#207: Frankeinstein meets the Wolfman, Movies recommended or seen lately... les films a voir

Genre: Horror/Horreur

Annee/Year: 1943

Format: DVD

Frankeinstein meets the Wolfman. Another universal classic from the vaults. This is again early 1940's black and white film with absolutely great sets. This movie directed by Roy William Neill, a prolific director who between 1917-1946 completed over 100 movies. This is the only well known horror movie genre movie he produced; he was very well known for his multiple Sherlock Holmes movies. Roy put together an excellent cast for this movie: Lon Chaney jr playing the Wolfman, Bela Lugosi playing the Frankeinstein monster, Patrick Knowles as the doctor Mannering and the beautiful Ilona Massey as Baroness Elsa Frankeinstein. Chaney plays again an excellent Wolfman role though not as seminal as the original one but we were glad to see him back. Lugosi is not as convincing in the monster role as Karloff was in the previous movies. He should have stuck with Dracula. Ilona Massey is literally shining on the screen as the lovely and innocent baroness.

In the movie we see some grave robbers who mistakenly expose the long dead body of the Wolfman to the moonlight; this brings him back to life and after getting rid of our robbers he sets out to find a cure for his lycanthropy. He turns to the expertise of the Dr Frankeinstein to find his final rest. He travels to Frankeinstein original town to find out he is past away. While looking for something useful he finds the monster who is stuck in the ice and frees him. Originally buddies the two monsters eventually turns against each other. A classic in the series but it is more a wolfman movie than a Frankeinstein movie. Without the old doctor and Karloff the movie definitely rests on Chaney and his relation with the baroness. Unfortunaltey the dark side of the story is intricate and not so interesting. Only for absolute fans of Universal classics.

Frankeinstein meets the Wolfman. Un autre film classique des voutes Universal. Ce film a été réalisé par Roy William Neill (qui a complété plus de cents films enre 1917-46) qui est connus pour ses films de Sherlock Holmes. Pour ce film, Neill a utilisé une distribution forte: Lon Chaney jr y joue le loup-garou, Talbot, et il est vraiment la star du film. L`histoire repose presque entièrement sur lui. Bela Lugosi joue le rôle du monstre de Frankeinstein; celui-ci nèst pas vraiment convaincant comme monstre et a tout a envier a Boris Karloff. Patrick Knowles joue le rôle du docteur Mannering (ca prend bien un docteur qui dérape) et la très jolie Ilona Massey tien le rôle de la Baronesse Elsa Frankeinstein qui brille literallement sur l`écran.

L`histoire est compliquée et sans grand intéret. Le jeu entre Chaney et Massey soutient lìntéret du film et l`histoire peut se resumer a un retour a la vie accidentel du loup-garoû après huit ans lorsque sont corps est placée en contact avec la lumière de la pleine lune par des voleurs de tombeaux. Celui-ci se met à la recherche d`un procédé pour retouver la paix éternelle. Il croit que le docteur Frankeinstein pourrait l`aider mais il est décédé auparavant. Talbot fait donc appel à l`héritière de Frankeinstein qui lui donnera les notes du docteur pour qu`il arrive a ses fins. Entretemps Talbot découvre les reste congelés du monstre dans la cave des ruines du chateau. Il le dégage ce qui ramène le monstre à la vie. D`abord amis les deux monstres entreront éventuellement en conflit pour la scène ultime du film. À voir pour les grands amateurs des classiques unversal ou de Massey.

Great quotes:

Maleva: He is not insane. He simply wants to die.
...
Inspector Owen: This is Inspector Owen speaking, in Cardiff. Have you got anything in your files about a man named...
Llanwelly Police Sergeant: Lawrence Talbot? Why of course, he lived here.
Inspector Owen: Well, that's all right, then. We've got him up here in our hospital.
Llanwelly Police Sergeant: I wouldn't want him in *our* hospital; he died four years ago!
...
Vazec: There, that's his burial place. A fire destroyed him and all his misdeeds.
Maleva: He is dead?
Lawrence Talbot: Oh but he can't be!
Vazec: He didn't die any too soon for us; we all wished he'd never been born!
...
Lawrence Talbot: Why have you followed me?
Dr. Frank Mannering: Talbot, you're a murderer.
Lawrence Talbot: Prove it.
Dr. Frank Mannering: You're insane at times and you know it. You're sane enough now though to know what you're doing. Why don't you let me take care of you?
Lawrence Talbot: You think it would do any good to put me in a lunatic asylum?
Dr. Frank Mannering: You know that's where you belong. It's the only thing to do.
Lawrence Talbot: Oh that wouldn't do any good. I'd only escape again sooner or later.
Dr. Frank Mannering: We might be able to cure you. It might prevent you...
Lawrence Talbot: I only want to die. That's why I'm here. If I ever find peace I'll find it here.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035899/maindetails

Rating perso: 6.0/10