Larry Talbot returns to Wales from America after being away for 18 years. He’s back to attend his brothers funeral and reunite with his estranged father. One night when he’s taking a walk with a pretty woman he’s chatted up, she is attacked by a wolf until Larry intervenes to save her. He is bitten mud-attack though and quickly realises that he is now a werewolf.

A fine cast (Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, Ralph ‘Adrian Mercado’ Bellamy) are on top form with The Wolf Man being the key text for outlining and putting into place the genre conventions regarding werewolfs (full moon, silver being the only thing to kill a lycanthrope, gypsies, pentagrams), many of which were casually referenced and gently parodied years later in The Howling.

There’s also an interesting theory floated that the werewolf actually represents the good and bad within everyone.

The wolf man transformation is very good and he is truly fear-inducing too.

This is a likeable romp and deserves the acclaim history has assigned it.

3.5 out of 5 stars