Re-Halloween Special!: Werewolf of London from Universal Monsters ReAction by Super7

 

   I've got another Re-Halloween special for all you spooky people out there: The Werewolf of London. Awooo!! While this figure doesn't come with a Chinese menu in his hand, he does have on a rather nice purple robe and his hair is indeed perfect. While the package simply says Werewolf of London, the figure is Dr. Wilfred Glendon in his werewolf form from the 1935 Universal Pictures horror film Werewolf of London. And, yes, the film (or at least the title) did inspire the song by the late, great Warren Zevon ("Excitable Boy" is easily one of my top 25 albums of all time). Henry Hull played a tortured werewolf in Werewolf of London six years before Lon Chaney Jr. played Larry Talbot in 1941's The Wolf Man, and while it's not the better film, Werewolf of London did come out first and has a unique charm to it. I quite like the movie and I was extremely excited to get this figure for my birthday a couple months back. I originally planned on reviewing this figure for The ABCs of 31 Days of Toy terror but he got bumped back to Re-Halloween. Ready to check out the Werewolf of London? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 3 3/4ths

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel shoulders, and a swivel neck.

Accessories: None

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

The Packaging:

* There are very few toylines I could find any way to justify keeping in the package but Super7's ReAction figures are one of them. The fantastic art of Henry Hull as Dr. Wilfred Glendon by Ed Repka is just incredible and makes for a pretty impressive looking carded specimen.

The Positives:

* What a smartly dressed fellow! A tuxedo shirt with a black bowtie! A swanky maroon housecoat! I'd love to meet his tailor! The Werewolf of London is pretty nicely dressed, kind of capturing both sides of what Wilfred does: Go to fancy outings and hang around the house ignoring his wife, Lisa. The gorgeous Valerie Hobson was in three films 1935 that have fallen under the Universal horror banner (Werewolf of London, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood), so while Wilfred was ignoring her, no one else was! Anyways, he's a cool looking figure that looks distinct from the Wolf Man, so no one should be mistaking him in your collection.

* Check out his claws! Wilfred's definitely engaged in some full blown werewolfery here. His nails are long and sharp and he has huge, furry paws. Just like a wolf, wouldn't you say? Dr. Yogami has better watch out!

* Since he's a ReAction figure, Dr. Glendon only has five points of articulation. That's all I'd expect from a faux retro figure like this so it's all good. I do like the feel of Super7's ReAction figures far more than most other companies shooting for the vintage Kenner aesthetic. They just feel right. Hard to explain. 

* Let's talk about the portrait. One of the things that still sets Henry Hull's portrayal of a werewolf apart from most others is that he's recognizable. People who see him in the film realize who he is. There's some good detail here and he definitely looks very vintage. But...

The Negatives:

* He looks far too much like Count Chocula. Yeah, these figures are vintage inspired but I'm usually more impressed by the likeness. This one looks a bit off.

   While Werewolf of London isn't one of the top tier Universal Monsters/ Universal horror films in terms of its pop culture appeal, it's definitely a solid B-tier movie and it's quite cool to see a figure of Dr. Wilfred Glendon. An accessory would have been nice (perhaps the mariphasa lupine lumina) and a bit stronger headsculpt would be welcome, but it's still a Good figure for fans of these classic films. Yeah, most people don't recognize this guy, but those of us who do probably get a thrill that he's able to hang out with the rest of the ReAction Universal Monsters crew. 





This is the first figure of Dr. Wilfred Glendon that I've reviewed. For more reviews from Super7's Universal Monsters ReAction line check out the following:

Bela Legosi as Ygor 
Lon Chaney as the Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Phantom of the Opera as the Masque of the Red Death