Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man *** (1943, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr, Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Maria Ouspenskaya) – Classic Movie Review 2771

Or rather The Frankenstein Monster Meets the Wolf Man. Director Roy William Neill’s 1943 horror movie stars Bela Lugosi, who makes his only appearance as the Frankenstein Monster, and Lon Chaney Jr, who returns as Lawrence ‘Larry’ Talbot, the hairy Wolf Man.

When the Wolf Man meets the Frankenstein Monster instead of Dr Frankenstein and therefore doesn’t get his promised cure, he goes barking mad and the two creatures end up doing battle.

Talbot is brought back from the grave in an operation by kindly Dr Mannering and then told by old gypsy lady Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) to visit Dr Frankenstein. He proves to be dead, but they do find Frankenstein’s daughter. Looking for Frankenstein ‘s papers containing the secrets of life and death, Talbot goes to the ruins of the Frankenstein castle and chips the Frankenstein Monster out of a block of ice – and then promptly changes into the Wolf Man.

Writer Curt Siodmak plays around the monster movie clichés quite effectively and it is a sometimes impressive monster movie, with Chaney Jr on good form and tight, moody direction by Neill. It also stars Ilona Massey as Baroness Elsa Frankenstein, Patric Knowles as Dr Mannering, Lionel Atwill as the Mayor and Dennis Hoey as Inspector Owen, with Dwight Frye as Rudi.

The monster make-up is by the legendary Universal Studio artist Jack Pierce.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man forms a twin sequel to both The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man. House of Frankenstein (1944) follows.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2771

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