Werewolf of London (1935) / 2022 Revisit

 There was a question that came to me yet again while watching this? Why did Lisa (Hobson) ever marry Glendon (Hull)? For the life of me, I can't figure out why she married him. He's older and seems too boring and dedicated to his botany work to give her the time her youth desires. He isn't much for conversation, nor does he seem interested in her own active social life. And I can't figure out why she ever became involved with him. Was it his money? Perhaps they met and she found him mature, someone who could take care of her, perhaps offering her an environment to thrive, allowing her to have that refinement, high society access. I just assumed she came from a nice upbringing and maybe they met through a similar social circle. But Glendon just seems so absorbed in his work, when would he have courted her? These are questions I ask every single time I watch this. I think that is why I prefer "The Wolf Man" more. I just can't emotionally connect with Glendon still. I do believe Hull gets the point across that his botanist, Glendon, bitten by a werewolf in Tibet while looking for the rare moonflower (not a cure for werewolfery, just a temporary ease of it), deeply cares for his wife. But he just can't give her the excitement and thrills of real life experience as "adventurer/traveler" Paul Ames (Lester Matthews) can. They locked eyes and their childhood young love just rushed back. It was over for Glendon. 

Orland's Dr. Yogama actually steals moonflowers budded in Glendon's lab and even goes to Ettie's (Spring Byington) big high society party, one of those bourgeoisie kinds Buñuel always loved to poke fun at. Yogama knew that Glendon would kill while in the form of the werewolf, but in order to not kill as a werewolf himself, that seemed like a fair trade. It was Yogama in Tibet as the werewolf who brought the curse on Glendon, so it was apropos as a werewolf Glendon killed Yogama (as Yogama attempted to take the last moonflower budding in the lab under the special light).

There is a certain tragic sadness at the end when the police shoot Glendon as his werewolf was drawing near Lisa, something still there deep inside holding him somewhat back...Glendon's last words were of regret for not making Lisa happier. So now that Glendon is out of the picture, I'm sure Lisa will inherit his fortune and have a happier life with her adventures through Paul.

There is some fun in the film ribbing the liked of Ettie and her high class of friends, all of whom seem to actually dislike each other. I can hear lots of talk behind closed doors towards each other. I don't blame Glendon for wanting nothing to do with that. I guess you can't help who you fall in love with, but it was clear that Paul simply was the man she seemed more connected to. And that is just something the older Glendon couldn't quite accomplish.  

Unfortunately, "Werewolf of London" is often buried within Wolf Man sets, often on the B side of a disc, sort of forgotten. I certainly don't dislike the Pierce makeup, and even if Hull was frustrating to the makeup impresario, there is something unique to this particular look. I like that "Full Moon High" adopted this look for Arkin later in Cohen's parody of werewolf movies in 1981. I think re-evaluations have been far kinder to this film than in the past. In the mid aughts, the film did seem to gain some traction and re-emerge once its availability made it advantageous for others to see it.