my problem from the get go
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
MWeber935 — 16 years ago(January 19, 2010 09:41 PM)
This was the film that threw out the logic established in the previous films. They clearly state in The Wolf Man that you can destroy a werewolf with a silver weapon, and they do, twice in the film. In this film, suddenly he's back from THE DEAD! Why? How? Why didn't he come back to life in his grave earlier? There were other full moons since his father killed him. And in the previous film he transforms without the moon passing over his body, so it's not that.
It's interesting that the clever continuity they did keep, casting Lugosi to play Igor/Monster, is the thing they cut. Dumb.
From here it was just downhill. -
tbrittreid — 16 years ago(January 25, 2010 01:23 PM)
What happened is that the grave robbers opened Talbot's crypt and more importantly his coffin so that the full moon shone directly on his body, reviving him. He had been shielded from previous post-mortem full moons by the crypt and coffin being closed. Note the expression on gypsy woman Maleva's face when Larry finds her. She's utterly flabbergasted by his arrival, and perhaps wondering if her son might ought to be dug up.
The GREEN HORNET Strikes Again! -
haristas — 16 years ago(January 26, 2010 08:04 AM)
I think it's kind of silly to expect any sort of logic from these films. Why were the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula and the Mummy able to come back to life again and again? To make more money for Universal, of course! There's your logic.
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zeta1983-1 — 16 years ago(February 25, 2010 06:30 PM)
"I think it's kind of silly to expect any sort of logic from these films. Why were the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula and the Mummy able to come back to life again and again? To make more money for Universal, of course! There's your logic."
Well put! I watched this the other day and was thinking "Wait didn't Frankenstein and the Wolfman die?!" But no, so long as there is possibility of a profitable sequel they are effectively immortal, the only thing that can kill them is low box office sales. -
brand78 — 15 years ago(January 26, 2011 06:29 AM)
You are quite correct haristas - these films can never be consonant with reality. I have always liked Lon Chayney and I think that the opening scene in this movie of a stormy night in a cemetery is impressive. 8 marks out of ten.
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chongajuly — 15 years ago(March 29, 2011 06:05 PM)
Not only did the grave robbers open Talbot's casket, revealing his corpse to the rays of the full moon (which we never saw in THE WOLF MAN, which used the line "the autumn moon is bright"), but they also removed the wolfbane that covered the body. To see the clawed hand reach out and touch someone is to watch Universal at its peak. The music was never scarier, and while Frankenstein was short changed, the Wolf Man never was.
"I take pleasure in great beauty" - James Bond -
CamelCamelCamel — 14 years ago(May 05, 2011 10:03 AM)
I stand (very!) corrected about the movies never telling us how to kill Frankenstein's monster! But in any case, no weakness has become part of the character's myth the way silver has become part of the Wolf Man's myth.
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olblueeyes40 — 16 years ago(March 06, 2010 01:05 PM)
First of all, let it be said that I'm a HUGE fan of these Universal films. However, the series contains numerous flaws that it's not even funny. (Well, I guess it is). My biggest beef has always been introducing the same great actors in these films but playing different parts. Perfect example, Lionel Atwill. First he's the Inspector, then a scientist, then the mayor etc etc.
Secondly, you have half the local residents reminiscing at times about their previous run-ins with various monsters, and the other half still denying that such things even exist! Example again, in House of Frankenstein.the local police tell Karloff's character that they've had peace since the Frankenstein monster and Wolfman were killed. Same moviethe local mayor scoffs at the Dracula legend as being "gibberishsuperstitious nonsense!" What's up with that? I guess the dear mayor wasn't kept in the loop about such matters?
ButI still cherish these films! -
haristas — 16 years ago(March 06, 2010 10:50 PM)
I think the case with Lionel Atwill was HE NEEDED THE MONEY! So, he was willing to accept whatever Universal would pay him, which wasn't much, but at least Atwill had a job and Universal had something of a name in its supporting cast. The reality of Hollywood movies and its actors, even the stars, is that you're basically just looking at people making a living.
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powersroc — 15 years ago(October 25, 2010 12:10 PM)
I love this movie,& the Wolfman is my favorite of the Universal monsters.Have to say though,if Talbot was so desperate to die why make it such a complicated matter? Purchase a gun,make silver bullets,get someone to shoot him dead. End of problem.
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tbrittreid — 15 years ago(October 25, 2010 01:29 PM)
Well, that's pretty close to what happens in the next entry,
House of Frankenstein
(1944), but Larry nevertheless turns up alive and growling in
House of Dracula
(1945), and for the first time no hint of an explanation!
The GREEN HORNET Strikes Again! -
CamelCamelCamel — 15 years ago(October 28, 2010 08:44 PM)
Bit of a spoiler there, tbrittreid.
Making Lawrence Talbot an unwilling immortal made him an interesting and sympathetic character, so I'm willing to overlook the inconsistent "reality." I do think it's different from Frankenstein's Monster's unexplained longevity, though, because in none of the Frankenstein movies was it made a plot point exactly how he could be killed! As far as the movies have told us, he can't be killed. -
tbrittreid — 15 years ago(October 29, 2010 01:58 PM)
Good point about the spoiler; I should have put a warning on.
Actually, this very film states categorically that Mannering could have killed the Monster by drawing off his energies with the very equipment with which the doctor instead instilled "full power" into him.
The GREEN HORNET Strikes Again! -
rixrex — 14 years ago(July 23, 2011 10:45 PM)
How are any of these Universal immortal monsters any different from modern horror film antagonists?
Jason is killed and always comes back, same with Michael Myers, same with Freddy Kreuger, same with every other monster, demon or ogre type that needs resurrecting for a sequel.
Even the one character who is an actual mortal human, Leatherface, manages to always survive.
And as far as actors filling various roles, Universal had studio contracts for many of them, so they were stuck in wherever needed.
The saddest thing about this one film of the series is that we can never see the film as it was written, meaning the whole brain of Ygor in the monster and how Lugosi played it, conversing with Chaney and all. See, that would never happen now, it's too valuable to throw away the alternate versions with the ability to re-release and resell the movie again and again.
If you ever get to read the original storyline, it's pretty darn good.
The Eyes of the City are Mine!
Mother Pressman / Anguish (1987) -
Skye_Reynolds — 9 years ago(October 31, 2016 12:51 PM)
The Wolf Man was such a great tragedy that I almost hate to see Larry Talbot brought back. If it weren't for Lon Chaney's performance, I'd almost feel like it might have been better to go the same route as
The Invisible Man
and just make it a new werewolf each time.