The First Wolf

 

 (imdb)

WEREWOLF OF LONDON-1935-An English botanist Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull) is bitten by a werewolf while searching for a rare plant in Tibet. Back in London his unhappy wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson; the same year as BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) is courted by an American (Lester Matthews; in THE RAVEN the same year). Glendon is visited by Dr. Yogami (Warner Oland; well into the Charlie Chan series), who tells him of two cases of “werewolfery” in London. It seems Yogami is the werewolf that bit the Glendon in Tibet. When his hand turns hairy Glendon uses the plant, Moonlight Bloom to stop the transformation but he's warned by Yogami that the plant is not a cure but a temporary antidote. When Yogami steals another plant, the doc turns into a scary wolf man and goes hunting for the thing he loves the most. He almost kills his wife's aunt (Spring Byington) but kills a prostitute instead. Later he goes after the missus and is shot by the police inspector. 

WEREWOLF OF LONDON is a classic 1930's horror film from Universal pictures. The wolf man himself (Jack P. Pierce's make-up though he's uncredited) is quite scary even when he's wearing a hat and coat and there's a lot of spooky nighttime scenes. Director Stuart Walker only made 12 movies. Others include GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1934) (also with Henry Hull) and THE MYSTERY OF EDWARD DROOD (also 1935). He also did work on Paramount's “Bulldog Drummond” series around this time too.

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Raise The Dead

 

LIFE RETURNS-1935-Three young doctors Robert Cornish (Robert Cornish), Louise Stone (Lois Wilson) and John Kendrick (Onslow Stevens) conduct experiments with a potion to bring the dead back to life but the obsessed Kendrick accepts a grant from The Arnold institute. After rising in his medical practice, marrying a socialite (Valerie Hobson) and doing many experiments, the director (Frank Reicher) and Arnold himself (Richard Carle) see no commercial or beneficial use for his research. They refuse to buy him an expensive piece of equipment. Since he's obviously a self absorbed bastard who's used to getting his way, neglecting his practice and family, feeling his research into bringing the dead back to life is much more important this comes as quite a blow to him. When he explains his theory he's ridiculed. 

Years later he's toiling away and getting nuttier. His wife dies and his young son Jimmy is going to be hauled off to juvenile court. Jimmy runs away and hides out with some tough kids. Later when Jimmy's dog is gassed to death Kendrick gets the body and has Cornish perform the operation to reanimate him. (Real operation footage is shown). While several doctors look on the dog is restored to life. 

This is just a tedious promotion disguised as a human interest story and advertised as a horror film. It's based on the actual experiments of co-star Robert Cornish. For more on Cornish and, in my opinion, his dubious experiments go here:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Cornish

LIFE RETURNS was produced by Universal Pictures who pulled it from general release after they thought it was too gruesome. This is only one of four movies director Eugene Frenke made. In 1958 he produced THE BARBARIAN AND THE GEISHA with John Wayne.

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