The Tragedy of Larry Talbot

THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"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 a predestined end. Now you will have peace for eternity." 

                                                                                             Maleva - "The Wolf Man"

"The Wolf Man" is such a precious, sweetly precious horror film that could've been so much more. It aims to be psychological yet it only hints at the psychology of its main protagonist, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.). It aims to scare the bejesus out of you yet it only hints at the horror, keeping it muted and mostly concerned with developing empathy towards the emotional temper tantrums of Larry Talbot (given slightly more depth in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man"). It also aims to be a love story yet it never enters such terrain, keeping the female lead at arm's length as only a very worried friend who shares a quick kiss on the lips with Larry. And with all that, there is no denying that "The Wolf Man" works wonders because it brings its elements together with fantastical convergence.

There is not much I can say about "The Wolf Man" that has not been said about a classic 70-plus year old horror flick, one of the more fascinating entries in the Universal Monsters series. Originally meant to be an ambiguous psychological horror film about Larry's neurosis concerning whether he is a werewolf and not, "The Wolf Man" has its interests set on Larry Talbot's physical and mentally unsound condition. At first, he seems a happy-go-lucky guy who can fix his dad's giant telescope and is rooting for a romantic entanglement with the blonde antique shop owner, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers, the Queen of the Screamers). Gwen already has a boyfriend but why should that stop Larry, who first notices her through his dad's rather powerful telescope that can give sharp street corner views of antique shop windows! After Larry stops the violent attack of Gwen's friend by a wolf (shown with four legs despite Larry changing into a werewolf later on), Larry is bitten and his wounds heal rather fast. When he seeks advice from the Gypsy Woman named Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), Larry is told that his fate is doomed - he must be killed by either a silver bullet or a silver cane (the latter of which he owns) and then he will rest in peace for eternity. The sequels that followed proved just the opposite.

"The Wolf Man" is a curious werewolf picture - all that talk about moon and wolfsbane and we never see a moon or any wolfsbane. One must wonder about the European setting - is it Romania or Transylvania as some horror film experts had thought? No idea, a common question with regards to most of the Universal Horror pictures. Ultimately what is important is that it works thanks to Lon Chaney Jr.'s iconic performance, showing much empathy and he even cries at the tomb of his Gypsy werewolf attacker (well played in a cameo by Bela Lugosi). Maria Ouspenskaya adds urgency and wisdom and her final scene with the dead Talbot will make many misty-eyed. Adding to the film is of course the always fantastic Claude Rains as Larry's father who hopes for the best for his son, and Evelyn Ankers as Gwen who clearly cares for Larry. "The Wolf Man" might be too short for its own good and it had far more potential but it is easy to see why Lon Chaney Jr.'s Larry Talbot remains the most sympathetic, tragic character of all the Universal Monsters.

Tranquil Existence of an Oyster

GOD'S GIFT TO WOMEN (1931)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Sassy, sexy women lining up to be bedmates for a wealthy bachelor may strike some as raunchy by 1930's standards but do remember that films like Michael Curtiz's "God's Gift to Women" existed in the Pre-Code era when you could almost get away with anything. A playful diversion like "God's Gift to Women" will certainly not play to a 2010 audience today but nobody should pass it up - it is a souffle of laughs that kept me smiling. Even a line like, "If you want to live, you must follow the tranquil existence of an oyster" which sums up the lead character's current status, made me do more than chuckle. It is a mild sex farce but with its heart in its sleeve.

Frank Fay is the dapper, charming bachelor Toto Duryea who always has a bevy of women in tow at the local Parisian club. It is there that he sets his eyes on one startling catch - a vivacious blonde named Diane (Laura La Plante). She is tricked into dancing with him, though she will have none of him thanks to the advice of her millionaire father who sees the gent as an amoral lover. You can't keep a wealthy ladies' man down for long as Toto pursues Diane in various disguises, one as a mustachioed janitor of all things and also as a butler. The ruse never lets up and he never backs down. After all, what can one say about a man whose lineage links to the famous Don Juan, keeping a painting of the famous lover in his mansion? When Diane's stern father visits him, an ultimatum is enforced - Toto must consult with the millionaire's doctor and not see any women for six months (that includes the iconic flapper Louise Brooks in one of her first roles post-silent film era). This is no easy task, especially when the doctor tells Toto he has an enlarged aorta and can't get too excited.

Between the running gag of Toto getting tsk-tsked by various characters or the complication of keeping a party of fellow friends in one room or the task of separating three "visiting nurses" who change into lingerie before accompanying the "sick" Toto in bed, "God's Gift to Women" is a fancy treat of a movie with several winsome characters and delectably humorous situations. My major quibble is that Laura La Plante's Diane is practically written out of the movie (originally there were some musical numbers so who knows if she sang a song or two) and she can't quite compete with the casting of the alluring women of Toto's life (who can compete with Louise Brooks?)

Seeing this movie in the same couple of months as "Nothing Sacred" (which Fay also appeared in) and "Dinner at Eight" paints a picture of wealth in the 1930's in varying degrees during the Great Depression (which hit France the same year this film was released). With "God's Gift to Women," Toto lives a carefree existence that has meaning when stricken with the love bug - money is not something he worries about. As the good doctor tells him, he is living life like an oyster.