Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Meets Batman!

[Earth 2 Chris]

It's House of Franklin-Stein, Part 2! We take a look at the classic Universal Monster-Mash, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man! Plus, Batman tackles a lycanthrope in the equally classic Batman #255 by Len Wein, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano! Also, the animated version of the story is discussed!

Listen here.

Chris

[MIB41]

For me, the Wolfman has always been a fascinating story arc both in the creation process and the final product. When you take note of all the happy accidents that made this iconic monster come to life, it sometimes makes me wonder if taking top talent and placing them in dire circumstances is not the best method for creating lasting characters and films. Ask Steven Spielberg if there’s any doubt. But I digress.

With the makeup, it was originally a rejected premise when offered to director Stuart Walker for ‘Werewolf of London’. Thankfully, Walker wanted Henry Hull to retain enough facial recognition that he could deliver a specific performance that was not hindered by the makeup. It also helped that Hull refused to sit in the makeup chair any longer than he had to. So we have Hull’s reluctance (and Jack Pierce’ persistence) to thank for keeping that initial idea alive.

With Lon Chaney Jr. I think the odds were even more incredible. In retrospect it would seem like an easy choice with his dad basically inventing the craft of makeup inspired monsters. But Chaney’s dad didn’t want him in the business and essentially shunned him from it. So Chaney Jr started his own plumbing business which seemed to spell the end of any Hollywood endeavors. Then his dad died unexpectedly and the industry crashed with the great depression, sinking his company.

So Chaney Jr. decided to jump into the acting circuit but didn’t want to use his dad’s name to gain any advantage. He played in films as his family given name of Creighton Chaney. It didn’t serve him well. He was even turned down for the role as Quasimodo in the remake of his dad’s starring performance in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. So failure and near starvation forced him to adopt his dad’s name and hence forth he was known as Lon Chaney Jr. That opened the door for opportunities.

Of course his big claim to fame quickly became as Lennie in the acclaimed movie, “Of Mice and Men”. But Universal saw an opening with his name and created a semi-monster role in “Man Made Monster”. That movie was a critical and commercial hit which set the stage for another project. Enter the Wolfman. Let’s examine the career path here: PLUMBER=DEPRESSION=UNEMPLOYMENT=FAILED ACTING CAREER= NAME CHANGE= NEW OPPORTUNITIES=ICONIC MONSTER. What were the chances?

If that’s not enough, let’s also not forget they started filming the Wolfman before they even had much of a working script. Universal just saw this as a project for Chaney Jr. So they came to writer Curt Siodmak and essentially said, “We’re making a movie next week. Find us a script and oh by the way it’s called the Wolfman.”

Curt moved forward and weaved this incredible myth regarding the Wolfman legend and even wrote a poem to enhance the idea so strongly that many people, to this day, believe it was borrowed from actual historical references. And the best part still? The poem made greater emphasis to the wolfbane blooming as the reason for the transformation than the moon itself. Note there is no initial reference to it having to be a full moon. Hence why there are no actual shots of the full moon in the original tale. Another happy accident that is modified and used to iconic fashion in it’s sequel Frankenstein meets the Wolfman.

So every step along the way the Wolfman became this iconic monster through scores of unrelated events that somehow found their way into this singular project. And even the omissions, like the full moon, went on to be added ideas that people assume were there all along. It’s really one of the great stories in the history of movies. And the best part? It all seems to be held together by fate which is the very premise of the story. Crazy...

[Earth 2 Chris]

Well said Tom. We don't even get silver bullets until the next film. And these films rewrote, or cemented the werewolf myth, just as Stoker's novel had done for the vampire myth 50 years earlier.

I think the Wolf Man character SHOULD be the linchpin of this new Universal Monster Universe of films. He was in the previous version, being the most popular monster character of the 40s, and obviously the most relatable. Finding someone who can evoke sympathy like Chaney is another matter. I think he channeled the rough life he had lived into his roles, particularly Larry Talbot. I think he is vastly underrated as an actor. His performance as Lenny should have gotten him an Oscar, but then we may not have gotten all his monster roles if it had.

Chris

[MIB41]

^^^Absolutely. You know, I don’t think there is anyone who can ever replace Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence Talbot. The period that film was made, I believe, has as much to do with the timeliness of the character as his performance. There is a naïveté in his character that is not passable with today’s audiences and that’s tragic. Unfortunately today’s audience wants something more intricately woven. They want a dark side.

I like Lawrence Talbot because he’s truly the every-man. Before this curse/affliction he has goals, desires, and ambitions like any person would have. But he’s also grounded with a kind of morality that makes him understand the gravity of his situation once he realizes he’s killing people. I’ve never seen any actor carry a more guilt ridden expression than Lon Chaney Jr. Even my dogs can not approach the level of regret as he exudes and that’s saying something. But I also think that is the rub in why it works.

If we didn’t have a man who was unabashedly moral in his convictions as a person, no one could feel the gravity of his circumstances. Lawrence Talbot is truly living in quiet desperation who wants ‘only to die’ so he can spare the world and himself of this accursed monster. There’s nobility in that which is virtually nonexistent in characters today. And that is also why we champion him. We don’t like to see him suffer and we want him to find an alternative to death. That’s the endless cycle to his dilemma that keeps every story fascinating.

It’s my opinion that if you didn’t have his character and his struggles in these monster ensemble pieces, none of them would have worked at all. In the midst of really color-by-the-numbers monsters, his story is what really grounds it all and allows us, as viewers, to buy into the lunacy of the moment because we care what happens to him.