Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with the view of a full moon in a graveyard. As a rave squawks two grave robbers break into Larry Talbot's (aka The Wolfman- Lon Chaney Jr.) mausoleum. even though Larry has been dead for four years, his body is fully preserved. As the moon light hits the body, Larry comes to life and transforms. He kills the closer grave robber and the second one escapes. Later, the Wolfman is seen in a near by town and is confronted by a police officer. The beast runs down an ally and the officer meets his demise. Later , Larry finds himself in a hospital with a big wound on his forehead. Dr. Mannering talks with him and Larry talks about his curse. Inspector Owen (from the police department) thinks Larry is crazy and the Dr. thinks that Larry believes that he is a murdering wolf, because of his head injury.
As Larry insists on the truth, the Dr. and the inspector go to Larry's hometown to prove that the real Larry Talbot is dead. However, they see that the body is gone and a picture of Larry looks exactly like the man in the hospital. Dr. manning then calls the hospital to check on Larry, only to find that he bit through his straight jacket and escaped through the window. The wolf kills again and then finds Maleva, the old gypsy woman from The Woflman (1941). They start on an adventure the Velaria to seek the help of Dr. Frankenstein. Larry wants only to break the curse and die.On the way, Larry turns again and runs from the carriage so Maleva hurt not be attacked. After turning, he kills yet again and then passes out in the frozen ruins of Frankenstein's Castle. There he finds the infamous Monster and revives him. Larry, in his human form befriends the monster. Together they search the castle from Frankenstein's records and writings about the undead. They don't find what they need.
Later, Larry meets with the Baroness, Dr. Frankenstein's descendant about buying his castle. the Baroness declines but Larry agrees to meet her again at the festival of the new wine, the town's biggest event. At the event Dr. Mannering appears and confronts Larry. Larry is using an alias and refuses to go with the Dr. to get help. then Larry explodes in angry and causes a scene. Just then, the town's attention turns to the arrival of the other undead visitor, The Monster. The villagers try to attack the monster and Larry helps him escape. They return to the castle and are soon joined by the baroness and the Dr. The Dr. promises to help both "men" as the Baroness finds her father's book. The villagers take Maleva as a prisoner and questioner her about what is going on.They figure it out and Vasec decides to go against the level headed Mayor and take matters into his own hands. Vasec leaves his bar and disappears. meanwhile Dr. Mannering has both the Monster and Larry strapped to two separate slabs. he promised to drain both of their energy and destroy both Monsters. Then the Dr. changes his mind and becomes obsessed with Dr. frankenstein's dreams and reverses the energy and powers up the Monster. Larry looks up at the full moon as the Monster breaks out of his straps.The Monster immeadiately sees the Barones and grabs her. Larry transforms again and breaks out of his straps. he attacks the Monster who drops the Baroness.
Finally Vasec Blows up the dam above the castle as the two titans battle. The monster throws a heavy piece of equipment at the Wolfman and the two spar back and forth. Then, just before the water bursts through the castle walls, the Wolfman climbs to a ledge to jump on the Monster and gain the upper hand. The Dr. grabs the Baroness and both flee before the flood wipes out the castle and take the two legends of horror with it.

Tags: cult, gothic

Review:
Nevertheless, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" is probably the best of the bunch.A direct sequel to both "The Wolf Man" and "Ghost of Frankenstein", the plot follows Larry Talbot (played again by Lon Chaney Jr.), the werewolf, who realizes that he can't die.
Depsite the plot holes of the story and the awful changes the studio made to the original script, the movie flows with a good pace.The whole atmosphere is an improvement that while it never reaches the levels of "Bride" or "Son", works very well and give the film a distinctive look.Overall, a worthy addition to the Frankenstein saga, that even when it certainly could have been better, it is an enjoyable underrated movie.
I still put "Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" in the DVD player if I'm feeling like watching what in my opinion is the studio's finest wartime horror film..
"Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" is a movie by Universal with a creepy beginning in the environment of the cemetery and a sensational transformation of Talbot into the werewolf in slow motion.
From the very opening scene in a graveyard to the final battle between two of Universal's most famous monsters, 'Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man' delivers the goods.
Ironic that Bela Lugosi who turned down the Frankstein Monster Role in 1931 because he thought it was beneath his acting skills and that the Monster had no speaking dialog; takes on the Role his one and only time.Probably the least scary of the three others that did the role(KARLOFF,CHANEY,STRANGE) Even with the built up Boots he still looked small compared to the other Monster Players.If your observant you can see veteran stunt man EDDIE PARKER doing some of the more physical scenes and when the monster is first discovered frozen in the ice.I first saw this movie on Television in 1957 when Universal was releasing their Horror Films to TV.
This was actually a pretty good movie, which has a decent, if far fetched, story line (of course it is about a werewolf and Frankenstein's monster, so far-fetched was inevitable) and it moves along at a very good pace, since there's really no need for significant character development.Lon Chaney reprised his role as Larry Talbot here, the unfortunate man bitten by a werewolf, who was killed at the end of "The Wolf Man." In this movie, grave robbers open his casket, but unfortunately they do it during a full moon, which somehow brings him back to life.
Lon Chaney's performance as the Wolf Man is actually better than it was in the first film because Larry Talbot has become more tortured as a result of his werewolf-ism.The actress that plays Frankenstein's daughter isn't that good at all.
The title could refer to Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) seeking the chic Baroness Franklenstein (top-billed Ilona Massey) to assist in his peaceful death, rather than his encounter with the Monster (inadequately played by the smallish, round-faced Bela Lugosi).
Bela Lugosi plays the Frankenstein monster but isn't given much to do in the final version of the film other than walk around stiffly.The story begins well with good atmosphere and plot twists, but editing out the scenes when Bela speaks makes the development and climax of the film too short and clipped.
MORD39 RATING: ***(of ****)It's the first Monster Mash teamup movie, a Universal Classic, and curiously panned nowadays.Lon Chaney gives his most heartfelt performance this time as doomed werewolf Larry Talbot.
As intended, this film would have been much more acceptable as Talbot and the monster would discuss their plan to find Frankenstein's diary and use the information to their own ends: Talbot to find a way to die, the monster to gain back his strength.With great music and nostalgic atmosphere to boot, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN is good, clean fun from the innocent days of Universal Horrors..
The various roars and expressions of the two are excellent as the stiff armed monster (the sweetly smiling Bela Lugosi) and agile wolf man (the great Lon Chaney with more imaginative  hairiness in comparison to his first wolfish screen appearance) growl for territory.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a very good-looking film, it's beautifully shot with eerie lighting and the sets give off a real Gothic horror atmosphere but look sumptuous at the same time.
FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN is the first monster team-up movie, and it's a good, atmospheric one.
"Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" is a classic Universal horror production starring some of my all-time favorite actors and, even though I can't bring myself to speak overly negative about it, it's a truly silly and redundant accomplishment.
Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr) chips Frankenstein's monster (Bela Lugosi) out of a block of ice.
On the contrary, it is almost exclusively a story about the Wolf Man, with a few minutes of Frankenstein's monster and a story arc with the doctor's daughter (played excellently by Ilona Massey).As for being the further adventures of Talbot, it is okay and the script from Curt Siodmak is relatively well-written, with direction from Roy William Neill being quite good.
One of them is dead before Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) finds himself in an asylum, recovering from an operation performed by the kindly Dr. Mannering (Patric Knowles, who played a different role in the previous film).
Dr. Mannering catches up with him only to become tempted to monomania while using Frankenstein's old equipment.This is a sequel to both "The Wolf Man" and "The Ghost of Frankenstein." In the latter, Lugosi's character, Ygor, had his own brain transferred into the body of the Monster (played by Lon Chaney, Jr.), an operation that left him blind.
AND it gives us an idea of what it would have been like if Bela Lugosi had not turned down the role for The Monster in 1931 (Frankenstein).The movie starts out good (maybe a bit slow for some) and builds up to an exciting ending where The Monster and The Wolf Man battle it out.A film worth watching if you enjoy Universal Classic Monsters.9.5/10.
He's dead, though, but there's another scientist on hand for help and as the villagers once again take unkindly to someone rekindling old nightmares, while the Frankenstein Monster (Bela Lugosi) is found preserved in ice...It's in effect a sequel to both The Wolf Man and The Ghost of Frankenstein, though as would become the norm, Monster Frank is a bit part player in a film bearing his name.
However, Lugosi doesn't look right for the role of the monster, Patrick Knowles' switcharoo to a mad scientist is ill thought out, while the big smack down finale is sadly all too brief.Nobody in the film, except maybe Chaney, was done any favours in the editing and writing rooms, but it's still a whole bunch of fun for fans of the Universal Monsters series.
A Good Sequel to WolfMan. I Was just looking at it the other day and enjoyed and thought it was better than the wolf man much more action and suspense and the acting by Lon Chaney was great his emotional feel to the character is a one of a kind like he emphasize with the tortured Talbot like when he about to turn on the wagon with the gypsy woman talk about good acting but the story gets crazy with missing parts unexplained moments have you rubbing your head but still enough action to keep you on your seats i also liked Patric Knowles as well as the doctor mannering too bad at the end he found out too late and couldn't help talbot anyway and boy he was into a treat at the end almost getting caught in battle with the wolf man and The monster !!.
Lon Chaney Jr. repeated his role as the werewolf and Bela Lugosi played the Frankenstein monster.
The first half hour of this film is as good as any horror film Universal made in the forties, including the original Wolf Man. Really, what doesn't work so well is the fact that the whole Frankenstein story is added to it.Chaney is really excellent in this film.
FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (Universal, 1943), directed by Roy William Neil (famous for his work in the "Sherlock Holmes" mystery series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce), with an original screenplay by Curt Siodmak (whose earlier screen treatment created THE WOLF MAN), is a Hollywood original, having the distinction of being the first known motion picture to become a sequel to two separate films: THE WOLF MAN (1941) and THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942), both featuring Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi.
Bela Lugosi as The Monster, is not as perfectly cast in his role as Chaney is as The Wolf Man. He does, however, make an interesting monster for the only time in his career, although lacking the sympathy and pathos created memorably by its originator, Boris Karloff.
(TRIVIA: the first look at the 'Frankenstein Monster' is stuntman Eddie Parker enclosed in the wall of ice where 'Talbot' discovers the Monster.) It's more pity that is directed toward Lugosi's performance, than criticism, when you realize that Bela did all he could to do to meet the demands of the role (he eventually collapsed toward the end of filming).
And some very nice set-pieces: including the defiling of Talbot's grave, the Wolf man's first (& second) prowl, Chaney's reaction to his 4 year lapse, reuniting with Meleva the Gypsy, the Frankenstein Castle and discovering the Monster, the village festival of new wine...
Fans of Universal Gothic should like Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man. Too little use was made of Bela Lugosi as the Frankenstein monster and Lionel Atwill as the Burgomeister now having two good arms..
Talbot wants desperately to die so he can finally rid himself of this horrible curse, and the old gypsy woman (Maria Ouspenskaya) who he knew from The Wolf Man tells him only one guy can really help - Dr. Frankenstein himself.Only the good doctor's dead, dead as a doornail, killed when villagers blew up his castle in Son of Frankenstein.
While individual scenes are nicely handled (by Roy William Neill, at the time also busy directing the Basil Rathbone "Sherlock Holmes" series at the same studio) - particularly the eerie graveyard opening, Chaney's transformation scenes and the climactic showdown - the main 'gimmick' feels forced and doesn't work as well as it's supposed to; the main culprit, I would say, is the miscasting of several key roles.Much has been said about Bela Lugosi's inappropriateness for the part of the monster: to be fair to him, since he had played Ygor in the previous film - whose brain was now lodged in the monster's body - this bit of casting was a logical one but, unfortunately, his approach to the role (at least, what's been left of it) is uninspired and, frankly, embarrassing!
In the end, the film is a most enjoyable romp (aren't they all?) and certainly important for showcasing the "multiple-monsters" formula - which only really worked in the superior and obviously spoofy ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), by the way - but it's not quite in the same league as its werewolf predecessor, or the other major Universal horror outings..
If you like Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, the classic Universal Monsters, great black and white movies, and horror films then I strongly recommend that you check out this film today!.
Lugosi was a very gifted and capable actor (with a distinctive accent too); even his bit parts I found instantly recognizable and memorable (long live Ygor!) Unfortunately, playing 'the monster' in Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, Lugosi is just a shadow of Karloff.At least the rich lighting, the elaborate sets, and the virtuoso music still proved up to par with the first Wolf Man picture.
Lon Chaney continues his portrayal of the Wolf Man, while Bela Lugosi got the role of the monster this time.
The movie is highly enjoyable crossover of the classic horror characters the Frankenstein monster and the Wolf man, played in this movie by the equally legendary Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.Did you watched this movie Stephen Sommers?
The story is pretty silly and weak at times and they try too hard to give a good reason why the Wolf Man and the Frankenstein monster are in this movie together.
Like always Lon Chaney Jr. did the best as The Wolf Man. Bela Lugosi did a awsome job playing the Frankenstein Monster.
He seeks out yet another Frankenstein heir (Ilona Massey), who, along with Dr Mannering (Patric Knowles) try to drain the Wolf Man's life energies into the Frankenstein Monster (now played by Bela Lugosi).
The other actors contribute and do their best, but the whole enterprise never quite you know.I think my big problem with `Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man' is Bela Lugosi as the Monster.
"Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" marks the first time that more than one monster would appear in the same "Universal" horror film.
After some more digging, Larry learns that Dr. F is dead...but his Monster (Bela Lugosi) isn't.A sequel to both "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man", this movie is good fun for any devotee of this era of Universal horror.
Marvellous performances from Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr., fantastic sets, a surreal atmosphere and a good plot make this an excellent film.The plot is simple-the Wolfman comes back to life and so does Frankenstein.
Bela Lugosi's performance as Frankenstein's Monster was not very good.But Lon Chaneyjr.'s Wolf Man was as good as ever!The gypsy fortune-teller's appearence is a nice touch too.The plot was okay,and the climatic battle between the monsters is great!This is a must see for Universal horror bufs..
This woeful follow up to the accomplished 1941 original "Wolf Man" provides proof that the Hollywood of today has not cornered the market on stupid, unoriginal and unnecessary sequels.The dynamite premise behind this film -- putting Lon Chaney's wolf man and Dr. Frankenstein's monster (here played unmenacingly by Bela Lugosi) in the same movie and watching them duke it out -- is no more than a gimmick to get you to watch, and very little duking goes on between the two.
To be fair, though, both Boris Karloff and Chaney's mute monsters were out-shined by Lugosi's Ygor in the last two Frankenstein films, and the character would never again be what he was for Universal in the 1931 and 1935 entries.
As Larry Talbot (the wolf man) tries his best to put an end to his pain, he meets up with a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein and soon encounters the monster.
So they come up with some contrived reason for the Wolfman and the Frankenstein Monster to have not only survived their previous demises, but somehow managed to meet up.What we get is the first of three movies with Lawrence Talbot (played by an increasingly alcoholic Lon Chaney Jr.) whining about how he wants to die.The Monster is given the short shrift in this film, becoming less important in sequels.
The first of Universal's monster mash-ups, in which Lon Chaney's Larry Talbot teams up with Frankenstein's monster, is a rather desperate attempt by the studio to extend the lives of their flagging franchises.Since both characters were presumed destroyed/dead in their previous outings, the film's scriptwriters defy all logic in order to get their movie up and running, and seemingly make things up as they go along to suit their needs: in an overly Gothic opening replete with creepy crows, a wind-ravaged graveyard, and stunted trees, Lawrence Talbot, dead for four years, is accidentally brought back to life when grave-robbers (one of whom is a hunchback, natch!) expose his body to the rays of a full moon; Maleva, a geriatric gypsy from Wales (Maria Ouspenskaya), not only knows of the one person who can help Talbot end his curse, a certain Baron Frankenstein who lives in the small town of Vasaria somewhere in Eastern Europe, but is also willing to take him there on her horse and cart; Frankenstein's monster is found by Talbot in a cave where the temperature is well below zero, despite it being quite warm outside (pleasant enough for their annual wine festival); initially well intentioned Dr. Frank Mannering (Patric Knowles) inexplicably becomes obsessed with returning the monster to 'full-power'; and Frankenstein's castle is now located just below a dam, conveniently enabling the villagers to destroy the building with a raging torrent of water (but with very little thought given to those who might live further down the valley).This mess is further compounded by weak performances from the film's leads (Chaney is bland; Lugosi is miscast), drastic cuts that see Lugosi's role drastically reduced (actually, that might be a good thing), and an extremely abrupt ending.
FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN (1943) **1/2 Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr., Patric Knowles, Ilona Massey, Lionel Atwill, Maria Ouspenskaya.
Lon Chaney (Lawrence Talbot) and Bela Lugosi (Frankenstein Monster) portray the title characters very well in this classic horror piece.
Even so, I liked the performances of Patric Knowles and "Baroness Elsa Frankenstein" (Ilona Massey) along with some pretty good special effects involving the transformation of Lawrence Talbot into the Wolf Man. Still, all things considered I give this movie an average rating..
This is a fun, if nonthreatening, addition to the Universal horror canon, a film which unsuccessfully attempts to sequel two different movies – THE WOLF MAN and THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN.
I say unsuccessful, because as a Frankenstein movie this is a piece of trash; it only really works for Lon Chaney Jr., as the Wolf Man, because he gets most of the screen time and all of the best scenes.
For a second-tier horror film only running 74 minutes, 'Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man' certainly had a tortured history, most having to do with Bela Lugosi's much-maligned portrayal of Frankenstein's Monster.