Larry Talbot is the main antagonist of the film of the same name of the year 1941, being the first Werewolf film in the history of cinema and horror cinema. The young Larry Talbot , after his return to the American continent, was attacked by a wolf, and when a gypsy woman notices the scar of the attacked; she claims that Larry is responsible for the disappearances of animals and villagers of New England.
The Wolf Man (1941)[]
Larry Talbot , undertakes a return trip from the American continent to his old home in a town in Wales; During his stay he meets a girl named Gwen Conliffe, daughter of an antiques dealer, that night, Larry, Gwen and their friend Jenny, visit a gypsy camp and there they meet Bela, who observes a "mark of the werewolf" on Jenny's hand.
The boys return to their houses but are attacked by a wolf; Larry kills the animal, but manages to bite it, and the beast kills Jenny in the process. Some time later, Larry realizes that Bela has died, he returns with Gwen and her fiancé, Frank Andrews where the gypsies talk with Maleva, Bela's wife, who tells them that the deceased was a werewolf, and that, when bitten by it, Larry will transform into the animal!
Animal instinct and the cursed poem[]
Throughout this, various villagers recite a poem, each time the subject of werewolves comes up:
"Even a man who is pure in heart and asks for graces in every prayer;
He can turn into a wolf, when he is attacked in a beautiful field during the bright autumn moon.
So Talbot transforms into a wolf-like creature and stalks the town, killing the local undertaker first, and Talbot retains vague memories of being a werewolf, still. wanting to kill, and continually strives to overcome his condition.
He is finally beaten to death by his father with his own silver cane, after he attacked the beautiful Gwen. Sir John Talbot watches in horror and sadness as the dead werewolf transforms into the human form of his son and as the local police arrive to remove the body.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1944)[]
Three years after Larry's death, he is raised from the dead by two grave robbers in his crypt, believing that he was buried with large sums of money. Opening Larry's attack, the two criminals are amazed that Larry Talbot's body is surprisingly preserved despite having been dead for three years. The full moon appears and resurrects Larry Talbot, transforming into the Werewolf and kills one of the vandals, then fleeing as a werewolf.
Larry wakes up in Cardiff where he is taken to a hospital, where he recounts his experience in some confusion. With investigations by Dr. Frank he discovers that Larry Talbot died in Llanwely, Wales three years ago. That night, Larry turns into the werewolf and kills a policeman.
He then flees back to Llanwely in search of Maleva the gypsy to help him find a cure or final death. Maleva takes him to Dr. Frankenstein's castle, but it turns out to be in ruins. Larry turns back into a werewolf and kills a young woman. He is chased by the villagers of Vasaria and losing them he falls into the frozen lake of Dr. Frankenstein's castle. Returning to his human form, he discovers the frozen body of Frankenstein's Monster and befriends him. Larry enlists the monster's help in finding a way to cure it, but the Creature proves little help to Talbot. Dr. Frank from Cardiff tracked down Talbot to help with Victor Frankenstein's planes with a way to permanently kill the monster and Talbot by removing electrical power from Talbot and the Monster's indestructible body.
Eloctor along with Frankenstein's only descendant, Elsa Frankenstein tries to get the treatment.
However, the Doctor tries to see what the Monster would be like at full power, so instead of absorbing the energy, he gives it more, making it invincible.
Larry Talbot turns back into the werewolf as the Monster breaks free. Both monsters face off in combat while the doctor and Elsa escape and the villagers try to blow up the castle. After a hard-fought fight between the supernatural beast and the Science-Made Monster, the castle explodes, releasing an immense flood that destroys the castle and washes away the two surviving monsters.
Trivia[]
- It is the first Werewolves movie in horror film history.
- His original name is The Wolf man, but since Universal Studios took over the rights to the character, they registered it as The Were-wolf.
- Originally the film would be called Destiny.
- In this film, the adjective Lycanthrope was not yet used, it was already in the 70's when this meaning was coined to give an origin to the Werewolves.
- The Wolf Man, was the first character to have a cinematographic crossover with another horror film character, this was: Frankenstein's Monster. In the movie Dr. Frankenstein and the Wolfman (1943).
- In the year of 2010, a remake of this film was made directed by Benicio del Toro.
- In this remake, the protagonist has the name Lawrence Talbot, the diminutive Larry is eliminated.
- The design of the first Werewolf changed through the 90's where the Werewolf was given a more modern and aggressive image.
- In Benicio del Toro's remake, the classic design of Wolf Man returned.