ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Slick and enjoyable sci-fi treatment of the werewolf legend, notable for predating the more successful Universal gothic horror versions that dominated the 1940's.

Scientist Henry Hull ("Master of the World") is attacked by a werewolf in a remote region of Tibet while searching for a rare flower. Back in London he learns that the encounter infected him with a disease which causes lycanthropy. The only way to control his reversions to the werewolf state is with a drug synthesized from the rare Tibetan flower.

Fellow scientist Warner Oland (of Charlie Chan fame) competes with Hull for possession of the flower because he, too, is a werewolf -- in fact, he's the werewolf that attacked Hull in Tibet!

The plot is much less suspenseful than it should be, and the climax is weak, but in general the film is enteresting. Hull's werewolf makeup is nicely understated, conveying a maximum look of evil with a minimum of facial hair.

Also starring Valerie Hobson ("The Bride of Frankenstein") and Spring Byington. Directed by Stuart Walker.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

The story goes that legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce wanted to do more extensive work on Henry Hull's werewolf appearance, but Hull resisted it.

Pierce would get the opportunity to do his elaborate werewolf makeup on Lon Channey Jr in The Wolf Man'.

My fav Universal monster has always been the Wolf Man, so I love Lon's look.

However, I always thought that Hull's makeup was very powerful even though it was more subdued compared to Lon's look.

Both makeups worked perfectly, unlike the March & Tracy makeups as Mr. Hyde. March's was astounding while Tracy's was meh.

[Phantom]

I'm in the minority, but I really like this movie. As the first of its kind, it had no rules to follow (and didn't establish any, either).

Hull did not want to do the picture, which may account for his unsympathetic portrayal, but he never was an actor with a lot of warmth, anyway.

The idea of tracking Hull through the room during the initial transformation and using invisible cuts as he passed behind various objects is quite effective.

[Bud Brewster]

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Yep, that scene of Hull walking along while the camera tracks with him as he transforms, with (what appears to be) tree trunks be him and the camera a few times.
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___________ Werewolf of London (1935) Trailer


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This fan-made trailer is very good, and it includes the famous "moving transformation scene".

_______ Werewolf of London (1935) - Fan Trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Henry Hull did not want the extensive type of werewolf make-up that Jack Pierce would later create for Lon Chaney.

The story was that Hull was being a bit of a prima dona over the elaborate make~up that Pierce wished to do for his werewolf character.

Later it was learned that this was not the case at all on Hull's refusal to have more extensive make~up.

Turns out he was correct. There's a scene where someone who knows Hull's doctor persona is able to recognize him when he is the werewolf.

Hull, rightly so, felt that if he was supposed to be recognizable by someone even as a werewolf, it would make no sense to bury him under more elaborate make~up no matter how well it was done.

[Bud Brewster]

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What a fascinating bit of info!

I'll confess that I've always preferred Hull's less elaborate version of the werewolf to Lon Chaney Jr.'s for exactly that same reason. Hull's version blends the human expressions with a "monster's" face in a much more subtle fashion. We can see the evil in his expression so much better.

His eyes can portray the malicious thoughts going on the beastly brain of the poor man.





The Wolfman's makeup, however, hides the human face beneath all that fur, and poor Lon isn't allowed to show much expression.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[scotpens]

[Bud Brewster]

[Pow]

I enjoy both Hull & Chaney's werewolf make-up. One subtler as you say Bud, the other more elaborate.

I also was very impressed with the werewolf make-up for Oliver Reed in Hammer's film Curse of the Werewolf. Always wished that Hammer had done some more wolf man films, but they only did this one and no more. Same with their Mummy.

They were Dracula crazy.

[The Spike]

The werewolf is neither man nor wolf, but a Satanic creature with the worst qualities of both.

Dr. Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull) is in Tibet searching for the rare mariphasa plant that apparently only blooms under moonlight. Upon finding the plant his joy is obvious but it's quickly short lived as he is attacked by a half-man half-wolf type creature. He manages to fight off the creature but it does draw blood before retreating off into the mountains. Back in London, Glendon works tirelessly to get the plant to bloom under artificial light, neglecting his wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson) in the process. But that's not the only worry he has to contend with, with the arrival of the mysterious Dr. Yogami (Warner Oland) comes news of lycanthrophobia and the true value of the mariphasa plant...

The names Universal Studios and Werewolves go hand in hand (or paw in paw if you like). Automatically images of a pained Lon Chaney Jr howling at the moon come quickly into the conscious, yet quite some years earlier Universal had already ventured into the realms of lycanthropy. Firstly they had offered up "The Werewolf", a silent short film in 1913 that sadly is thought to have long been lost in a fire in 1924, and then in 1935 they released "Werewolf Of London". The first mainstream werewolf picture and first to feature anthropomorphic werewolves. It can't be understated just how important "Werewolf Of London" is in the pantheon of Universal classic horror. It also helps that it also happens to be a rather fine picture in its own right. Interestingly blending the werewolf legend with science fiction elements, the script is intelligent, the scenic sets impressive and director Stuart Walker keeps it taut and suspenseful.

In spite of what you may have read on some internet sites, the cast deliver the goods, particularly Henry Hull who it should be remembered is playing a vastly different type of werewolf to the one Chaney would play six years later. This is after all a wolf-man who pops on his hat and cloak and strides out into the dimly lit night. Hull also comes up trumps with the emotional aspects of Glendon. Observe the expressive acting as Glendon's cat turns against him, the hurt and then the horrific realisation of what awaits him is vividly portrayed during one heartfelt scene. Another sees Glendon proclaim "Singularly Single, madame. More single than I ever realised that it was possible for a human being to be," this is fine stuff delivered with style and emotion by the well spoken Hull.

The support is very tidy from Hobson, Oland, Lester Matthews and Lawrence Grant, but they are unsurped by the comic relief that comes in the form of Ethel Griffies & Zeffie Tilbury as batty bints, Whack & Moncaster. A right couple of old dears who stick their noses in where they shouldn't and enjoy knocking each other out! I kid you not. Yet perhaps surprisingly this humour sits easily within the structure of the story. Another testament to the good work done by all involved. While rounding out the treats is the make up work from pioneer supreme, Jack P Pierce (AKA Janus Piccoulas). This is not one for the boo jump scare brigade, or even for those after a bit of old fashioned blood letting. This is tight story telling with a good production and acting to match. Twas a pleasant surprise indeed. 8/10
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The quality of mercy is not strnen.

[johnnybear]

After all these years I've still never seen this beauty!!!
JB

[Bud Brewster]

[Gord Green]

"Werewolves Of London"

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Werewolves of London

He's the hairy handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
Werewolves of London

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect
Werewolves of London again
Draw blood

By the GREAT LATE Warren Zevon !

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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Eadie]

And earlier in his life he had a monster of a nasty mid-Victorian-flying personality!



Master of the World (1961)
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Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable.

[Bud Brewster]

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IMDB has 20 trivia items for this movie. Here’s a few of the ones I found the most interesting, in the blue text.
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~ This film made up much of its werewolf mythology out of whole cloth. The ideas that being bitten by a werewolf makes one a werewolf, that a werewolf changes under the full moon, and that werewolves were wolf/man hybrids were completely made up.

In folklore, one becomes a werewolf deliberately by practicing witchcraft and can change into a wolf at any time desired. However, this film's mythology, and that of others after it, heavily influenced pop culture views of werewolves to the point that these are now regarded as "official" mythology.

Note from me: Ah-ha! So, the whole Universal mythology comes from THIS version about werewolves, not from The Wolf Man!

~ The werewolf howl used in this film is a combination of Henry Hull's own voice and a recording of an actual timber-wolf. The result is generally thought to have a far more realistic result than in any subsequent werewolf films, including The Wolf Man (1941).

Note from me: Ah-ha! Even the howl of the werewolf in this movie is superior to the one in the more famous Universal version. Smoke on THAT, fans of The Wolf Man!_

~ While it has been well-documented that Henry Hull objected to Jack P. Pierce's original makeup design for the werewolf, producers were also concerned that Pierce's makeup effects would push the boundaries of censorship in the United States.

Producers asked Pierce to tone down the zoomorphic qualities of the werewolf transformation scenes and asked him to make the werewolf appear more human in nature, in order to gain approval of the censorship board. Pierce's first design for the creature would later be put to effect in The Wolf Man (1941).

Note from me: Ah-ha! Jack Pierce wanted to cover poor Henry Hull with hair and not let him show the demonic nature of the creature by allowing the human aspects of the face to be visible!
I agree with the producers' decision completely!

However, this next trivia item refutes the claim that Hull disliked the makeup.

~ Contrary to popular belief, Henry Hull didn't strongly object to the original make-up designed by Jack Pierce. This was confirmed by the actor himself during an interview many years later.

Note from me: Oh well. I still like the make-up in this one better.

~ The supposed "Tibetan" spoken in the movie is actually the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. The actor is otherwise just muttering gibberish.

Note from me: I can imagine the folks in China who saw this movie and were following along with the alleged "Tibetan" dialog (which was actually Chinese), suddenly erupting into laughter when they heard the "gibberish" coming from the actors.

~ The copyright record synopsis has a scene where a boy is almost eaten by a plant in the botanical gardens sequence, and he is saved by Wilfred. It was not included in the final print.

Note from me: Oh my goodness, I'd love to see that scene!

~The opening scene in "Tibet" was filmed at Vasquez Rocks north of Los Angeles, well know to Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) fans as the rock outcropping from where Captain Kirk rolled a boulder down trying to kill the Gorn in Star Trek: The Original Series: Arena (1967).

Note from me: When God made that area during the first week of creation, little did HE know that Hollywood would praise His name for being so helpful!

~ It was originally intended for Boris Karloff to play the Henry Hull character.

Note from me: As great as Boris Karloff was, I think Henry Hull's energetic and tortured performance — right down to his signature "ragged voice" — was perfect for this role.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)