Dracula and Frankenstein are the twin pillars of classic Horror, but The Wolf Man is where cinema caught up with Universal Studios’ ambition. It also has the best cast. Claude Rains delivers most of the exposition (and with that voice and manner it’s perfect). Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles and Warren William round out the supporting cast. The star is Lon Chaney Jr., who had a long career but was often regarded as less talented than Karloff and Lugosi (who has a nice cameo here.) I never understood the hate, especially when playing The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot. He is the monster under a curse, and Chaney brings the right amount of grand tragedy to the character. The story gets a little rushed towards the end, but this is classy, literate, gothic and spooky. The best introduction to the world of classic monsters.
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