What famous horror classic, panned by reviewers upon its initial release in December of 1941, looks better and better every year? THE WOLF MAN, starring Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and Lon Chaney Jr. as the hapless Larry Talbot.

The story is a familiar one: Larry, the son of esteemed Sir John (Rains) returns home to Wales after many years in America, is bitten by a werewolf (well played by Bela Lugosi), and becomes a werewolf himself. What's extraordinary is the fact that the film can be so effective today.

The biggest reason for this is the acting. Some classic films, pre-Actor's Studio, look pretty pathetic when it comes to realistic characterization. Not so THE WOLF MAN. Curt Siodmak's excellent screenplay (likened to a Greek Tragedy) provides a vehicle for the stars to be at their best, and, boy, do they shine: Rains a tower of strength as the proud father; Ankers hitting just the right note as the torn female lead; Maria Ouspenskaya as the Old Gypsey Woman whose words prefigure Larry's doom....

But the standout is Lon Chaney Jr. A definite mixed-bag as an actor, he is perfect here--and this is a role calling for the use of all human emotions (unlike later Wolf Man films, where Talbot's head-pounding becomes monotonous). In fact, seeing THE WOLF MAN recently has convinced me that Chaney would have made the ideal screen Phillip Marlow (and I'm not forgetting Bogie)--big, tough, surly, yet charming when need be (a highlight early in WOLF MAN is Larry's attempts at flirting with Ankers; Chaney does the surprisingly playful dialogue with just the right touch). There's no doubt that his performance would merit accolades even today.

This is not to say that there aren't problems in the film. The continuity is off in a number of places (Chany transforms into the Wolf Man at one point wearing a sleeveless undershirt; in the very next scene, he's wearing a neatly buttoned Dickey), and there's a scene or two that's completely inexplicable (e.g., why DOES the Wolf Man pass out when caught in that trap?)....

But overall, the pace, lighting, cinematography, excellent musical score, and strong story propel the film through these rough spots, the 70-minute ride leaving the viewer wanting more. For these reasons, THE WOLF MAN is a classic....and a video worth buying.

Don Smith, Lon Chaney, Jr.'s biographer, states that the most important horror film of the 1940's is "The Wolf Man". This new full screen(aspect 1.33:1) release of "The Wolf Man" is what DVD is all about: A clear, pristine restoration of a cinema classic, an original documentary with director John Landis(written by historian David J. Skal), commentary by expert Tom Weaver, a trailer, and bio's on the major stars, including listing every film by Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi. The Wolfman story, perhaps a classic Greek tragedy, is well-known. Lawrence Talbot returns to his father's estate in Wales. After romancing a local village girl, Talbot is bitten by a werewolf. At the full moon, he suffers the curse of lycanthropy. Like a football team, a movie is perhaps, only as good as it's players. "The Wolf Man" is all first string. Fresh from his accolades for "Of Mice and Men", Lon Chaney, Jr. steps into the leading role with conviction and empathy. This is his finest work. His father, Sir John, is played by Claude Rains. Just one year later, he would be Oscar nominated for "Casablanca". British actress Evelyn Ankers began a long Universal film career here as the love interest. Warren Williams plays the doctor. Williams was once touted as the next Barrymore. Ralph Bellamy appears as Constable Montford. Bellamy was in over 100 films. He won the Academy Award and a Tony for his work. Patric Knowles, a Universal staple, plays the gamekeeper. World famous Maria Ouspenskaya emigrated to the U.S. from Russia, surviving the Revolution and famine. Her role here as Maleva, the old gypsy woman, is pivotal.Finally Bela Lugosi, as Bela the gypsy, is at once riveting and magnetic. Originally considered for the lead, Lugosi's part was sadly cut to 7 lines. It is his only screen appearance as a werewolf. "Wolf Man" director George Waggner creates a frantic pace and eery backgrounds here. Waggner started as an actor, appearing in "The Shiek", with Rudolph Valentino, in 1921. The "Wolf Man" story comes from a taut script by Curt Siodmak. An original music score from Charles Previn and Hans J. Salter was so successful, it popped up in Universal films for years. Some of the track was recycled in 1954 for "Creature From the Black Lagoon". An early "Wolfman" scene in Talbot Castle includes a candlabra prop seen in 1935's "The Raven". In a later segment, Chaney exits a magnificent old church. That set was built for his father in "Hunchback of Notre Dame". "The Wolf Man" finished shooting in November, 1941. Just weeks later it opened in theaters. It was an instant hit, earning over $1 million. Within days, five of the principal actors were rushed into Universal's next opus, "Ghost of Frankenstein". Lon Chaney, Jr.'s grandson, Ron Chaney, lives in Palm Springs, Calif.. I have spoken with him several times. He holds his famous ancestors in high esteem, thanks to his web-site (...). He remembers his grandfather as warm and generous. For "The Wolf Man" commentary, Tom Weaver is detailed and inspired. He makes one error, however,mentioning that Lon Chaney, Jr. died of lung cancer. He's wrong. It was actually his father, Lon Chaney,Sr., who passed away in 1930 after shooting his only sound film, a re-make of his own "The Unholy Three". Lon Chaney,Jr. died in 1973 of a heart attack and liver failure. He was 67. In "The Wolf Man"'s final epic scenes, Maleva, the old gypsy woman, bends over the battered body of Lawrence Talbot, and whispers the words that have echoed down and haunted Hollywood horror film history..."The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to their predestined end. Your suffering is over, my son. Now you will find peace..."

Although not as famous as "Dracula" or "Frankenstein," Universal's 1941 movie "The Wolf Man" is arguably the best horror film of the bunch. After his brother dies, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) returns from America to his ancestral home in Wales. While visiting a gypsy camp with Jenny Williams (Fay Helm) from the local village to have his fortune told, the young girl is attacked by Bela (Bela Lugosi), a gypsy who has been turned into a werewolf. Talbot manages to kill the werewolf, but during the fight he is bitten. Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), Bela's mother, tells Talbot his tragic fortune: when the full moon rises, he too will become the Wolf Man. The doomed Talbot tries to explain his horrible plight to his father, Sir John (Claude Rains), but the old man refuses to believe. This means a final tragic encounter when the old man joins in the hunt for the werewolf, which also involves the woman Talbot loves, Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers).

"The Wolf Man" remains the most tragic figure in the Universal pantheon of monsters and this film directed by George Waggner holds up better than most of its contemporaries. Poor Larry Talbot is painfully aware of his curse and it is that pathos that overwhelms the wooden acting by most of the cast. The transformation sequences are first rate for the time and there are more believable scary moments in this film than any of the other classics.