IS HE A MAN... OR UNHOLY BEAST?

Starring: Claude Rains, Lon Chaney Jr., Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Maria Ouspenskaya, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night, May become a wolf when the wolf's bane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright." - Maleva, the gypsy

Why watch this? This timeless classic still remains my favorite werewolf movie.

Plot Summary: Returning to his ancestral home in Wales, Larry Talbot becomes entangled with a gypsy carnival and the local folklore surrounding werewolves after a fateful encounter in the woods. A gypsy woman informs Larry that he was bitten by a werewolf, implying that he will transform into one himself. The film then follows Larry's tragic descent as he grapples with the terrifying possibility of becoming a monster.

Dad's Preview: Set in the Universal Studio monster universe, this big screen tale introduced the world to Lon Chaney Jr., son of silent-film film legend Lon Chaney (known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" for his incredible feats using make-up). Lon Jr. would go on to portray the Wolf Man four more times. Chaney has donned the make-up for all four of Universal's marquee monsters: Wolf Man, Dracula, Mummy, and Frankenstein's monster. This is by far his best, most enduring effort. To his character, the tragic Larry Talbot, he brings a sense of helpless dread, and viewers feel pity for him - a man who cannot control his lycanthropic transformations. When he is the wolf, he will kill anyone near him, even loved ones. For that, he seeks death for himself, which is a noble gesture indeed.

Universal Pictures