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THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON

Author	Comment
Ted Newsom	Finally Ted posts a non-gag picture	#21	[-]
Aug 5 05 6:44 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This is the photo referred to above by Kerry Gammil, the original make-up for Henry Hull in WEREWOLF OF LONDON. As pointed out by the lovely and talented Gary Prange above, there is at least one shot in the film itself that is clearly THIS make-up and not the one seen in the rest of the film. That would logically indicate that Henry Hull's objections came AFTER the film began-- which, no offense to his surviving family (like Courtland Hull, a nice man), sounds pretty unprofessional and a colossal painintheass when you're trying to make a film. "Oh, well, the star doesn't like the make-up anymore, let's just shoot over with something else. Hey, Pierce, put the baseball glove down and get over here." Anyway: Thanks to Image Shack. Nice site, & free (but they like a plug.)
Dr Mirakle32	Re: Unknown	#22	[-]
Aug 5 05 6:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That make up is AMAZING and is obviously what was used on Lon Chaney seven years later. Can you provide a screen still of the scene with this make up being used in WWOL?
The Batman of Gotham	Re: Finally Ted posts a non-gag picture	#23	[-]
Aug 5 05 9:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	If I'm not mistaken, what you actually see in the scene is a shadow - but, it's obviously not a shadow of the make-up they ended up using! - GJS
blackbiped	Re: Unknown	#24	[-]
Aug 5 05 9:31 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm just not gettin' a vibe from that photo. He looks sorta "doggy" to me. I much prefer the makeup used in the film. Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way.
nightmarekey	Re: Unknown	#25	[-]
Aug 5 05 11:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I suspect the makeup was altered by the producer & director, because of the script. Both Paul Ames and Lisa Glendon verbally recognize "Wilfrid"... impossible with the original makeup. In the Chaney film, of course, it makes no difference: he's only recognized by the principals after his "death" and "re-transformation", giving Gwenn & Sir John something of a "tragic irony" to play against. Moreover, the final design as appears in WOL strongly echos "Magwitch" from Hull & Walker's previous collaboration. Hull was singled out for critical praise, & Laemmle Sr. himself may have intervened as well. It was pretty obvious they were looking for a "backup" for Boris Karloff, who had already "deserted" them once over a contract dispute.
Ted Newsom	Shadow od the Werewolf	#26	[-]
Aug 6 05 1:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Can you provide a screen still of the scene with this make up being used in WWOL? Somebody may be able to capture frames, but it ain't me. I had a discussion with Bill Warren about these things-- there are certain computer things that are beyond us old fogies. It's the scene with Spring Byington (or is it Hedda Hopper?) in her bedroom. The shadow of the werewolf looms over her; you never see the monster character clearly. nightmarekey makes a good, logical point, but as far as I've ever heard, it was due to Hull complaining about the make-up rather than any aesthetic concerns from the front office. Who knows. Could be...
Joe Karlosi	Re: Unknown	#27	[-]
Aug 6 05 5:16 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm glad they went with the makeup that was used in the end. And besides, that gave us two different-looking werewolves when Chaney became The Wolf Man. ------------------------------------ "It's MORE ... than a hobby!"
GaryP11111	Re: Unknown	#28	[-]
Aug 7 05 9:39 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Here are a few screen captures showing the shadowy silhouette lurking in Aunt Ettie's room: The first and last shots show the beast in profile; the middle shot is from behind. There may be another explanation for the look of this monster. What appears to be the beast's nose when he's on the prowl may be the bill of his cap. Note that the werewolf is wearing the cap as he lurks outside before he begins his climb. When he climbs the balconey and is shown full view inside he has no cap. That's because those shots were lifted from the end of the film when he's stalking his wife in his home. After he is thwarted by Ettie's screams, he can again be seen wearing the cap during the Goose Lane killing. For whatever reason the filmmakers may have decided not to use footage of the werewolf wearing the cap in Ettie's room and cribbed other footage to complete the scene. Whether the shadow is simply the effect of a light on the werewolf's cap or an alternative makeup, it's hard to say. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
nightmarekey	Re: Shadow od the Werewolf	#29	[-]
Aug 8 05 12:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* nightmarekey makes a good, logical point, but as far as I've ever heard, it was due to Hull complaining about the make-up rather than any aesthetic concerns from the front office. Who knows. Could be... Well, we all know (in our artificial hearts) The Laemmles were far & away more concerned with aesthetics than prosthetics.... hmmmm?????
Ted Newsom	Re: Unknown	#30	[-]
Aug 8 05 7:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I always heard that Junior Laemmle had a thing for anesthetics.
Ted Newsom	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#31	[-]
Aug 8 05 7:12 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wellllll.... I dunno. Sureashell looks like the old Chaney snout there. I don't see any brim on the cap... and his wolf ears are sticking out in the middle photograph (compare to the original make-up, a variation not found on either Hull in the film or Chaney later.) I say it's Eddie Parker. That guy played everything.
TomWeaver999	Re: Unknown	#32	[-]
Aug 8 05 7:43 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	<< I say it's Eddie Parker. That guy played everything. << Eddie Parker IS in it ........ but as the double for Lester Matthews.
The Batman of Gotham	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#33	[-]
Aug 8 05 10:22 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Now I suppose Gil Perkins doubled for Henry Hull & Warner Oland? - GJS
TomWeaver999	Re: Unknown	#34	[-]
Aug 8 05 10:54 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The Hull double is supposedly George DeNormand, with whom (I'm told) there's some kind of interview in the new FILMFAX -- I haven't yet seen the new issue.
Bill Warren	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#35	[-]
Aug 8 05 11:06 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* There may be another explanation for the look of this monster. What appears to be the beast's nose when he's on the prowl may be the bill of his cap. In the profile shadows, the nose is clearly different from that used for the final makeup. And I can't see how the cap would cast those ear-like shadows. I think the simplest explanation is the best: initially the movie began with the Wolf Man-like makeup--or at least faking it for the scenes with the shadows. When they began shooting Hull, they went for the simpler makeup seen in the finished film.
TomWeaver999	Re: Unknown	#36	[-]
Aug 8 05 11:48 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Another possibility is that nobody gave a rat's patootie what the shadow looked like -- I'm sure NO moviemaker of that era ever dreamed of the fan scrutiny (and frame-grab technology) to come! Thinking nobody would ever notice or care, they might have done a two-minute job of sticking one or two things on the shadowcaster (a funny nose, pointy ears) just to make him look less than human for the four-second shot, and let it go at that. In fact, if much more than that WAS done, the makeup person (and EVERYbody involved) was wasting studio time. In IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, notice that the shadow of It is simply the shadow of Ray Corrigan in the costume but without the alien head -- the head shadow is very obviously the shadow of a human head.
Bill Warren	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#37	[-]
Aug 8 05 12:47 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	EzCode Parsing Error: color=lime] *Quote:* In fact, if much more than that WAS done, the makeup person (and EVERYbody involved) was wasting studio time. ] It didn't occur to me that they would have made up whoever cast the shadow, but since the shadow IS shown so clearly, and since the nose on the shadow does resemble the Wolf Manesque nose of the trial makeup, I would assume that they were indeed trying to make the shadow look like it was cast by the WereWolf they were planning to use. Why wouldn't they?
taraco	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#38	[-]
Aug 8 05 12:54 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This is fascinating stuff. Especially since I think the Werewolf of London makeup as absolutely superb and in many ways, to me at least, is superior to all versions of Chaney Jr.'s Wolf Man look. The hat and muffler just make Hull look even better...a true Werewolf of London whose hair really was...perfect. david
Ted Newsom	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#39	[-]
Aug 8 05 1:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	From all we've heard and read over the years, Jack Pierce was a persnicky, ornery little bastard who ruled his little world-- rightly so, considering what his work had done for Universal (the monsters, plus all the good-lookin' dames.) I don't think that guy would put up with throwing a 5&dime rubber nose on somebody, and I'm not exactly sure you can equate WEREWOLF OF LONDON with IT THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE. For one thing, on the latter, Blaisdell had no particular veto power or authority-- witness all Bob's stories about having to play catch-up, mold the suit around Corrigan's old long johns because he wouldn't cross the Valley (about a half hour drive from Chatsworth to Topanga) to make a proper cast-- no head available, so Corrigan's chin pokes through-- IT may have been the biggest-budget film Blaisdell ever worked on, but he was given no respect. Also the one (or 2) surviving photos of the original make-up don't look, to me, like studio test shots-- compare them to the shots of Claude Rains in preliminary Phantom scars. And from what we can see, Hull's also in costume-- why bother if they're just tests? Finally, I think the first makeup (though you can't see it in the photo above) actually had wolfy-ears rising up-- which matches with the frame grabs. My guess: the Spring Byington scene was shot early in the proceedings, near the beginning of the schedule (or at least the beginnings of Hull's work in make-up) and he bitchd about it enough they went to the other one.
TomWeaver999	Re: Shadow odd the Werewolf	#40	[-]
Aug 8 05 2:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	<< I'm not exactly sure you can equate WEREWOLF OF LONDON with IT THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE << Well, I was just saying that in the 1930s and the 1950s ... and probably every other decade too ... there were pllllllenty of monster movie makers who weren't going to lose any sleep if a three-second shot of the shadow of the monster wasn't 100 percent dead-on. In fact, you could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of monster movie makers who WOULD lose sleep about something like that.

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THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON