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The Wolf Man (1941)

Approved  |   |  Drama, Horror  |  12 December 1941 (USA)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 15,084 users  
Reviews: 186 user | 126 critic

A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.

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Title: The Wolf Man (1941)

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
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Maria Ouspenskaya ...
Evelyn Ankers ...
J.M. Kerrigan ...
Fay Helm ...
Forrester Harvey ...
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Storyline

Upon the death of his brother, Larry Talbot returns from America to his ancestral home in Wales. He visits a gypsy camp with village girl Jenny Williams, who is attacked by Bela, a gypsy who has turned into a werewolf. Larry kills the werewolf but is bitten during the fight. Bela's mother tells him that this will cause him to become a werewolf at each full moon. Larry confesses his plight to his unbelieving father, Sir John, who then joins the villagers in a hunt for the wolf. Transformed by the full moon, Larry heads for the forest and a fateful meeting with both Sir John and Gwen Conliffe. Written by Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Night monster... prowling... killing... terrifying a countryside... with the blood lust of a savage beast! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Horror

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

12 December 1941 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Destiny  »

Box Office

Budget:

$180,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Curt Siodmak claimed that he is responsible for the addition to canon of the werewolf's vulnerability to silver, and this claim has often been repeated by horror aficionados, including director John Landis. However, silver, according to legend, was first used to slay a werewolf in the Beast of Gevaudan, dating from the late 19th century. Novels recounting the legend appeared in the 1930's, and featured the slaying of the werewolf with a silver bullet. The Wolf Man, however, was the first film to utilize the silver bullet myth onscreen. See more »

Goofs

When Larry Talbot sits on the chair of his room and first changes into the Wolf Man, you see only his feet change. However, when the Wolf Man stands up, the pant legs ride up from his furry Wolf Man feet and you can see bare skin on his legs above the top of the "Wolf Man feet" boots he is wearing. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Chauffeur: Talbot Castle, Mr. Larry.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

The Tragic Monster

The Wolf Man is a film about a man bitten by a werewolf condemned to live the life of his antagonist. Lon Chaney Jr. does an awfully good job transcending the traditional monster out to get everyone with a humane, sympathetic portrait of the titular lycanthrope. This is Universal Studios at its best with a good old-fashioned horror yarn, excellent acting, particularly by supporting cast members Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Bela Lugosi, and the outstanding Maria Ouspenskaya as the old and wise gypsy woman, wonderful sets complete with swirling fog, and special effects that were new and fresh in 1941. This film is fast-paced and deserves its rank as one of the great Universal horror classics.


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