Framed to Perfection XLIV

THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Director: George Waggner

Cinematographer: Joseph A. Valentine

So many lanterns, so little time!

I’m sure the world asked so little of The Wolf Man, but this pleasantly-meandering psycho-drama gave its all anyway.

An allegory of serial killer behaviour, rather than a fairground haunted house ride (which I was expecting), The Wolf Man delighted me after an uneven start. The creepy telescope stalking stuff offset my watching experience, but, after returning to the film a couple of weeks later, I found its eventual focus on tragedy won me over.

I have nothing but time for Claude Rains, with his rational speech about how life and morality isn’t as simple as some people need to believe it is, in particular, taking my breath away. Rains was how the world coped before Anthony Hopkins finally showed up, and I’m sure my nickers would have come flying off had we ever met.

Lon Chaney Jr gave me Liam Neeson vibes, which is surely no bad thing. I’ve only seen Chaney Jr previously as The Indestructible Man, where he was mostly silent. He does a great job here though, shifting between stoic gent, feral beast, and frightened patient wonderfully! 

I was worried the film bore a heavy anti-Romani sentiment at first, with a definite eye-roll from me occurring at one point, but I came to realise that it was the bigoted characters who were racist, not the film. The writers of The Wolf Man portray the Romani community as intelligent and compassionate, which don’t strike me as signs of racism. Perhaps they are stereotyped, but it didn’t feel cruel.

Feel free to be offended, if you are so inclined.

The showdown between father and son/wolf is interesting, as it doesn’t have Rains using an “elegant” pistol to silver-bullet his son to death, instead having him beat the titular beast to death with a silver-tipped cane. Curious. Pretty badass though.

I’d love it if the rough Chaney Jr and more-refined Rains became unlikely drinking buddies on set, as Chaney Jr was apparently something of a boozer, but that’s just in my imagination.

And I shall keep it there very merrily!

Oh and listen out for where John Williams got the idea for some of his music cues for the first Star Wars film. I can’t name that shril wind instrument, but it’s very striking. There’s also a little of Danny Elfman’s Batman theme in there too.

Hmmm…

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!