A decade after Dracula kicked off Universal's successful series of legendary monster movies, they released The Wolf Man, the character that has become one of the big three iconic classic monsters. Far more modern feeling than the other two (Frankenstein's monster being the other) The Wolf Man painted a sympathetic portrait of a monster with Lon Chaney Jr.'s pathos filled performance at its centre. He would go on to play the world's most famous werewolf 3 more times in cross over films (featuring combinations of different famous monsters) which would begin one of the first examples of what today we would call a "shared universe". Like the other classic monsters, this film sets out much of what we as modern audiences think of when we think of were-wolf mythology.
The Wolf Man is a simple yet compelling story about a man who returns to his ancestral home to reconcile with his father after his brother's death only to be bitten by a wolf and then tormented by his transformations into a dangerous half man/half beast creature. Like many films of the time there is a dash of xenophobia in how this appears to be a curse brought to the UK by the Romani. The story has been seen as an allegory for many things but for me it works mostly as a tale of a man specifically unable to control his own violent tendencies, perhaps due to some past trauma, family trauma. This may speak to why the film remains so enduring after all these decades. The fact it features the great Claude Rains adds a certain gravitas to it as well.
The movie, despite some of it's flaws, remains a compelling and entertaining watch, especially with it's short run time. In many ways it found the perfect recipe for the were-wolf legend in modern times, as evidenced by how much all were-wolf stories pay homage to it in some way and use it's lore. Chaney is a bit part of this. His performance is touching. Surprisingly the full moon aspect wouldn't come along until a sequel but a lot of what we think of when we think of were-wolves is here.
Earlier Universal had attempted to make another were-wolf story with Werewolf of London. However this film has eclipsed that one by far both at the time and in our ongoing public consciousness. The story for Werewolf of London is quite different although very much in the Universal Monster style. It's script is very funny but the plot drags a bit for me, even at only 75 minutes.
Universal remade the film in 2010 and again in 2025. The former is underrated in my opinion. It takes the original film's story and sticks to it while altering it, including moving the story to the late 1800s, to make it more gothic feeling. It still follows Larry Talbot returning to his ancestral home after his brother's death to reconcile with his estranged father but focuses more explicitly on the family trauma and cycle of abuse aspects. Talbot drinks heavily throughout suggesting a parallel to alcoholism without directly drawing that metaphor. It also hints at connections to Jack the Ripper made possible through the time it is set in.
For me, The Wolf Man is a story of losing oneself to one's worst impulses, whether through addiction or patterns of violence. For a modern audience we might be surprised to see that theme be woven so cleverly through this monster tale from nearly 100 years ago. But, like it's sister films Dracula and Frankenstein, it is also just such a well made pulpy film that can capture the imaginations of generations.
The Wolf Man
Starring: Claude Rains, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya
Director: George Waggner
Writer: Curt Siodmak
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