Universal' s first WereWolf film can hold its own next to later efforts in the sub-genre! Henry Hull's eminent botanist, Dr. Wilfrid Glendon, remains stubbornly unsympathetic until the effects of his lycanthropic affliction begin to take hold. From then on, Hull excels as Glendon the "lost soul" and the cunning, bestial WereWolf he becomes, ending as a genuinely tragic character! Makeup artist Jack Pierce toned down his original, more bestial WereWolf design, which he later recycled for THE WOLF MAN (1941), allowing Hull to show what a good actor can do when he's not smothered in foam rubber or replaced by CG animation. Some of John P. Fulton's fantastic transformation effects are obviously inspired by those in Paramount's 1931 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. Original music by Karl Hajos is effectively combined with library tracks from Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN and THE BLACK CAT (1934). Director Stuart Walker achieves powerful horror scenes and diverting episodes of Dickensian comic relief.
