I always felt sad that as accomplished and talented as he was, no one today, not even old movie buffs, knew the name of Henry Hull. Even I didn't learn his name until he won a Rag award in 1945. However, I'm certain there is a group of people who do know his name: old horror fans. Those who loved Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, and Boris Karloff probably also love Henry Hull, the werewolf of London.
Similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a scientist accidentally infects himself and turns into a monster. Also similarly, Stuart Walker's direction shows the transformation from man to werewolf in a very creepy way. Henry walks across the room, separated by columns, and every time he emerges from behind one of the columns, he's a little more distorted. It's a pretty cool effect, especially in 1935.
I'm not a horror movie fan, and watching these old ones is as much creepiness as I can stand. I watched this one because it was Henry Hull's time as Star of the Week, and it was very fun to see him get first billing. I'm sure he had a blast making this campy thriller, and while it doesn't show off all his talent, I'm glad he's been immortalized in some form.
Similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a scientist accidentally infects himself and turns into a monster. Also similarly, Stuart Walker's direction shows the transformation from man to werewolf in a very creepy way. Henry walks across the room, separated by columns, and every time he emerges from behind one of the columns, he's a little more distorted. It's a pretty cool effect, especially in 1935.
I'm not a horror movie fan, and watching these old ones is as much creepiness as I can stand. I watched this one because it was Henry Hull's time as Star of the Week, and it was very fun to see him get first billing. I'm sure he had a blast making this campy thriller, and while it doesn't show off all his talent, I'm glad he's been immortalized in some form.