginning of the movie, the image is shown is right-side up. Astronomical telescopes turn the image upside-down. While they can be fitted with a special prism to turn the image right-side up, they usually are not since usually there is no practical reason to do so.

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:

Referenced in Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)

The Tragic Monster

The Wolf Man is a film about a man bitten by a werewolf condemned to live the life of his antagonist. Lon Chaney Jr. does an awfully good job transcending the traditional monster out to get everyone with a humane, sympathetic portrait of the titular lycanthrope. This is Universal Studios at its best with a good old-fashioned horror yarn, excellent acting, particularly by supporting cast members Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Bela Lugosi, and the outstanding Maria Ouspenskaya as the old and wise gypsy woman, wonderful sets complete with swirling fog, and special effects that were new and fresh in 1941. This film is fast-paced and deserves its rank as one of the great Universal horror classics.