Lon Chaney Jr. does some terrible things in 1941 horror classic
THE WOLF MAN (George Waggner, 1941)
Nitehawk Cinema
136 Metropolitan Ave. between Berry St. & Wythe Ave.
Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, 11:45 am
718-384-3980
www.nitehawkcinema.com
The third jewel in Universal’s horror crown (following 1931’s Dracula and Frankenstein), The Wolf Man stars Lon Chaney Jr. in his signature role, the goofily charming Larry Talbot, who just happens to have a problem on certain evenings when there is a particularly bright, full moon. Talbot has returned home to the family mansion after the sudden death of his brother, who appeared to have been mauled by some kind of wild animal. Reunited with his erudite father, Sir John (The Invisible Man’s Claude Rains), Larry quickly gets the hots for local antiques dealer Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers), but when their first date involves the tragic death of Gwen’s friend Jenny (Fay Helm) and Bela the Gypsy (Bela Lugosi), Larry becomes a suspect in the murders. And when he keeps waking up with ripped clothing and blood on him, he begins to think that maybe he has indeed done some very terrible things. The Wolf Man is the only one of Universal’s three primary horror classics that is not based on a popular novel; instead, Curt Siodmak wrote a fascinating original script that delves deep into the psyche of its protagonist, whose physical and mental transformation echoes the rage inside us all. The all-star cast also features Ralph Bellamy as Colonel Montford, the town constable; Patric Knowles as Frank Andrews, Gwen’s fiancé; and the great Maria Ouspenskaya as the mysterious Gypsy woman Maleva. The Wolf Man might not have the chills and thrills of Dracula and Frankenstein, but it still more than holds its own after all these years. (Oh, and if you’re expecting the famous scene when Chaney’s face goes all hairy, that actually occurs in the sequel, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.) The Wolf Man is being shown at 11:45 am on March 26 & 27 in the Nitehawk Cinema series “Nitehawk Brunch Screenings” and “March Midnite & Brunch: Bark at the Moon,” which also includes Joe Dante’s The Howling on March 25 & 26 at 12:15 am.