Along with Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and The Mummy, The Wolf Man is one of the most ferocious and formidable foes in Universal's Classic Monsters series. While introduced by the studio as early as 1935, the character was made most famous by Lon Chaney Jr. after playing the title role in the 1941 movie The Wolf Man.
The Wolf Man has not only inspired countless werewolf horror movies, but it also laid the blueprint and shaped the way Hollywood would depict the lethal lycanthrope for decades to come. The newest iteration of the character is set to be played by Ryan Gosling in the 2021 reboot of The Wolf Man, with Leigh Whannell attached to direct. Until that day comes, here's how the films featuring the Wolf Man have fared.
Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012) 5.1/10
Also known as Wolfman 2, Universal's 2012 horror movie Werewolf: The Beast Among Us was originally conceived to be a sequel to the big-budget 2010 remake of The Wolfman, starring Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.
However, when the 2010 redo failed both critically and commercially, the film was refashioned as a standalone story. Filmed in Transylvania by director Louis Morneau, the movie tracks a young medical student named Daniel (Guy Wilson), who joins a band of hunters in the 19th century to capture a mysterious lycanthropic beast skulking in the woods.
She-Wolf Of London (1946) 5.3/10
She-Wolf of London is an 11-year sequel to Werewolf of London, the first Universal monster movie to feature the character that would eventually evolve into The Wolf Man. All three films are included on Universal's The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection DVD released in 2004.
Directed by Jean Yarbrough, She-Wolf of London concerns a rash of grisly murders taking place in a London park. The police suspect a human culprit until they eventually discover a rabid female werewolf (June Lockhart) ravaging the local townsfolk.
House Of Dracula (1945) 5.8/10
In Universal's classic monster movie House of Dracula, The titular vampiric count (John Carradine) and The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) seek to rid their innate evil with the help of Dr. Franz Edlemann (Onslow Stevens).
Although Dracula's desire to cure his vampirism is a trick to woo the doctor's daughter, Wolf Man Lawrence Talbot genuinely wants to change his ways. After a failed suicide attempt, Talbot finds an underground labyrinth where Frankenstein's Monster lies dormant. In the end, a battle between all three monsters ensues.
The Wolfman (2010) 5.8/10
Despite earning legendary makeup artist Rick Baker an Oscar Award, Joe Johnston's 2010 remake of The Wolfman was so universally panned by critics and filmgoers alike that all but killed any chance for a sequel.
Beset by last-minute directorial replacements, lengthy reshoots, release delays, and the rest, The Wolfman is an honest and straightforward remake of the 1941 original. Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, an American actor who slowly transmutes into a slavering animalistic beast upon sustaining a werewolf bite.
House Of Frankenstein (1944) 6.3/10
In Erle C. Kenton's House of Frankenstein, a crazy doctor (Boris Karloff) escapes from an insane asylum and seeks the help of Dracula (John Carradine), Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange), and The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) to serve revenge on those who put him away.
The film was also set to feature Universal's Mummy character, Kharis, but the limited budget prohibited his inclusion. Bela Lugosi was also set to play Dracula but the shooting was delayed too long for him to accommodate his schedule.
Werewolf Of London (1935) 6.4/10
As mentioned above, the 1935 release of Werewolf of London is the first time a killer werewolf appeared in a Universal movie. Although the title character played by Henry Hull is vastly different than Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man, it began the studio's evolution of the character.
Following his quest for a rare flower in Tibet, botanist Wilfred Glendon (Hull) returns home to witness a spate of grisly slayings that point to an inhuman culprit. With the healing powers of the rare flower as his only hope, Glendon sets out to ward off a pack of voracious werewolves.
Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) 6.5/10
Following the 1941 original film, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man marks the second time Lon Chaney Jr. portrayed the baleful beast onscreen. This time out, Lawrence Talbot enlists the help of demented Doctor Frankenstein to rid his evil streak while also squaring off with the thawed-out Frankenstein's Monster (Bela Lugosi).
However, when Dr. Frankenstein turns out to be dead, Talbot seeks help from his daughter Elsa (Ilona Massey). The monster is discovered in Frankenstein's castle, prompting an epic scuffle between it and the transformed Wolf Man.
The Monster Squad (1987) 7.1/10
Although The Monster Squad does not belong to the Universal canon, it clearly pays homage to the studio's classic monster movie lineup. In addition to the Wolfman (Carl Thibault), Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr), Frankenstein's Monster (Tom Noonan), and Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay) are all on display.
The classic 80s horror-comedy follows a ragtag band of preteen misfits called The Monster Squad who share a love of old horror movies. When the kids learn their town has been overrun by Dracula and his monstrous minions, they heroically step up to save the world from oblivion.
The Wolf Man (1941) 7.3/10
George Waggner's The Wolf Man is the second-best film the Universal character has appeared in, according to IMDb. In addition to Lon Chaney Jr. starring as the original titular terror, the film stars early Hollywood luminaries Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi, and Ralph Bellamy.
Upon return to his father's Welsh castle, Lawrence Talbot (Chaney Jr.) meets a ravishing woman whom he escorts to a nearby carnival. After meeting a cryptic fortune teller, Talbot is bitten by a ravenous beast before ultimately transforming into a half-man-half-werewolf mutation with a taste for human blood.
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) 7.4/10
In the slapstick comedy Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Lon Chaney Jr. plays Lawrence Talbot aka The Wolf Man for the fourth and final time.
The story finds Wolf Man attempting to warn an unwise bellhop (Lou Costello) that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) plans to steal his brain to implant in the head of Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange). When Dracula kidnaps the porter, Wolf Man teams with the porter's partner Chick (Bud Abbott) to save his life in the nick of time.