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Greetings,

Sometimes, when young people, especially students, ask questions like, "That's his dad?", it is more about mentally organizing the characters than disbelieving the presentation of relationships.

Also, the manner in which a character carries himself has a great deal of impact on how "large" the person might be.

For instance, it never struck me that Dennis Hoey's Inspector Lestrade was actually taller than Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes.

Similarly, Bela Lugosi's Ygor actually stood taller than either Rathbone or Karloff in stocking feet.

Thinking of former American President George H.W.Bush, "41" stood taller than either Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton. Until one saw them together, the courteous, self-effacing Mr. Bush seemed almost assuredly shorter.

Claude Rains was not only diminutive, he had overcome a serious speech impediment in his formative days.

In his title role of The Invisible Man, that Rains was 5'5'' or 5'6'' was immaterial. In Casablanca, he and Humphrey Bogart saw eye-to-eye with police cap on head.

However, in The Wolf Man, Rains is the masterful Sir John Talbot of Talbot Castle. He is confident, comfortable as the manor's lord, and receives the most deferential treatment from his familiars. Not out of fear or contempt; out of sincere respect. Lon Chaney, Junior's physical size is diminished by his appellation. Although thirty-five years of age, dressed in a fashionable bespoke suit, and accomplished in his profession, he instantly is reduced to a minor when he is addressed by everyone as "Master Larry." In this context, a "master" is a young man who has not yet attained his majority. While far from true, it brands Larry Talbot as a juvenile, therefore, not fully grown.
These verbal cues distract one from noticing that Lon Chaney, Junior was so much taller than Claude Rains. That many scenes featuring the two actors show Chaney seated and Rains standing contribute to the actors' respective sense of size.

One thing that I have not noticed in this thread is the conversation that takes place just prior to Maleva's delivery of the injured Larry to Talbot Castle following his encounter with the Gypsy Bela in wolf form.

Sir John is drinking cocktails with friend Captain (Colonel?) Montford.

Sir John: "Big boy, isn't he?"
Montford: (Emphatically) "Huge!"
Sir John: "Like the Red Talbots clan!"
Montford: "We should have had him in the 'Guards."
Sir John: "Oh, no........"

Here we have some insight to Larry's forebears, and that he may be a throwback to an earlier, larger model of Talbots.

This is a fascinating thread.

With every best wish,

Andy in Vancouver.

Greetings,

Since R.H.W. Dillard, a Professor of English at Virginia's Hollins College, wrote Horror Films in the late 1970's, I have intensely studied The Wolf Man. When I was in Grade Eight, I read a 1966 essay by Professor Dillard entitled, "The Way You Walked Was Thorny - Poetry in the Horror Film." That essay, which was included in a volume about film criticism, was instrumental to my early scholarship in movie history. Interestingly, for Dillard, too, that essay seems to have served as a springboard for his subsequent, stand-alone book that featured a chapter devoted entirely to The Wolf Man. Also, that book focused on only three other movies: Frankenstein, Night of the Living Dead, and Satyricon. What a quartet!

In this entry, I will address the confusing nature of the Gypsies seemingly casual regard for Bela in their midst.

When Larry Talbot crashes the fortune telling expedition planned by Gwen and Jenny, we are far too taken with our hero's initial acquisition of not one, but two local babes, and the anticipation of Larry's degree of inveigling with Miss Conliffe to notice Bela's brief turn as seer. As Larry and Gwen saunter away from eavesdropping range, Bela asks to see Jenny's hands, and the ingenue wonders aloud about her marriage prospects.

At that time, clearly, Bela reacts with revolt at what he sees in Jenny's palm. We may infer that Bela saw the sign of the Pentagram, marking poor Jenny as the next victim. And, in short order, Bela, the werewolf kills Jenny, and injures Larry.

Thereafter, Maleva informs Larry, "Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives, becomes a werewolf himself." Larry takes the charm, but, eventually it does not protect him.

Here is my take.  Signal of the next victim is the Pentagram in the palm of the hand. Bela saw it in Jenny's; Larry saw it in Gwen's. Larry was too late to save Jenny, but Sir John intervened in time to spare Gwen's life.

And, as for the Gypsies's panic, they were aware of Bela's lycanthropy, no peers showed the sign of the Pentagram, so they were not presently threatened by Maleva's stricken son. But, when Larry Talbot became the carrier of the saliva-borne blight, there was a clear and present danger to everyone that had not, heretofore, existed. There was a new werewolf in town, and he was not a Homeboy, he was an outsider who promised death during the full moon.

Furthermore, Larry gave the charm away to Gwen, which may have broken any power inherent in the medal. And, because Larry received nothing in return for the charm from Gwen, like in a contract, it was worthless. Maleva gave the charm to Larry following his infection. It was like a remedy. Larry's gift to Gwen carried no strength of inoculation. Lawyers all think this way.

Some scholars have suggested that The Wolf Man represents an Old World/New World conflict in which the conventional rules (traditions and amulets) no longer apply.

It's a great thread, and, surely worth discussion.

Best regards,

Andy in Vancouver.

Dear Legendre's Servant:

WAIT!

Straighten out the sequences and their characters. Indeed, I failed to answer the questions you posed.

Here is my contention:

It's Bela, who knows he is already a werewolf, who sees the Pentagram in the palm of Jenny, his next victim's hand as he commences the fortune telling. Bela knew at that time poor Jenny was done for.

Also, it's Larry who seeks to protect Gwen with the amulet. Larry assumes it will protect Gwen from him, but has no evidence on which to base his confidence. Maleva failed to indicate if the amulet's powers were transferrable to a third party.

Last, Maleva never tells Larry the exact nature of the protection the amulet provides. Without specific knowledge of the amulet's benefits, we must conclude that its powers were insufficient to save Bela or Larry from the effects of the silver cane. Clearly, there were conditions pursuant to, and, perhaps limits on, the amulet's indemnity.

Best regards,

Andy in Vancouver.