General News
Lon Chaney in THE WOLF MAN Screening at Schlafly Bottleworks May 1st
“I saw Lon Chaney Junior Dancing with the Queen!”
There will be a full moon Thursday May 1st when THE WOLF MAN screens at Schlafly Bottleworks in Mapelwood at 7pm.
“Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright”. This is one of the most classic lines from Universal’s Gloden Age of Horror along with “It’s Alive”(FRANKENSTEIN) and “Listen to them, the children of the night….what music they make”(DRACULA). In THE WOLF MAN (1941) Lon Chaney stars as Lawrence Talbot, who returns home to England, is bitten by a werewolf and then becomes one himself. It is very easy to become sympathetic toward Talbot and Chaney well-portrays the anguish and shame at what he has become. Claude Rains is excellent as Sir John Talbot’s father and Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and Bela Lugosi round out an outstanding cast. Of special note is Maria Ouspenskaya in perhaps her most iconic role, as the gypsy woman who informs Chaney what has happened to him; her gentle, maternal chants (“The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own”) elevate the film to a higher level.
Jack Pierce’s werewolf make-up is iconic though I never understood why Chaney retains his human form and walks on two furry feet, while Bela Lugosi, as the original werewolf who bites him, is a full-fledged wolf. That said, THE WOLF MAN relies on atmospheric sets and internal tension rather than make-up and fancy special effects to provide its chills. The sets are incredible, especially the scenes of the fog-covered forest. It wasn’t the first (that would have been WEREWOLF OF LONDON -1935) but THE WOLF MAN set the bar and the rules for all future werewolf films.
Now you’ll have the chance to see THE WOLF MAN in all its big screen glory when it plays Thursday May 1st, at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue Maplewood, MO 63143). The show begins at 7pm and yes, we will be showing the stunning Blu-ray transfer.
Added Bonus: We will be raffling off a Tap Room VIP Tour Pass for 10! A $100 value!!!
THE WOLF MAN is the fifth screening in a new subseries from A Film Series to promote the practice of Universal Design in the built environment.
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN will be playing as part of this film series in October
Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks for updates on those screenings.
Brought to you by A Film Series, Schlafly Bottleworks, AUDP and Real Living Gateway Real Estate.
Funds generated from this series help AUDP promote the practice of universal design in the built environment and the value it adds to daily living for everyone.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
$6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. Dan the bartender will be on hand to take care of you.
The Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE
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