ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Opening Statement: Hey, I think you're onto something there. Dr. Jekyll Cures the Wolf Man!

Dr. Jekyll develops a formula that cures himself, removing the evil Mr. Hyde and making him into a downright saintly guy. He persuades Talbot to let him try the formula as a cure for the evil of lycanthropy.

And it works! Sort of . . .

It turns Larry into a downright kindly werewolf who wouldn't harm a fly!

The only side effect is that Talbot can't change back to human form. He's basically sort of like the X-Man known as Beast — except that he's not blue.

I love the idea of the congenial Larry Talbot as a permanent werewolf who desperately wants to convince people that he's no longer dangerous. Perhaps he'd seek out the elderly gypsy woman, Maleva, and show her that he's a "changed man" — so to speak. She convinces the other gypsies that Talbot deserves their help, and they agree to hide him.

A sequel would be called I Was a Gypsy Werewolf.
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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 fun for me was watching Talbot morph into the Wolf Man. This premise would eliminate that kind of scene.

A friendly, helpful werewolf sounds more like it's a lighter, comedic film (Teen Wolf), which diverges away from the scary wolf man scenario.

[tmlindsey]

[Bud Brewster]

[Pow]

If you've seen one western where the cowboys ride their horses amidst magnificent scenery, you've seen 'em all.

It still doesn't mean I don't want such scenes in westerns.

[Bud Brewster]

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Ah well, obviously I'm not as big a fan of the Wolf Man as you are — and the loss is mine, of course.

Gee whiz, Mike, isn't there anything about my idea that you liked? I'm proud of it, and I created this forum hoping to hear some constructive comments on imaginative ideas like that one.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Respectfully, I'm just not interested in a kinder, gentler, saner Wolf Man, Bruce.

Your plot was that Larry Talbot sought out Dr. Jekyll in the hopes of a cure for his Wolf Man persona is intriguing. Jekyll has cured himself, as you write, so he is game to try to help Talbot out of his predicament. After all, Henry can well relate to Larry's anguish.

However, nothing Jekyll attempts works for Talbot. Prior to the rising of the full moon, Jekyll, with Talbot's consent, locks up Talbot in a secure cell that is located underneath Jekyll's laboratory. One evening Talbot is able to escape his prison and go on a rampage throughout the city.

Dr. Jekyll is still tormented by the fact that he murdered an elderly gentleman, and trampled a young girl, who did survive, while in his Mr. Hyde personality. So while he's cured himself and no one is the wiser about his transformations or transgressions, he possesses grief and guilt over Hyde. He's contemplated suicide many times since his cure. Henry sees curing Talbot as a small atonement for his dastardly deeds as Hyde, knowing that Talbot has killed innocent people whenever he transforms into the Wolf Man.

Once Henry realizes Larry is loose and a threat to people, he decides to take his formula in order to become Hyde for the last time. His hopes are that Mr. Hyde & the Wolf Man will battle one another and kill each other in the process.

[Bud Brewster]

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Well, thanks for your honesty, Mike.

It won't surprise you if I admit that your story is a bit too gloomy and depressing for my taste. As a card-carrying Cockeyed Optimist, I look for problems that have solutions — not situations that go from bad to worse.

I understand your reaction to a "kind and gentle Wolf Man", because it's just not his traditional nature.

However, I was surprised by your suggestion that an the evil, selfish, infamously cruel Mr. Hyde could be willing to venture out and battle the Wolf Man for the benefit of others!

It's ironic that our two very different concepts hing on turning a monster into a hero!

Just FYI, in my version I imagined Talbot as still being a tortured soul trying to atone for his past sins while bearing the curse of the werewolf because of his physical form.

Mike, I picture him as being a bit like the hulk. He acts sane and reasonable — but he has to maintain that behavior by an effort of will. He's a complex character with serious emotional issues, although he deals with them bravely.

Hell, even the gypsies are uncomfortable around him!

But the threat of the murderous maniac who is terrorizing the village requires poor Talbot to unleash his inner beast so he can track down the killer and deal with him in a savage manner.

I find that more interesting than just a story of a man cursed with lycanthropy who repeatedly commits murder without the courage to destroy himself!

But hey, that's just me.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

True, Bruce, Mr. Hyde was never known for being a humanist.

So let's try this, Dr. Jekyll decides that Hyde just might be able to stop the Wolf Man, possibly at the risk of Jekyll/Hyde's life. He also is aware that his Hyde persona was not about to take such a risk, or give a darn about helping out humanity. Me, myself, and I is Hyde's Family Crest.

The plan must involve Jekyll locating werewolf-Talbot in his Jekyll form. When he places himself in harm's way, he then will drink the serum and transform into Hyde. He will have no options but to engage in a battle with the attacking Wolf Man.

Another possibility is that Jekyll only thought he was cured from morphing into his Hyde persona. As Jekyll, and armed with a rifle & silver bullets, Jekyll seeks out the Wolf Man, finds him, and confronts him. Jekyll fires at the werewolf, but misses because he isn't that great a shot. Also, the Wolf Man moves rapidly and it's hard to strike a moving target, especially in the dark.

Jekyll is in tremendous fear for his life. Suddenly he is aware of his Hyde personality reawakening. Now it is a vicious Hyde being forced to confront the Wolf Man.

[Bud Brewster]

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Mike, you've got so many good ideas there that I can't help wanting to find a way to use them all! In fact, I think I'll try.

So, here we gol

As you said, Jekyll only thought he was cured from morphing into his Hyde persona, but he still thinks he succeeded.

He pities Larry Talbot, but he discovers that his formula for "bringing out the good in a man" doesn't work to cure Talbot's lycanthrope.

Talbot confesses that he's tried repeatedly to commit suicide, but he always failed because the curse prevents him from dying by any means other than a silver bullet fired by someone else. And if he tries to kill himself in some other drastic manner, the curse makes him incapable acting on it, because he transforms in the werewolf!

Determined to end Talbot's suffering, Jekyll obtains a rifle and a silver bullet, then he seeks out Talbot to kill him from a safe distance. But Talbot spots Jykell with the rifle aimed at him, and it triggers the werewolf curse, causing Talbot to reflexively take cover, where he quickly transforms.

The Wolf Man leaps back into view, staring at Jykell with a savage animal's rage. Jykell quickly takes aim and fires, but the Wolf Man's lightning quick animal reflexes cause the bullet to miss.

As the Wolf Man charges toward the terrified Jykell, he suddenly feels the onset of his transformation into Hyde! Before the Wolf Man reaches him, Hyde is fully revealed — a savage creature in his own right, filled with both rage and terror, determined to protect itself by ripping to pieces the hideous monster threatening him !
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Hey, that's pretty good!

We get all that tragic drama in the mix. Poor Talbot is incapable of ending his tortured existence. The unfortunate Jykell thinks he's cured, but discovers he's not.

The Wolf Man fights with animal rage, while Hyde has the cunning of an intelligent man who's completely lacking in mercy or the reluctance to kill!

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