While I fully understand the preeminent position that Lon Chaney Jr’s THE WOLF MAN (1941) holds in the Universal Monsters lexicon, I find their first telling of the werewolf story, THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935), to be a more interesting movie. While it lacks the gloss and polish of the 1941 version, that gloss and polish is superficial. TWM may be better looking and have more star power but LONDON has a more intriguing storyline and a more engaging and shaded lead performance from Henry Hull. Lon Chaney may have been born to play THE WOLF MAN but that’s the problem. He looks great as the monster but when he’s not, he’s rather one note in his performance. Hull gives us a more rounded characterization but then he has more to work with than Chaney did.
Instead of the Prodigal Son returning from America, LONDON’s lead character is a botanist named Wilfred Glendon who has gone to Tibet to retrieve a rare flower. Unknown to him, the flower is the only known cure for lycanthropy and while obtaining it, he is attacked and bitten by a strange animal. After his return to London he meets a mysterious doctor who tells him about the flower’s capabilities and that they have met before. Soon Glendon, a well known member of English high society, becomes a werewolf and realizes that it was the doctor who attacked him. They both need the flower’s blossoms to stay normal which leads to a final confrontation. In the meantime, Glendon’s wife is in great danger because this werewolf first and foremost seeks to kill the person it loves best.
In addition to Hull’s sincere performance, LONDON is greatly aided by the presence of Warner Oland as his antagonist. Oland, a Swedish actor who had been around since the silent days, had just started his long run as Charlie Chan and here is given another Oriental character to play. Glendon’s wife is the 18 year old Valerie Hobson (she seems much older) who was in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN the same year. Character actress Spring Byington provides comic relief as a wealthy hostess who constantly gets things mixed up while seasoned Brit performers Ethel Griffes and Zeffie Tilbury are great fun as dueling landladies. J.W. Kerrigan is Hull’s helpful assistant Hawkins while Lester Matthews is solid as Hobson’s childhood boyfriend who is still in love with her.
There are several scenes that, for me, make LONDON a better viewing experience than WOLF MAN. The most noteworthy is the first transformation scene. Hull is sitting in his study when his pet cat suddenly freaks out. Then as he walks out on his patio, each time he passes a post he becomes more changed. His make-up is not as extensive as Chaney’s and is the more effective for it. The opening sequence in the forbidden valley in Tibet is effectively eerie while the stock ending is surprisingly touching. Stuart Walker’s direction is underrated, the music score by Karl Hajos is minimal but used to good effect while Charles J. Stumar’s moody photography is also a definite asset. Appreciation for WEREWOLF OF LONDON has steadily been growing over the years and deservedly so.
The Capsule Critic 