It seems to be in season to belittle Lon Chaney Jr over the past few years as I have become disenchanted with a lack of respect given to his performances and most popular film, The Wolf Man. With the theatrical release of The Wolfman, George Waggner's The Wolf Man has been regarded as mediocre and overrated. I think people have a right to their opinion and that I should take them for a grain of salt, but The Wolf Man and the star who played him are so dear to my heart that I have a hard time swallowing such ridicule. This wonderful 30 minute documentary about Creighton Chaney who would later take the name of his father and become an icon(to us who still love The Wolf Man and the character of Lawrence Talbot)has insightful interviews from historians, directors, authors, and friends who speak about him candidly, informing us about who the man was and offering analysis and opinions on his career and personal lifestyle. There's reflection on Chaney's contribution to Horror, and how his upbringing, alcoholism, struggles as an actor, famous father, stardom and faltering career after Universal shaped the man he was in life and on screen. After slogging through the scathing rhetoric of his performances and movies by others who consider him worthless, it was pleasant to experience a documentary about Chaney's work where he's respected and appreciated. It was just dandy to purchase the 2 disc Legacy set of The Wolf Man, with a documentary paying tribute to a man often the butt of jokes and criticism, beloved by many horror fans who still consider him a treasure in the pantheon of Universal legends. While Dracula and The Wolf Man were the reasons I'm the Gothic horror fan I am today, the performance of Lawrence Talbot, absent werewolf make-up, was just as much a reason why I still hold his film with such regard. There are moments when we see how near and dear he was to certain interviewees due to his sweet nature and kind treatment to those around him that nearly brought me to tears, because, despite his troubles(..and demons that continued to plague him due to following in the footsteps of a legendary movie star and how his star fell after Universal canceled his contract)he meant so much to a lot of people.
This documentary also comments on the film that truly made him noticed in Hollywood, his Lenny in Of Mice and Men, plus interviews from director Sam Hill and actor Sid Haig who share warm memories of his work in Spider Baby..sad is that Chaney would never know how beloved his role would be to a new generation of horror fans(correctly, someone says that Spider Baby is Chaney's Targets).
This documentary also comments on the film that truly made him noticed in Hollywood, his Lenny in Of Mice and Men, plus interviews from director Sam Hill and actor Sid Haig who share warm memories of his work in Spider Baby..sad is that Chaney would never know how beloved his role would be to a new generation of horror fans(correctly, someone says that Spider Baby is Chaney's Targets).
