The Werewolf of London

So is this is where it all started? Whilst most of us assume Larry Talbot's 'The Wolf Man' was the first, it was actually preceded by this lycanthropic outing some six years earlier. Well, this was certainly the first of the Werewolf talkies, though Universal had already produced a silent movie called 'The Werewolf' in 1913.
I was really pleased to receive this disc (and its companion: 'She Wolf of London') as it supplemented my existing Universal 'legacy' collection perfectly. Having acquired a 'lite' version of the Legacy Box Set a year or so ago, I was so impressed with the quality of transfers and commentaries that I immediately ordered the fuller 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' legacy sets, both R1 as no R2 alternatives were available. I didn't stretch to the 'Wolfman' legacy set though it was certainly on my hit-list.

'Werewolf of London' is another very fine transfer of a thoroughly enjoyable movie though it doesn't quite match the melancholic brilliance of 'The Wolf Man'. However, there is much in common with both films and you have to keep reminding yourself that this one came first and should get its dues.

Though the make-up is less impressive, and the transitions certainly less so (in one case happening as he disappears behind posts when walking through frame), there is still much to enjoy. There is more than a nod towards Frankenstein - the star here is a 'mad scientist' so-consumed by his work that nothing else really matters. Pale and almost Nosferatu-like in appearance, Henry Hull plays the part of Glendon with some real intensity, stealing all the limelight until Warner Oland (previously famed as Charlie Chan) enters the story as the mysterious and knowing Dr. Yogami.



So how does the plot unfold? The movie starts when botanist Dr. Wilfred Glendon (played by a gaunt, Nosferatu like Henry Hull) is in Tibet searching for "marifasa lumina lupina" a rare plant which only blooms during a full moon.

Having been warned off searching for the plant, he decides to go on, despite being attacked by some 'invisible force' just before he reaches the plant. Finally, just as the plant is within his grasp, Glendon's attacked by a 'man-beast' who bites his arm.

Back in London, unaware of the affect of the bite, Glendon sets up an artificial moon lamp to get the Marifasa to bloom. Dr. Yogami tells Glendon that the plant provides a temporary antidote to Werewolf transformation, just the ticket when there's a full moon!



Of course, Glendon soon guesses why his hands go hairy under the moon-lamp and becomes desperate for the plant to bloom, an impatience that even his faithful assistant soon realizes isn't just that of an over-zealous botanist.

Just to add spice to the tale, Glendon's wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson) steps out with an old flame, frustrated by her husband's neglect. However, little does she know that a 'werewolf seeks to destroy that which it loves most'.

Naturally it's not long before no one in London is safe, and there are several unexplained murders that appear to be wolf attacks, including a particularly distasteful one where a married park-keeper is distracted with a mistress. So maybe a bit of 1930's morality in there too!

Naturally there's a resolution, and not necessarily a happy one, but I won't divulge that here.

It's worth mentioning that the film isn't without humour. The botany party near the start of the film is surely a send-up of the upper middle-classes of the day, and then there are two drunken land-ladies who provide a welcome music hall routine when they discover that their guest is not all he seems!

PICTURE QUALITY
In common with other Universal Horror release, this transfer is really first-class. The film is seventy plus years old but this transfer must surely be as good as when it first played. The digitising seems top notch too with very little sign of artefacting and all the blacks are good and solid, giving the film a really classy look.




OVERALL
'The Werewolf of London' may not be on a par with 'The Wolfman', but is a thoroughly enjoyable outing in its own right. Whilst the make-up and effects are singularly less impressive than later outings, this still has all the ingredients of classic Universal horror and is a fantastically entertaining way to spend 70 minutes, even some 75 years on.



The transfer is top-notch, in common with other Universal horror releases, though I was slightly disappointed that there were no extras - after all, the informative audio commentaries and documentaries on other releases have been really superb.
However, despite this retailing at circa £10, I have seen it selling for half that price both online and in-store, and the film is most definitely worth £5 of anyone's money.



This may not be the place to start your Universal Horror collection, but once you've started it will prove an essential addition.