Werewolf Of London is actually Universal's first stab at the werewolf genre, and it deservedly goes unnoticed next to The Wolfman and other lycanthrope pictures of the era. Granted, the film mostly suffers from it's lead actor phoning in his performance, but when you do a film like this the lead actor has to be strong. Chaney's performance is what made The Wolfman so powerful a film, Henry Hull simply doesn't want to be there - and it's quite obvious even from the beginning that he doesn't have much respect for the genre or the story.

It's really quite a pity too, as the rest of the cast does a splendid job, particularly Chaney look-alike Warner Oland as a similarly cursed scientist who befriends Hull. The makeup is in a lot of ways superior to that of The Wolfman, a more evil and dignified design in the makeup makes for some superior scenes when the creature finally "lets loose" and takes to the streets - with some stalking quite similar to 1936's Dracula's Daughter.

The story works well for the film, taking the werewolf mythos to Tibet and introducing an herbal remedy for the curse, rather than the standard silver. It seems an odd plant "which blooms only under the light of the moon" both draws and controls the werewolf, and while seeking out this strange vegetation, Dr. Glendon (Hull) is attacked by one of the cursed wolfmen. Soon enough we're back in London and Glendon's monstrous side begins to show. More a distortion of the Jekyll & Hyde meets Dracula, Werewolf Of London doesn't follow the traditional werewolf story, which is quite refreshing.

Alas, the fine makeup, story, and supporting cast simply can't overcome Hull's lackluster performance, especially when mentioned in the same breath as the other Universal pictures and the excellent character actors that made them great.

One has to wonder, with the actors available to the studio at the time, could this have been another of Universal's timeless successes? I guess we'll never know. (Red, 10/14/04)

Directed By: Stuart Walker.
Written By: Robert Harris.

Starring: Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Mathews.