Larry Talbot, a man of science, returns from America to his family's home in Wales after the tragic death of his brother. He becomes enchanted with Jenny Williams, a beautiful young woman who lives in the village. The two of them visit a gypsy camp where Larry has his fortune read by a man by the name of Bela, who suddenly and urgently pleads with him to flee the camp as quickly as he can.
As Larry travels home through the camp he sees a young woman being attacked by a wolf and intervenes. He kills the wolf, but is bitten in the effort. Thus begins a spat of violent murders which seem to be the work of a large animal. Larry soon begins to realize that he has become the victim of a horrible curse from which there seems to be no escape.
While The Wolf Man is unlikely to terrify the modern horror fan, or pretty much anyone else, it is fantastic in terms of writing, atmosphere, and even acting... for its time. It stars two of the biggest names in horror of the day; Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi.
Of course it has the limitations of 1941 film making. It also includes the limitations of 1941 society. This was an age where open racism was unfortunately considered completely acceptable in mainstream film making. In the case of The Wolf Man, it appears in the form of racist stereotypes regarding Roma peoples (gypsies).
Still, it is undeniable that The Wolf Man is a classic of horror cinema and a must see. Many werewolf films would follow, and in 2010 The Wolf Man was finally remade in a flashy, high-budget Holly Wood movie starring Benicio Del Torro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt.
But as with other classics such as King Kong, or Night of the Living Dead, no remake however excellent or poor can overshadow the importance played by the original in horror film history.
4 pentagrams out of 5
Rated PG: contains mild violence.
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