Universal's first try at a werewolf picture. British botanist Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull) is in Tibet searching for a certain moon flower. He finds it but is attacked by a werewolf and survives. Back in Britain he's fascinated by the flower but ignores his young lovely wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson). He's also visited by mysterious Dr. Yogami (Warner Oland) who is actually the werewolf who attacked him in Tibet. He wants the flower because its blossoms are an antidote to werewolfrey (as the script puts it). Wilfred refuses to part with it but Yogami steals it...and there's a full moon that night.
This movie has been bashed over the years. It's flatly directed, there's very little werewolf action and Hull HATED making the movie (and it shows in his acting). Also Oland and Hobson are terrible in their roles. Still it's short (only 75 minutes), is never really dull and the werewolf makeup (while minimal) is effective. Also it does provoke a few pleasurable chills here and there. It's not as good as "The Wolf Man" made 6 years later but it's not a bad little horror film. A better lead and better director would have helped.
This movie has been bashed over the years. It's flatly directed, there's very little werewolf action and Hull HATED making the movie (and it shows in his acting). Also Oland and Hobson are terrible in their roles. Still it's short (only 75 minutes), is never really dull and the werewolf makeup (while minimal) is effective. Also it does provoke a few pleasurable chills here and there. It's not as good as "The Wolf Man" made 6 years later but it's not a bad little horror film. A better lead and better director would have helped.