Wolf Man: Complete Universal Monsters Movies

Universal's Wolf Man Set a Precedent for Werewolf Lore

Although not Universal's first werewolf picture, 1941's The Wolf Man launched one of the most important series in the Universal Monsters movies canon, one infused as much with tragedy as with horror. It was through this series that the studio saw a way to combine together different franchises—crossing over the Wolf Man films with Frankenstein, Dracula, and even Abbott and Costello.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES

[VIDEO] The Legacy of the Wolf Man

Starring Lon Chaney Jr. in the dual role of Larry Talbot and the title werewolf, The Wolf Man was written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film's cast was rounded out with Evelyn Ankers, Maria Ouspenskaya, Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, and Bela Lugosi in supporting roles.

The title character has had a great deal of influence on popular culture's depictions of werewolf lore. Chaney returned to his classic role in several sequels.

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THE LON CHANEY FILMS

The Wolf Man (1941) with Lon Chaney, Jr. and Béla Lugosi

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) with Lon Chaney, Jr. and Béla Lugosi

House of Frankenstein (1944) with Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr.

House of Dracula (1945) with Lon Chaney, Jr.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) with Lon Chaney, Jr. and Béla Lugosi

MORE WEREWOLF MOVIES FROM UNIVERSAL

Werewolf of London (1935) with Henry Hull

She-Wolf of London (1946) with June Lockhart

Van Helsing (2004) with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale

The Wolfman (2010) with Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt

Why the Wolf Man is a Tragic Figure

Larry is punished for trying to do good. His reward is to become a monster and a killer. The horror of Talbot's life isn't just his monthly transformations either; it's how he's suffering so senselessly. The Wolf Man is, at its heart, about the fear of the evil within everyone and how bad luck can turn even a decent person into a monster. Both Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolf Man are tragic figures who deserve better, and that might just be the most horrifying thought of all. Sometimes terrible things happen to good people without reason, but they still have to live with the consequences. (SOURCE: Screen Rant)

What is a wolf man?

A wolf man, or werewolf, is a person who changes into a wolf on certain occasions, such as the time of the full moon. Scholars differ on where the legends of the werewolf began.

Who played the original werewolf?

Although Lon Chaney, Jr., is the actor most identified with the role, he is not actually the first. The first actor was Henry Hull, who played the titular werewolf in Universal's first go at the legend, 1935's The Werewolf of London.

Lon Chaney, Jr., played the creature in 1941's The Wolf Man. He would go on to play the character several more times in sequels, including crossovers with the Dracula and Frankenstein series.

What was the origin of the Wolf Man story?

While the movies Dracula and Frankenstein were based on literary sources, there was no defining novel on which to base The Wolf Man. As such, many details we associate with the werewolf legend—including the business with the full moon and the silver bullets—were invented by screenwriter Curt Siodmak.

There are however tales of werewolves that go back thousands of years. Some scholars believe the werewolf made its debut in The Epic of Gilgamesh, when Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she’d turned her previous mate into a wolf. In Greek mythology, the god Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves. In early Nordic folklore, wolf pelts had the power to turn people into wolves for a number of days.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL MONSTERS

The classic Universal Monsters film series has continued to resonate with classic horror movie fans for nearly a hundred years. Anchored by some of the most iconic movie monsters, the Universal Monsters stable includes Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.

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