There are dozens of them werewolf moviesbut only a select few center on the character who popularized the Wolf Man as part of the pantheon of universal monsters. WITH Leigh Whannell’s The wolf man— Universal Monsters riff renaming Lawrence “Larry” Talbot Blake as part of its rebooted storyline—arriving this week, we look back at all the prominent Wolf Men of the past.
(If you’re more of a vampire fan, io9 also has “A field guide to cinematic Draculas” from a few years ago to sink your teeth into).
The Wolf Man (1941)
It followed the now classic Universal Monsters series version of Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man in theaters, but Lon Chaney Jr. makes an indelible impression as Larry Talbot, an outdoor fish in his ancestral home in Wales. even before his fateful encounter with a very special kind of wolf.
There’s a great subtext going on here: Claude Raines, the star The invisible manplays Larry’s estranged father, and Bela Lugosi, the Count Dracula himself, playing the werewolf (also named Bela) who creates our wolf man. The wolf man is, of course, now the cultural foundation for every werewolf film that followed, from Chaney’s memorable transformation scene to the script’s incorporation of the monster story. These include the power of silver and a song about a “werewolf” that foregrounds the idea that “even a man who is pure in heart” can fall victim to a werewolf’s curse.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Lon Chaney Jr. returns as the star, and Curt Siodmak again writes the screenplay, in the film’s sequel The wolf man which returns with Larry Talbot (rethinking his tragic death on screen at the end of that film by opening with his revival by a full moon). Chaney’s co-star is also, again, Bela Lugosi, but this time he applies tons of makeup to play Frankenstein’s monster.
Now fully aware of his status as a creature, Larry must contend not only with being a werewolf, but also with the fact that the authorities don’t think werewolves are real—an inconvenience that prompts him to seek out Dr. Frankenstein, or at least the strange… scientific notes he left behind, in order to find a cure. Instead he finds a monster frozen in ice, which is difficult to deal with after being brought back to the life of the undead. Universal’s first foray into monster crossovers wasn’t met with critical acclaim at the time, but has since become a fan favorite, not least because of the boozy, musical number when the characters are convinced they’re attending the nearby “Novo Vino Festival.” Both monsters disappear at the end of the third act…or not?
House of Frankenstein (1944)
Curt Siodmak’s story about a mad scientist (played by Boris Karloff) with the plan of Dr. Frankenstein to create a new body for his hunchbacked sidekick forms the basis for this crossover, which also features Chaney as the Wolf Man, John Carradine as Count Dracula, and Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s monster. Things kick off with an amazing sequence of events (an earthquake-assisted prison escape; a vampire’s revival after retrieving his body from a traveling sideshow… then a rather quick re-death in the sunlight), and the Wolf Man and the Monster enter the story when come alive from their own frozen tombs.
Despite his circumstances, Larry retains enough animal magnetism to arouse romantic feelings in a local woman, though it doesn’t end well for either of them, as the Wolf Man succumbs to silver bullets. Or will they?
House of Dracula (1945)
All the gang are here again (Chaney as the Wolfman; Carradine as Dracula; Strange as the Monster) again, though this time both Wolfman and Dracula descends into the lair of an eccentric scientist’s castle in hopes of curing their monstrous ailments. Frankenstein’s monster, which seemingly disappeared into the quicksand with House of Frankenstein‘s mad doctor, is brought back to life (again) to bring even more chaos to proceedings.
While a large part House of Dracula revolves around vampires—never trust Dracula, especially when blood transfusions are involved—notably, Larry is actually cured in this one thanks to brain surgery that prevents him from transforming into werewolf form. Dracula dies, the mad scientist dies, the Monster dies… but Larry Talbot lives, and heroically!
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Finally, Universal has realized what its monster movies have been missing all this time: jokes and gags! Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein was such a hit—reviving the declining Universal Monsters genre along the way—the comedy duo embarked on a subsequent series of similarly titled films, taking on The Mummy, The Invisible Man and others. But it’s hard to top the lies here, in which Larry Talbot (Chaney, of course) is a key figure on the periphery of the story of Dracula’s (Bela Lugosi) attempts to create a new brain for Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange). Larry (in wolf form) and The Count (in bat form) seemingly die at the end, but we all know that doesn’t mean anything in the constant cycle of life between creatures and traits.
Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)
Mountain actor Donald Gibb (Revenge of the Nerds) plays “Larry the Wolfman” in this slapstick comedy starring Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley Jr. as tabloid reporters sent to Transylvania to investigate an apparent sighting of… Frankenstein’s monster? They find the parentage, of course, discovering a werewolf, a vampire, a swamp thing, and a suspicious doctor who may have created a monster made from human body parts. Critic Leonard Maltin famously received a lukewarm reception Transylvania 6-5000 a one-word criticism (“It stinks!”), but the cast is funny enough to pique at least some curiosity; in addition to the main roles, it features Geena Davis, Carol Kane, Norman Fell, pre-scandal Jeffrey Jones and beforeSeinfeld (and before his own scandal) Michael Richards.
Monster Squad (1987)
Although not part of the canon in the pantheon of Universal monsters—for one thing, the Fred Dekker horror comedy wasn’t made by Universal—this cult favorite features a group of monster-obsessed kids who question their idol worship when the Universal monsters come to life in their neighborhood and cause near-apocalyptic trouble. Frankenstein’s monster is the only cool guy in the bunch, but he’s the hairiest menace among them that causes A squad of monstersmost quoted text: “Wolfman’s got nards!”
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolf Man (2000)
After introducing Frankenstein (and his monster) in 1999, the animated creatures returned in 2000 for more Universal Monster Mashing, with veteran voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Pinky and the Brain, The Real Ghostbusters) plays Lawrence Talbot — the new neighbor of Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Dave. It turns out that Mr. Talbot has a secret (can you guess what it is?) but amid mild scares Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolf Man represents a new werewolf cure: if one werewolf bites another werewolf, the effect reverses the curse on both victims.
Van Helsing (2004)
Director Stephen Sommers has created a cinematic delight with Brendan Fraser’s film Mummy movies, but unfortunately couldn’t conjure up the same mojo in this similarly big-budget, effects-laden adventure starring Hugh Jackman as the legendary vampire hunter. There isn’t really a “Wolf Man” character—most of the drama revolves around Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh), his evil brides, and his even more evil Frankensteinian plan to dominate the world next door to monsters.
But Van Helsing it is very much cut from the Universal Monsters cloth. Adds dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and entangles a werewolf plot involving Kate Beckinsale’s character’s long-suffering brother, who briefly transfers the curse to Van Helsing… which turns out to be just the thing to defeat Dracula, so everyone wins?
House of the Wolf Man (2009)
I didn’t actually hear House of the Wolf Man before I started compiling this Wolf Man list, but the fact that this black-and-white indie film stars Ron Chaney—the grandson of Lon Chaney Jr.—makes it a bit interesting. He doesn’t play the Wolf Man though; he plays a mad scientist who turns various familiar monsters (including, yes, a werewolf) into greedy potential heirs to his fortune.
The Wolf Man (2010)
Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger, The Rocketeer, Jurassic Park III) directed this oft-forgotten Universal release that still managed to win an Oscar for Best Makeup for Rick Baker (who won the first award in that category for 1981). An American Werewolf in London) and contributor Dave Elsey.
So the makeup is great! The rest, unfortunately for a cast that includes Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving, is not, although it is more or less a remake of the 1941 original.
The Wolf Man (2025)
Leigh Whannell’s The invisible man (2020) gave new hope to Universal’s dreams of reclaiming its monster movie mantle, updating the original film’s story with genuine scares and timely themes. Will his The wolf manwith Christopher Abbott as the non-Larry Talbot title character, and Julia Garner as the man-wolf’s understandably distraught estranged wife, had similar success? It arrives this Friday, January 17th, to make audiences howl…hopefully with delight.
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