The horror icon played the same werewolf in 5 different movies

In a seven year span, Lon Chaney, Jr. Played the same werewolf an impressive total of five times. Among the many actors associated with Universal’s rich library of monster movies is Lon Chaney, Jr., a talented actor with an extremely deep and impressive filmography. The son of Phantom of the Opera Starring Lon Chaney, the actor quickly carved a path for himself in Hollywood as a horror movie star. Much like his father before him, Chaney, Jr. Often used heavy makeup for his roles, which are often monsters in classic horror movies.

Cheney. Junior was active in the industry for decades, getting his start in the silent era during his youth and finally retiring in the early 1970s. At this time, Chaney, Jr. Worked in several mediums and genres, ranging from western movies to adventure films. However, horror will always be what Lon Chaney Jr. is most closely associated with. Especially in the 1940s, Chaney, Jr. was a top choice for Universal’s monster films. The studio apparently discovered that Chaney, Jr. Is talented enough to portray a variety of creatures. Interestingly, however, there was one specific monster – the Wolf Man – that the actor continued to revisit.

Universal brought back Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man 4 times after his death in the 1941 movie

Lon Chaney, Jr. Played Larry Talbot 5 times between 1941 and 1948

In addition to creating more exposure for him, the character that made Chaney, Jr. a household name in the 1940s was a frequent source of work for him. In 1941, Chaney, Jr The Wolf Man As Larry Talbot, a man cursed to become the titular monster during a full moon after being bitten by another werewolf. like The Wolf Man Originally intended to be a standalone horror film, it wrapped up its story with Larry clearly dying at the end. But while the movie definitively killed him off, the studio reversed his death regardless, vi The Wolf Man’s Success made a sequel a no-brainer For the studio.

in Frankenstein meets the Wolf ManThe wolfsbane (a weakness for the werewolf) with which it was dug was removed from his arm. This triggered Larry’s revival, allowing him to resume his periodic transformation into the Wolf Man. For the film, his goal was to find a way to die permanently. ending in a fight that left his fate ambiguous, Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man Set him up for a return in another crossover, House of Frankenstein. In this movie and its sequel, House of Dracula, Lon Chaney, Jr. s character strives to rid himself of the werewolf curse for good.

Larry achieved his goal at the end of House of DraculaAnd for a time it seemed that the 1945 film was the end of the Wolf Man saga for Lon Chaney, Jr. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, which is placed in a separate continuum. Given that it also brought back the names of Glenn Strange on Frankenstein’s Monster from the last two crossovers and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, it’s not entirely surprising that it chose to bring back Chaney, Jr. Like the wolf man too.

Lon Chaney, Jr. Also played 3 other universal monsters

He is the only actor to play all four of Universal’s monster icons

Partly because of The Wolf Man’s reputation as one of the greatest werewolf movies of all time, Larry Talbot will always be Lon Chaney’s most iconic character, but the werewolf isn’t the only universal monster associated with the actor’s name. In fact, Chaney, Jr. Is the only actor in cinematic history to have played all four of the universal horror icons. Making this more impressive is the rapid succession in which he took on these roles. Lon Chaney, Jr. Played the other three Universal Monsters all in his seven year stint as the Wolf Man.

Universal’s approach to Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster was slightly different from the approach to Larry Talbot. with the wolf man, Universal maintained a sense of continuity by keeping Lon Chaney, JrBut would continuously recast the other monsters. Chaney, Jr. was one of the actors chosen to replace Lugosi as Dracula and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster and Harris. He originated the Count Alucard version of Dracula in Son of Dracula and played Frankenstein’s monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein.

except the wolf man, The mummy is the only universal monster that chainy. Junior portrayed more than once. The actor played the titular villain in The mummy’s tombAnd reprized the role twice more in The Mummy’s Ghost And The Mummy’s Curse. Interestingly, all of these roles preceded Chaney Jr.’s final Larry Talbot appearance in Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein.

Another monster for Lon Chaney, Jr. s acting credits worth mentioning is the titular character of Man-made monster. In the film, the actor portrayed a man who was injured in an accident that shocked him with electricity, turning him into a formidable threat that the other characters in the film struggled to contain. The use of special effects did not make a hit Man-made monsterBut Chaney, Jr. His role as the character is nonetheless noteworthy, considering that it was what prompted Universal to make him the lead in The Wolf Man.

Other notable actors who played Larry Talbot

Larry Talbot is only a few times accurately represented

With five movies, Lon Chaney. Jr. put his immovable stamp on Larry Talbot. But although the character started with him in the role, he was not the last actor to play him. Various iterations of Larry Talbot have since materialized over the years, both on the big and small screen. On TV, for example, he was played by Josh Hartnett in Penny Dreadful. However, only one adaptation so far – since Chaney, Jr. s movies – put Larry front-and-center of the story, and it was the 2010 remake, directed by Joe Johnston. Benecio del Toro stepped into Lon Chaney, Jr’s shoes to take over the role of Talbot.

The film will remain the only proper remake of The Wolf Man Until 2025 when Universal releases another adaptation of the story. Originally, Ryan Gosling was set to play the classic Lon Chaney, Jr., but now the job will be left to Christopher Abbott. The success of the film and its potential for sequels will determine whether another actor can enjoy the same longevity as Larry Talbot that Lon Chaney, Jr. Had. But an actor playing a particular werewolf on the big screen five different times is so unusual that it’s a record unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.