Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is a young man who returns to his family's ancestral home in Wales. While there, he is bitten by a werewolf, setting off a tragic chain of events.
Gothic atmosphere, moody cinematography, ground breaking makeup effects... Films like this are the origins of pop culture Halloween traditions, not to mention there's a pretty good story and a tight, efficient script. Bela Lugosi is terrific in the film, but his appearance is all too brief.
I do have a little trouble with Claud Rains playing Lon Chaney's father. They seem quite close in age. In reality Rains was just 17 years older.
"The Wolf Man" is not a complex movie, but it's ongoing influence on popular culture, particularly in this, the Autumn season, can not be overstated.
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