The Wolf Man

by Philip J Reed

1941's The Wolf Man endures as a masterpiece of the classic Universal horror films, but this deeply felt work also offers a unique insight into the complex psychology of its lead actor. Lon Chaney Jr. rarely opened up in interviews and, when he did, the information he provided about himself was vague and contradictory. This was perhaps intentional; like the character he played in The Wolf Man, Chaney had a monstrous side that he did his best to keep hidden.

Pop culture writer, humorist, and horror cinephile Philip J Reed analyzes the iconic film, using it and a collection of interviews, press materials, and biographical sources as a basis for discovering who Chaney really was when the cameras turned off and night fell. Chaney's work on screen provides valuable insight into his real-life struggles with alcoholism, violence, depression, and a tortured relationship with his celebrated, even more monstrous father.

The Wolf Man is an effective work of lingering horror. The story of its lead actor might be even more haunting.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2024

Reviews

[Tyler Barlass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't purchase The Wolf Man because I'm a big fan of the 1941 classic horror film. I actually don't think I'd ever seen it until I watched it recently in preparation to read this book about it. No, the reason I read this book was because I was a fan of the author, Philip J Reed. I first read Reed's work when he published a book about the making of the classic video game Resident Evil. It was an insightful, honest and extremely interesting book. I found Reed's writing to be a delight and sought out more of his writing about horror, games and all things pop culture.

In the summer of '22, we all found out that Philip J Reed committed suicide and a few short weeks later it was announced that a book he had been working on would be published posthumously. That book is The Wolf Man and it's more than just an analysis of an old black and white movie, it's the story of the tortured son of Lon Chaney. Reed parallels the life of Chaney with the character he plays in The Wolf Man. Man by day, wolf by night. Much of Reed's wit and humor is gone in this book. It's a heavy load to focus on such a flawed person and it's clear that Reed was burdened by his own demons as he wrote about Chaney's.

Editor Nick Toti included a somber afterword that explains some of the circumstances surrounding Reed's death and the decisions that needed to be made to get this book to print. He mentions that Reed was involved in other projects at the time of his passing but I'm doubtful they'll ever see the light of day. Most likely this book will be the last thing this talented writer will ever share with the world.

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

thorough look at Wolf Man and Lon Chaney Jr. There is some suppistion about Chaney's motivation and it is not substatianted, but all in all, a really good book about one of the victims of the hollywood machine. He did a nice job tying it all in with the movie. I wanted more about the making of the movie, such as where Siodmak was coming from when you wrote the movie, but it was a good boo