Why the Original Wolf Man Howled

By Pat Sierchio

URL: http://www.jewishjournal.com/film/article/why_the_original_wolf_man_howled_20100209/

“I am the Wolf Man!”

This proclamation was not made by Lon Chaney Jr., who starred in the 1941 film “The Wolf Man.” Nor was it pronounced by Benicio Del Toro, who takes on the title role in the 2010 remake of the horror classic. These words belong to Curt Siodmak, the prolific writer and Jewish refugee who created the original screenplay for “The Wolf Man” while working for Universal Studios in the 1940s. Like many Jews in Germany, Siodmak and his wife, Henrietta, were forced to flee from their homeland after Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in the 1930s. And it was that experience — being a Jew in Germany during that black period — that inspired Siodmak’s most enduring story.

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Comments:	A friend has recommended you read the following from The Jewish Journal... Why the Original Wolf Man Howled “I am the Wolf Man!” This proclamation was not made by Lon Chaney Jr., who starred in the 1941 film “The Wolf Man.” Nor was it pronounced by Benicio Del Toro, who takes on the title role in the 2010 remake of the horror classic. These words belong to Curt Siodmak, the prolific writer and Jewish refugee who created the original screenplay for “The Wolf Man” while working for Universal Studios in the 1940s. Like many Jews in Germany, Siodmak and his wife, Henrietta, were forced to flee from their homeland after Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in the 1930s. And it was that experience — being a Jew in Germany during that black period — that inspired Siodmak’s most enduring story. http://www.jewishjournal.com/film/article/why_the_original_wolf_man_howled_20100209/ Sign up for our free email news alerts at http://www.jewishjournal.com/email.

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