Upon his return to his father’s estate, aristocrat Larry Talbot meets a beautiful woman, attends a mystical carnival and uncovers a horrifying curse.

Storyline

Even a man who is pure at heart/And says his prayers by night/May become a wolf when the wolf-bane blooms/And the moon is full and bright.” Upon first hearing these words, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) dismisses them as childish federal. After all, this is the 20th Century; how can a human being turn into a werewolf? Talbot soon learns how when he attempts to rescue Jenny Williams (Fay Helm) from a nocturnal attack by a wolf. Collapsing, Talbot discovers upon reviving that Jenny is dead-and, lying by her side, is not the body of a beast, but of a gypsy named Bela (Bela Lugosi). The son of fortune teller Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), Bela was a Lycanthrope, or “wolf man.” And now that he has been bitten by Bela, Talbot is cursed to suffer the torments of the damned whenever the moon is full.

Our Thoughts on The Wolf Man (1941)

Excellent movie. Still packs the chills and thrills. The swirling fog and the sounds of the night. Classic horror tale of a man bitten by a wolf and turning into a werewolf. Lon Chaney, Jr. took the title role and became a household name. Maria Ouspenskaya will remain the classic old gypsy woman. The special effects and mood music leave lasting impressions. This werewolf film sets the standard.

Other cast members are Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Ralph Bellamy and the legendary Bela Lugosi.

7 out of 10 Stars 

Trivia 

In Curt Siodmak‘s original script for the film, whether or not Lawrence Talbot really underwent a physical transformation to a werewolf or if the transformation simply occurred in his mind was left ambiguous. The Wolf Man was never to appear onscreen. Ultimately, the studio determined that Talbot’s literal transformation into a werewolf would be more appealing to the audience and, thus, more profitable. The script was revised accordingly. The remake of the film starring Benicio Del Toro leaned into this idea, having its version of Lawrence Talbot be admitted to an asylum for “delusions” of lycanthropy.

The “wolf” that Larry Talbot fights with was Lon Chaney Jr.‘s own German Shepherd.

Bela Lugosi actively campaigned for the lead role and ended up playing a minor supporting role.

The Wolf Man battled a bear in one scene, but unfortunately the bear ran away during filming. What few scenes were filmed were put into the theatrical trailer.

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