Once DEAD MANS EYES was finished, Lon Chaney took a second break from the Inner Sanctums to return to his most famous role of Larry Talbot aka The Wolf Man, for a third time in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (filmed Apr 4-May 8 1944), the only time he was listed in the credits as Larry Talbot, and the only instance at Universal that the actor accepted second billing in a horror film; understandable in that Boris Karloff had only recently ended his 3 year run in Broadways ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, here coming off his first color film, THE CLIMAX. The latest incarnation of Frankensteins Monster was Glenn Strange, already a werewolf in PRCs THE MAD MONSTER, and now inheriting another role essayed by Chaney, while the new Dracula would be capably rendered by John Carradine, whose careful underplaying ironically mirrored Chaneys 1943 portrayal, itself quite different from Bela Lugosis otherworldly 1931 original. In between Oscar nominated roles in SAHARA and A MEDAL FOR BENNY, J. Carrol Naish joined as the hunchback Daniel, while top billed Karloff served as mad scientist and ringleader Gustav Niemann, whose brother assisted Dr. Frankenstein and learned all of his secrets, taking advantage of a prison break to avenge himself on those who put him away while hoping to complete his resurrection of The Monster. George Zucco cameos as Prof. Bruno Lampini, whose traveling Chamber of Horrors includes the actual skeleton of Count Dracula, a useful tool to use against the pompous mayor of Reigelberg (Sig Ruman), in particular his lovely daughter-in-law Rita (Anne Gwynne). Lionel Atwill cameos as Inspector Arnz, Carradines Dracula using his signet ring to cast his eternal spell over the entranced Rita; the resultant horseback chase, mandated no doubt by producer Paul Malvern (a veteran of many Westerns), finds the desperate vampire struggling to return to his coffin, quickly discarded by the treacherous Niemann to avoid the pursuant posse. Draculas hasty demise precedes the introduction of Elena Verdugos dancing gypsy girl Ilonka, who decides to travel with Niemann and Daniel after being abandoned by her people. We then come to the icy ruins of Frankensteins estate, where The Wolf Man and The Monster remain frozen in time since their climactic duel in FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. Lon Chaneys Larry Talbot now enters at the 37 minute mark, roughly the halfway point, presenting Niemann with the Frankenstein records, unhappy to once again be among the living but hopeful that Niemann will keep his promise to rid him of his bestial curse. Ilonka finds herself attracted to Larry, but sadly proves unable to shake the lycanthrope of his despondence. Like Lon Chaneys Quasimodo, in love with gypsy Esmeralda, Naishs Daniel is also a lovelorn pitiful creature, helplessly watching the relationship between Talbot and Ilonka, a welcome love interest for the Chaney character, offering a new twist to the legend that was repeatedly used by Paul Naschy for decades to come, that the werewolf could only be killed by a silver bullet fired by the hand of someone who loves him enough to understand. His first transformation comes at 54 minutes, stepping out into the moonlight as the camera tracks his changing footprints, the second 10 minutes later, viewed through a mirror, Ilonka unable to shoot until the beast attacks, Talbot expiring with a look of peace on his face. This turn of events leaves Daniel heartbroken, his subsequent attack on Niemann cut short by The Monsters intervention, Glenn Strange finally allowed to get off his duff and do some damage; it aint much but its better than the rushed climax from HOUSE OF DRACULA (Karloff wisely taking a DEEP breath before going down for the last time, not returning to Universal until 1948s TAP ROOTS). Chaney may not have been happy about his reduced screen time, 13 1/2 minutes in all, and only a minute and 1/2 in full makeup, but his innate sincerity ably conveys the tragedy inherent in his feelings for Ilonka. Also pleasing the actor a great deal was being allowed to display his romantic side, even more so in the next entry HOUSE OF DRACULA. Next up, back to the Inner Sanctum with THE FROZEN GHOST.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 05:52:19 +0000
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