The Monster Mash Not Taken
In its grand finale, The Wolf Man vs. Dracula sees all roads result in Citadel Dracula. Larry goes there in quest of Yvonne, the police and Anatole go in quest of Larry, having grow to be satisfied that Larry is a madman accountable for a collection of grisly lycanthrope-like murders within the area (just one is proven on display screen, with the vampire-wolf chasing Larry and Yvonne after slaughtering a neighbor).
Curiously, the top of the film doesn’t actually characteristic the Wolf Man versus Dracula, at the very least in the way in which you desire to. Earlier than the complete moon rises, a humanoid Larry is ready to discover Yvonne within the crypt and break Dracula’s thrall over her. As they try to flee into the close by cemetery and woods, Dracula awakens and takes the type of that big bat and continues dive-bombing them till Larry is ready to kill it by shoving a tombstone within the form of a crucifix by means of its coronary heart. Alas, by this time it’s too late for Larry to seek out any assist. The total moon crests after Dracula is useless, and as a werewolf, the opposite beastie begins stalking his spouse by means of Citadel Dracula! (Earlier than turning, Larry even noticed the pentagram in Yvonne’s palm!)
By then, three constables and Anatole have arrived, serving to elevate the bodycount because the Wolf Man takes out every of the coppers one after the other, earlier than working his approach to Anatole and Yvonne who’ve wound up again within the crypt. However the final second earlier than the werewolf takes his daughter, Anatole shoots the Wolf Man with a silver bullet he reluctantly made. Ultimately a real believer, Anatole sees the beast rework again into the person.
“You mustn’t [cry] Yvonne,” Larry tells his spouse. “Your father solely did what I requested him to do. You introduced the one magnificence in my life I’ve ever recognized — even when it was for a short while.” Turning to dad, he provides, “Thanks — good friend. Now I can relaxation in —.” His eyes, plus the credit, shut in earlier than he can end the final sentence.
It in the end would have been a fairly schlocky film, however in all probability no extra so than both Home of Frankenstein or Home of Dracula. And as a Common Monsters-loving child who grew up having fun with each of these films with out discrimination, I think about my childhood self would’ve devoured this too. In some methods, it’s stronger than both Home film, as a result of like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, it has an precise narrative spine as a Wolf Man sequel designed to make Lon Chaney Jr. look good. Conversely, the Homes had been all the time disjointed vignettes and set-pieces thrown collectively.
Nonetheless, in some methods it is likely to be greatest that we acquired Home of Dracula as an alternative of The Wolf Man vs. Dracula. For starters, as chintzy as Home of Dracula is, it encompasses a pleasant efficiency by Onslow Stevens as Dr. Edlemann, the kindly scientist who cures Larry Talbot of werewolfism earlier than being corrupted into evil by consuming the blood of Dracula.
