Topic: Universal Horror '30s/'40s

[Shemp_Diesel]

Whilst we're on the subject of 1930s Universal horror, I'm curious--what are opinions on the film Werewolf of London.


I know that WOL is largely overshadowed by that little 1940s vehicle, The Wolf Man with Lon Jr., but I still think "London" is a very good movie in itself. And many folks have conjectured about why London didn't seem to catch fire with people the way Lon's Wolf Man did--many owing it to the fact that Henry Hull was hardly the sympathetic figure that Larry Talbot was.

But still, WOL has more pluses than minuses and on the 10 scale, I would give it an 8....

[Signor Spumoni]

I like "Werewolf of London."  It's been a long time since I saw it, but it will come around again soon. 

One thing "The Wolf Man" had over WOL is the name, Lon Chaney, Jr.  I think that drew people then, and I think it may continue to do so to a much lesser degree.  Also, Lon Chaney, Jr. has a naturally mournful expression which befits a man under a curse. 

[metaldams]

Whilst we're on the subject of 1930s Universal horror, I'm curious--what are opinions on the film Werewolf of London.


I know that WOL is largely overshadowed by that little 1940s vehicle, The Wolf Man with Lon Jr., but I still think "London" is a very good movie in itself. And many folks have conjectured about why London didn't seem to catch fire with people the way Lon's Wolf Man did--many owing it to the fact that Henry Hull was hardly the sympathetic figure that Larry Talbot was.

But still, WOL has more pluses than minuses and on the 10 scale, I would give it an 8....

I always thought WEREWOLF OF LONDON is one of the worst Universal Horror movies from the 1931 - 1936 run, which is the equivalent of complaining about sleeping with this year's worst looking Playboy Playmate.  In other words, I like it.  It's been a while since I've seen it, so I'll have to give it a fresher look soon.

[Svengarlic]

I watched it again just last Saturday night. It's a good movie. We will never know if the Hayes Commission's objections helped or hurt the film. As some of you know, the transformation scenes from man to beast were considered too gruesome for the general public. Also the wolf makeup was toned down to the point that Henry Hull was recognizable.

 It's been said that Hull objected to arduous, time consuming application of collodeum, spirit gum and hair, but what actor didn't? I just don't believe that he had the "juice" to then, (or later) alter the production of a major studio. I believe  that the newly formed Hayes bunch were flexing their muscles.

 At any rate, I think the fact that this werewolf's face was more human added something that Chaney's lacked, and his speaking to his wife in the death scene while still the wolf was very effective.

Of course Jack Pierce got his way a decade later, using his original idea on Lon. I think Hammer was influenced by Werewolf of London. Oliver Reed's Curse of the Werewolf monster was close to Hull's, only better. But that's for another discussion. 

 

 

[Signor Spumoni]

I always thought Lon Chaney Jr.'s werewolf looked well-groomed, as demonstrated in the photo posted here.  That seemed ironic to me. 

[Svengarlic]

I always thought WEREWOLF OF LONDON is one of the worst Universal Horror movies from the 1931 - 1936 run, which is the equivalent of complaining about sleeping with this year's worst looking Playboy Playmate.  In other words, I like it.  It's been a while since I've seen it, so I'll have to give it a fresher look soon.

There is an aspect in London, lacking in the Wolfman films: Humor. Directer Stuart Walker HAD to be influenced by James Whale's Invisible man (1933). Fresh off the successes of Great Expectations (1934) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) both somber productions, LONDON was bit of a departure. The early humor in Whale's movie came from the wide eyed, screeching, howling Una O'Conner.
 
     Walker borrowed the crazy, Cockney woman idea and expanded it to TWO crazy, Cockney women. Added to the 'strange man behind the door in the Inn' scene were these two old broads, obviously great friends, but so in love with Whiskey that at one point one knocks the other unconscious to steal her bottle, all this going on while there's a fiend on the other side of the door, spitting and snarling away!

There's another scene later where it's a lady of the Hoi Polloi (Spring Byington) that provides comic relief after watching a plant, reminiscent of the Addams Family's "Cleopatra" that devours small critters at a black tie affair.

In searching for a clip of the humor scenes to close out this post I found THIS, a short review/discussion of LONDON. It's worth a look.

 
 

[Shemp_Diesel]

Yes, I enjoyed the humor in WOL, particularly the 2 old lushes who rent a room to Dr. Glendon. I thought the director of London was definitely tipping his cap to the films of James Whale and the humor present throughout his films.

But the original Wolf Man was not totally devoid of humor--there was Forrester Harvey playing the role of Mr. Twiddle who provides some comic relief to the dark proceedings....

[Svengarlic]

Yes, I enjoyed the humor in WOL, particularly the 2 old lushes who rent a room to Dr. Glendon. I thought the director of London was definitely tipping his cap to the films of James Whale and the humor present throughout his films.

But the original Wolf Man was not totally devoid of humor--there was Forrester Harvey playing the role of Mr. Twiddle who provides some comic relief to the dark proceedings....

Whoa! I'm drawing a blank on Mr. Twiddle. Refresh my memory, Diesel.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Whoa! I'm drawing a blank on Mr. Twiddle. Refresh my memory, Diesel.

I wish I could refresh your memory, but a youtube search for Mr. Twiddle yielded no results. I guess you'll have to watch The Wolf Man all over again...   

[Svengarlic]

I wish I could refresh your memory, but a youtube search for Mr. Twiddle yielded no results. I guess you'll have to watch The Wolf Man all over again...   

No, no....what I meant was, refresh my memory on the humorous scene involving Mr. Twiddle.

[Shemp_Diesel]

No, no....what I meant was, refresh my memory on the humorous scene involving Mr. Twiddle.

Oh, ok--the scene where Captain Montford and his crew are in the woods looking over the dead bodies of Jenny Williams and Bela. Maybe you won't find the scene as humorous, but I thought Twiddle was bringing a bit of relief in an otherwise serious moment in the film....

[Svengarlic]

OK S.D....I remember the scene now. 

[Svengarlic]

A brief word on Mr. Sardonicus, the film I mentioned in the SILENT MOVIE thread. Unlike it's predecessor, The Man Who Laughs, this title character was an evil bastard, unlike Victor Hugo's sympathetic one, reminiscent of Quasimodo.

Being a Castle film, I wasn't surprised that the plot stunk, and the mostly looped soundtrack reeked. However, the payoff of seeing his face late in the film, and in only one scene almost made it worth watching. I put that revelation right up there with Karloff's slow turn to face the two mad scientists for the first time. (Yes, I consider Dr. Woldman just as crazy as Henry) 



 


Roll the ugliness!

[Signor Spumoni]

I watched "Mr. Sardonicus" as part of a TV scary-film festival over twenty years ago.  I'd forgotten that big revelation scene, although I remembered the gist of it.  Good ol' William Castle, who brought us other (a-hem) classics such as "Homicidal." 

[Svengarlic]

I watched "Mr. Sardonicus" as part of a TV scary-film festival over twenty years ago.  I'd forgotten that big revelation scene, although I remembered the gist of it.  Good ol' William Castle, who brought us other (a-hem) classics such as "Homicidal."

LOL...he was quite a guy. I saw a doc on him recently. Originator of "the Tingler", "smell-O-rama" and god knows what other gimmicks to distract theater goers from noticing the garbage they were watching. 

I was surprised to learn that he produced Rosemary's Baby, and through this breakthrough he envisioned being taken seriously as a film maker at last. Unfortunately his health failed, death followed shortly after.

EDIT: I found a short excerpt from that documentary, and it's WELL worth watching

[Signor Spumoni]

Thank you for the link, Sven.

So, folks, what is the scariest movie you ever saw?  Maybe some folks will want to view your scariest movie on Halloween.

[Svengarlic]

Thank you for the link, Sven.

So, folks, what is the scariest movie you ever saw?  Maybe some folks will want to view your scariest movie on Halloween.

Good question. We had a top 10 list on the best of horror movies, but the scariest? Won't be hard for me on that one.

As a child: Frankenstein
As an adult: The Exorsist

[Svengarlic]

So, folks, what is the scariest movie you ever saw?  Maybe some folks will want to view your scariest movie on Halloween.

So what's your answer your own question?

[stoogerascalfan62]

When did MCA-Universal reacquire the rights to the films? [Screen Gems originally distributed them to TV in the late '50s]

[BeAStooge]

When did MCA-Universal reacquire the rights to the films? [Screen Gems originally distributed them to TV in the late '50s]

Universal gave Columbia a TV distribution lease in 1957 for Screen Gems' "Shock Theater."

MCA bought Universal in 1962 (the real estate & bldgs. acquired in 1958; the actual studio and its film library in 1962). 

As Screen Gems' rental deal expired in the 1960s, those films' TV distribution was assumed by MCA itself.

[Signor Spumoni]

So what's your answer your own question?

It's hard to say, but "The Exorcist" was scary.  I thought "Last House On the Left" (1972) was very frightening, too.  I saw a late-night showing of that in a town where everything had closed for the night, and the dark, deserted streets enhanced the spooky atmosphere.  I saw it with a pal, and neither of us had ever seen anything like that movie.

You say "Frankenstein" frightened you as a child, and I'm trying to think of what scared me as a child.  There was no movie, as I recall, but it was things such as supposed flying saucers and spacemen, crazed killers, war victims and so forth.  I used to watch and listen to the daily news, but - - as you can see - - I had little discernment as to what to believe, what to think.  I was a nervous kid!   

By the way, can you identify a TV program I saw many years ago ('50s-'60s)?  I have no idea what it was, but it involved a girl who saw a "thing" in a mirror.  I can't even remember what the thing was or if it was shown clearly, but it would appear in a mirror and menace her somehow.  Does that ring a bell?

[Signor Spumoni]

Having said that about real life being more frightening to me more so than fiction, I must admit that scary or eerie books can give me chills.  I read several classic horror books last winter, and those were spooky.  I plan to read more of those horror classics this autumn and winter.  It's been enlightening and fascinating to see how the original stories have metamorphosed over the years since their publication.

[Svengarlic]

It's hard to say, but "The Exorcist" was scary.  I thought "Last House On the Left" (1972) was very frightening, too.  I saw a late-night showing of that in a town where everything had closed for the night, and the dark, deserted streets enhanced the spooky atmosphere.  I saw it with a pal, and neither of us had ever seen anything like that movie.

You say "Frankenstein" frightened you as a child, and I'm trying to think of what scared me as a child.  There was no movie, as I recall, but it was things such as supposed flying saucers and spacemen, crazed killers, war victims and so forth.  I used to watch and listen to the daily news, but - - as you can see - - I had little discernment as to what to believe, what to think.  I was a nervous kid!   

By the way, can you identify a TV program I saw many years ago ('50s-'60s)?  I have no idea what it was, but it involved a girl who saw a "thing" in a mirror.  I can't even remember what the thing was or if it was shown clearly, but it would appear in a mirror and menace her somehow.  Does that ring a bell?

It rings a distant bell. Was it a movie? A regular TV show like Alfred Hitchcock Presents?

[Signor Spumoni]

It rings a distant bell. Was it a movie? A regular TV show like Alfred Hitchcock Presents?

Yes, it was a regular TV program.  It could have been AHP, as you suggest, or any eerie program of the time. 

[Svengarlic]

Yes, it was a regular TV program.  It could have been AHP, as you suggest, or any eerie program of the time.

I remember Tales of the Unknown, and of course The Twilight Zone..