Curt Siodmak (1902–2000)

“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”

Universal was famous for their horror films and “The Wolf Man” is one of their most entertaining. Foggy sets, a great cast and an atmospheric score from musical director Charles Previn offer late-night fun for classic film fans.

Lon Chaney Jr., son of one of the great actors of the silent film era, stars as Larry Talbot. He has come home to Talbot Castle after the tragic death of his older brother. Talbot Castle is the family estate, and returning to see his father (Claude Rains), Larry finds himself surrounded by old legends of men who transform into wolves at the full moon. He dismisses them as nonsense in the beginning, finding something much more pleasant to focus on in Gwen (Evelyn Ankers). Romantic touches such as Larry first spotting Gwen through his telescope and immediately becoming smitten offer old-fashioned charm, making the events which follow that much more tragic.

While Larry is wooing Gwen, her best friend, Jenny (Fay Helm) is attacked in the woods by something once a man, but no longer human. When Larry rushes to save her he is bitten by the mysterious creature, which suddenly, and inexplicably, proves to be a man. That is the least of Larry’s worries, however, as he has been bitten while trying to save her. Maria Ouspenskaya nearly steals the film as the knowing gypsy woman who foresees his dark future and tries to help. Once Larry suspects the legends are true and no one is safe, he turns over the charm given him for protection to Gwen, praying she will not need it.

Curt Siodmak’s original screenplay has just the right mix of romance and horror to make this one of the most famous and entertaining of Universal’s horror films, catapulting him to prominence in the genre. The former reporter began his long and fruitful association with the film industry in the 1920s, with Fritz Lang’s famous Metropolis. His reputation in Hollywood has grown over the decades. The Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur masterpiece, I Walked With a Zombie, is even listed among his screen credits.

This film sparked the career of the lovely Evelyn Ankers, who went on to star in many of Universal’s horror and mystery films during that productive cycle. She looks too pretty for words in Vera Ralston’s gowns and makes the perfect heroine to Chaney’s tortured character in The Wolf Man. Their romance is actually at the heart of this film, everything poignant because Larry has everything to live for in Gwen.

Ralph Bellamy as Colonel Montford, Warren William as Doctor Lloyd, Patrick Knowles as Larry’s rival for Gwen’s affections, Frank Andrews, and Bela Lugosi as the gypsy, Bela, round out an excellent cast. This is about as much fun as you can have on a rainy night with the lights down and a big bowl of popcorn in your lap. Don’t miss it!… (meer)

“There's no beauty here, only death and decay. Everything dies here. Even the stars.” — Paul Holland

Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur teamed up to create another atmospheric masterpiece in the horror genre in I Walked With a Zombie. RKO’s Roy Webb once again supplied an appropriately moody score in this film of mystery and voodoo. Lewton proved that a big budget wasn’t everything with a string of films made during the 1940s now highly regarded as some of the finest in the genre. Photographer J. Roy Hunt deserves some credit here as well; his use of black and white to create a mood both eerie and real is a big plus.

Underrated Frances Dee stars as the Canadian nurse offered a job on a sugar plantation in St. Sebastion in the West Indies. Her thoughts of palm trees and ocean breezes lead her to accept, but the viewer senses danger when she is asked whether she believes in witchcraft before consenting. She meets the enigmatic Paul Holland on the ship and in no time falls in love with her lush surroundings and the enigmatic Paul. His wife Jessica is ill and unresponsive. She is the reason Paul’s half-brother Wesley drinks. Dee learns the real story while lunching with Wes, when a song played by the locals at the cafe reveals all.

Dee is lovely and genuine here, giving a nice performance. She honestly misreads Paul’s feelings about his wife. A walk through a cane field by someone on a windy night is particularly eerie. Like many of Lewton’s best efforts in the genre, I Walked With a Zombie is dreamlike and darkly romantic, a foreboding hovering over every frame, even in brighter moments. There is almost a gothic feel to this one. If Rebecca or Jane Eyre were filmed as horror stories, on a much smaller budget, they would be I Walked With a Zombie.

This is a cinematic masterpiece and a must-see film for fans of classic films. Just don't watch it alone on a dark and rainy night.… (meer)