While passed on by most people, I found this film to be an interesting early werewolf tale with makeup and a plot that are not altogether unpleasant. (I mean, heck, with modern werewolf tales including "Cursed", give this one some credit.) A professor (George Zucco, "Dead Men Walk") is shunned for his "Crazy" theories. He finds a way to control evolution by using interspecies blood transfusions (notably a wolf and man). This fails to get him back in everyone's good graces, however, as the wolfman does what wolfmen do -- kills people.
Zucco is a good actor, though he blends in to the background and could have been played by just about everyone else. Johnny Downs reminded me of a young Jack Nicholson, playing the quirky reporter and potential love interest of the professor's daughter Lenora. He is top-billed and should be. Anne Nagel played Lenora, who came across as a Judy Garlandesque actress, before Garland was a drug-addicted, suicidal lesbian. I felt that Nagel's character could have been stronger. They let her off as the "woman who obviously doesn't understand a man's world" when it's obvious her character is one of the few who could stop the madness.
Glenn Strange was most notable as Petro, the wolfman. He was abnormally large and of an odd body type. I assume it was a costume, but perhaps some men really are that massive. Either way, he was an excellent lumbering beast. Too bad his wolf persona was also dumb and lumbering because I bet he could have been mighty vicious.
The picture and sound quality are poor. But if someone spruced these up, the film would be quite enjoyable. I would suggest a remake, but this is one of those films whose time has passed. They simply do not make them like this anymore.
Zucco is a good actor, though he blends in to the background and could have been played by just about everyone else. Johnny Downs reminded me of a young Jack Nicholson, playing the quirky reporter and potential love interest of the professor's daughter Lenora. He is top-billed and should be. Anne Nagel played Lenora, who came across as a Judy Garlandesque actress, before Garland was a drug-addicted, suicidal lesbian. I felt that Nagel's character could have been stronger. They let her off as the "woman who obviously doesn't understand a man's world" when it's obvious her character is one of the few who could stop the madness.
Glenn Strange was most notable as Petro, the wolfman. He was abnormally large and of an odd body type. I assume it was a costume, but perhaps some men really are that massive. Either way, he was an excellent lumbering beast. Too bad his wolf persona was also dumb and lumbering because I bet he could have been mighty vicious.
The picture and sound quality are poor. But if someone spruced these up, the film would be quite enjoyable. I would suggest a remake, but this is one of those films whose time has passed. They simply do not make them like this anymore.