Even man who is pure at heart

And this is where the film shines. First in doubt, then in confusion and finally complete and total panic knowing that he no longer controls himself or his actions. And Cheney plays this well. Now, there are many who may disagree with me, but Lon Cheney Jr.

He does, however, play sensitive and vulnerable well. And to be fair the film does play this up more than anything else. And there is something missing. It has all the classic elements you need for a horror film: Boy comes to strange town. Boy meets beautiful woman. Boy becomes a horrendous killing machine before being killed by estranged father.

What is missing I guess are the elements that are just hinted about. For instance, the idea that lycanthropy is a psychological disorder rather than a physical one.

There is no suspense or doubt in our minds, but it could have been played quite differently. This is brought to a head in the scene in a church where the parishioners turn to stare him down as if he were not welcome, forcing him to stalk off in embarrassment.

Estranged and aloof, he cares more for the family honor than the wellbeing of his son. That is until it is too late. All of these themes could have been, and screamed out to be, explored further in subsequent films.

Despite its flaws, the Wolf Man is still a wonderful little film. It inspired me as a boy, both consciously and unconsciously, to play and to think. And I hope that somewhere there is still a kid in a flannel shirt and a floppy wig and plastic teeth exploring the wildness of their own nature by the light of a full moon. Monster Memories is an ongoing feature that looks at classic horror films and TV from the perspective of how I remember them as a child and comparing them to how I see them today as an adult.

View Larger Image. What I Remember…. The werewolf was always to be destroyed. What I Think Now…. Post Views: 3, Related Posts. October 26th, 0 Comments. October 19th, 0 Comments. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Go to Top. Create a new account. Log In. Select another language:. Please enter your email address: Submit. Powered by CITE. Know another quote from Wolf Man? Don't let people miss on a great quote from the "Wolf Man" movie - add it here!

Add a Quote. Our favorite collection of Famous Movies ». Gus Van Sant - Taxi Driver. Martin Scorsese - The Green Mile. Frank Darabont - The Matrix. Andy Wachowski - Rowdy Herrington - Die Hard. John McTiernan -