Frankenstein contro l'uomo lupo

Though not nearly up to the standards and fun level of "Ghost Of Frankenstein", this neat little Universal gem has it's heart in the right place! Wonderful opening sequence in the graveyard, plenty of atmosphere, typically gorgeous Universal studio sets and it's famous monsters! What more can you ask for? Chaney is superb as the tormented Larry Talbot but Bela leaves quite a bit to be desired as the monster. Universal would have been better off using Glen Strange one film earlier instead of waiting for 1944's "House Of Frankenstein". All in all, a fun film that staggers a bit after a rip-roaring start!

Wolfman Larry Talbot searches after Dr. Frankenstein's secrets of life and death so he can be released from his wolfman curse. The search entails traveling to the dead doctor's castle where Talbot must unearth Frankenstein's monster. Trouble ensues.

Credit Universal's production crew for making the movie very watchable for horror film fans. From art direction to special effects to set design, the movie's a visual treat. The crumbling dam and collapsing towers are really well done, especially for a non-digital era. Story-wise, the 80-minutes is okay, but for me didn't generate much nail-biting or shudders. The makeup on the Wolfman is scary and the best part, but frankly Frankie is something of a joke, the makeup more like a Halloween mask. The monster brawl, however, is the movie high point that features some good stunt work, a battle between agility vs. strength. Then too, because Chaney just naturally projects a mournful quality (check out Of Mice and Men {1939}), he is again a rather sympathetic figure as the Wolfman. But why does Massie get star-billing when she really has few lines and little screen time; at the same time, the delicious old hag Ouspenskaya is largely wasted. And catch mad scientist Lionel Atwill in a respectable role for a change as the town mayor. All in all, it's a better than average horror flick, thanks mainly to Universal's practiced production crew.

Of all of the later Frankenstein movies made by Universal, this one seems to be overlooked when compared to the previous "Ghost of Frankenstein" or the campy fun of "House of Frankenstein". Nevertheless, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" is probably the best of the bunch.

A direct sequel to both "The Wolf Man" and "Ghost of Frankenstein", the plot follows Larry Talbot (played again by Lon Chaney Jr.), the werewolf, who realizes that he can't die. In order to find inner peace he is on a quest for death, and Maleva, the gypsy, takes him to Vasaria, in order to fin Dr. Frankenstein. When they realize that Frankenstein is dead, Talbot finds the Creature (Bela Lugosi), now with Ygor's brain but severely damaged. When a doctor teams up with Talbot in order to help him, the Wolf Man won't be happy to discover the doctor's true intentions.

This movie is carried by Chaney Jr. who is totally inside the character of the Wolf Man. It is probably Chaney's best performance as beast, and he steals every scene he is in. As Talbot, he shows the horrible trauma of being an unwilling murderer, giving the character a greater presence that fills the screen with charm.

Bela Lugosi, as the creature, has more troubles to be satisfying, but it is important to note that most of his scenes were changed as the previous subplot of Ygor's brain was abandoned. Bad choice since the first scenes with the monster show him confused and blind without giving any explanation. The poor editing is responsible of Lugosi's apparent bad performance.

The rest of the cast is surprisingly good, with old friends like Lionel Atwill and Dwight Frye in small supporting roles. Beautiful Ilona Massey plays Elsa Frankenstein who in an odd change appears as a cold smart businesswoman vastly different from the character's traits in "Ghost of Frankenstein". Nevertheless, Massey plays the role with grace and her beauty shines in the screen.

Director Roy William Neill, known for his Sherlock Holmes movies, does a superior work than predecessor Erle C. Kenton and makes the most of his actors. Depsite the plot holes of the story and the awful changes the studio made to the original script, the movie flows with a good pace.

The whole atmosphere is an improvement that while it never reaches the levels of "Bride" or "Son", works very well and give the film a distinctive look.

Overall, a worthy addition to the Frankenstein saga, that even when it certainly could have been better, it is an enjoyable underrated movie. 7/10

MORD39 RATING: ***(of ****)

It's the first Monster Mash teamup movie, a Universal Classic, and curiously panned nowadays.

Lon Chaney gives his most heartfelt performance this time as doomed werewolf Larry Talbot. He seeks the help of the second son of Dr. Frankenstein, but ultimately crosses paths with the Frankenstein Monster instead.

As originally scripted and shot, the monster was to be blind and sick, as the climax of the previous GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN left off. It is actually Ygor's brain that is in the monster's head, and therefore Bela Lugosi was an inspired choice to play the creature. Critics have unfairly lambasted Bela's performance, but in truth it's really brilliant when taken in its original context: the creature blindly stumbles around with out-stretched arms, appearing awkward and searching for strength. Lugosi had much dialogue as first shot, but legend claims that it sounded too funny at test screenings, so all language and references to the monster's violence were edited out! Let's remember that Bela Lugosi was playing the monster in a way that was never attempted before. As intended, this film would have been much more acceptable as Talbot and the monster would discuss their plan to find Frankenstein's diary and use the information to their own ends: Talbot to find a way to die, the monster to gain back his strength.

With great music and nostalgic atmosphere to boot, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN is good, clean fun from the innocent days of Universal Horrors.

"Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943) is, in the opinion of this reviewer, the last of the really good Universal monster features. It is definitely not in the same league as the the early James Whale and Todd Browning classics (e.g., "Frankenstein," "The Bride of Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Invisible Man," etc.). Nor is it quite as strong as "The Son of Frankenstein." But it easily rivals "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and far surpasses the two House Of films ("House of Frankenstein" and "House of Dracula"). Lon Chaney Jr. is even better in this film than he is in the original "Wolf Man" (1941). And Lugosi is an impressive Frankenstein's monster, despite the studio's decision to cut references from the film to his blindness (a condition suffered by the monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein") and his dialogue (again, from acquiring the brain of Ygor in "Ghost"). The film is beautifully photographed, well acted and a unique departure from previous Universal monster fests in the way it teams up two legendary creatures. It's a splendid later entry in the Universal horror cycle. After this, the universal horror films left much to be desired, at least until the magnificent "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948). I still put "Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" in the DVD player if I'm feeling like watching what in my opinion is the studio's finest wartime horror film.