The Wolf Man vs. Dracula: An Alternate History for Classic Film Monsters

This is an unproduced script for a film that would have been Universal's followup to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. The film would have starred Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolfman and Bela Lugosi as Dracula and would have been the first Universal horror movie in color. For various reasons, House of Frankenstein was made instead, in black and white. The script was written by Bernard Schubert and is printed in it's entirety, with typos left intact. It is a first draft, so I would assume that some things would have changed in later drafts. For example, the way the Wolfman is discovered does not match up with the way he ended up at the conclusion of Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, so that probably would have changed. And there is no actual fight between the Wolfman and Dracula, so I assume that Universal would have added that fight to the film. Overall, though, it's a pretty good script.

The Amazon description is little confusing, so here is what this is exactly. This is the full original screenplay for an unmade Universal horror film written for Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi in 1944 by Bernard Schubert. It was to be the follow-up to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. The script runs 121 pages and is actually pretty darn good. Far superior, IMO, to the film that was made instead, House of Frankenstein. Amazingly, Universal was going to make this film in color. The book includes the full screenplay and some production background -- basically the remembrances of screenwriter Schubert and special effects cinematographer David Horsley. The Amazon description mentions color photos of the monsters. While these exist in the archives, they are not reproduced in this book, only mentioned.The author/editor of this book is Philip J. Riley who during the '80s and '90s produced several amazing volumes on the Universal Horror Classics with MagicImage Filmbooks (which now individually sell for hundreds of dollars). This is a welcome continuation of that series with new publisher BearMedia. With his years of work for Universal, Riley has has unique access to archive material, and has somehow convinced the powers-that-be to allow the public this first-ever peek at would could have been. I'll tell you, it's a dream come true for a "Monster Kid" like myself to be able to read screenplays for unmade horror films of this classic age. The script is skillfully written and I could just see the scenes playing out on the Universal backlot. Having this book is like having a new classic Universal monster movie on my shelf (and a good one too).In addition to this volume, BearManor and Riley have released the scripts to James Whale's version of Dracula's Daughter (amazing read!) and Boris Karloff's Cagliostro (which evolved into The Mummy). Lon Chaney's Dracula (which would have been his first talkie) is coming next. Also announced are Robert Florey's Frankenstein and Boris Karloff's The Wolf Man.If you are a fan of Universal Horror, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. And considering what has happened to the values of the MagicImage books, I'd recommend getting this book NOW.

I agree completely with the other buyers who love this book. What a find this unproduced script is. It would have made a great Universal horror picture. One which would once again give Lon Chaney, Jr. the chance to portray the tortured Larry Talbot. Universal's costume department might want to change Lugosi's cloak, as the one he wore in Dracula had a rather dull, grey lining. A colour production would require a better and more dramatic colour of lining - maybe red?!Not that I would ever doubt the work of Philip Riley, but I could not resist checking the files at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library, and they do have both a synopsis for this film, as well as 1944 correspondence, from the film censor Joseph I. Breen, who recommend changes both of words in the dialogue as well as a scream being deleted. Mr. Breen also advised that an entire scene would undoubtedly be requested removed.I hope this can put any doubtful soul's mind at rest.

Let me mention first that I really enjoyed this book/script. I have no doubt that it is what it states to be, an unfilmed sequel to a Universal Horror movie. My only problem is that as a sequel to "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" it doesn't really fit. Not wanting to give away too much, how Larry Talbot is found at the beginning of this script does not match how "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" ended. On the other hand, it matches EXACTLY how you would expect to find Talbot if this was a sequel to "House of Frankenstein". So again, I have no doubt this is an authentic script written in the 1940's, I just think that maybe it's for one film later than what it's presented to be. Either way though, well worth buying.

As I have worked with Philip J. Riley on 'The Horror of Dracula' film book, and co-created the 'Nightmare Series', I can assure you all this book is a very important addition to a collector as well as a important cinema find. Philip J. Riley's quest and research to bring these to life, as far as I am concerned, puts him on the same level as William Everson and Kevin Brownlow!

I am a big fan of these Riley books and always find such interesting information in them pertaining to the subject. But this presentation was disappointing. A few pages of how the production was supposedly created and eventually side tracked. Then you get the complete screenplay of what was to be a Wolfman/Dracula saga of the strangest kind. Yes, it is interesting but I forked over nearly $30.00 for this thin and glossy almost-a-magazine creation and would have at least preferred some sort of filler material to compensate for the high price. Lower it if nothing else. I don't care how fasinating the subject at least gives us nearly $30 worth of material To top it off the screenplay itself was reproduced in small very light type. I felt ripped off. Ya live and learn.

Philip Riley has been a godsend to fans of the old horror films. He has reconstructed lost Lon Chaney silents in book form (London after Midnight and A Blind bargain) and presented books of original shooting scripts of Dracula & Frankenstein films with often sustantial differences to the finished film.This series An Alternate History for Classic Film Monsters, published scripts from original versions of projects e.g. the script that was planned for Dracula when Lon Chaney was still in the frame and scripts that were not filmed e.g. Cagliostro to star Boris Karloff (supplanted by the Mummy).This is another of the unfilmed scripts, the original follow up to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman which had delivered good box office returns. Thought had been given to having Lon Chaney Jr as both Wolfman and Dracula ( Chaney having recently filmed Son of Dracula they probably would have had him as the anagramatically named chip off the old block Count Alucard (*1) in this too). The problems of wolfman Laurence Talbot's human form resembling Dracula led them to cast Bela Lugosi back in his most famous role.In the script Talbot is revived from death and falls in with a hangman and his daughter. He advises the hangman to fashion a silver bullet against a future emergency having confided his status to the disbelieving man. He and the daughter fall in love but Dracula also seeks her hand.This is nothing special but would have worked as a monster mash-the only disappointment might have been that it is the human alter-ego Laurence Talbot who battles Dracula, not the wolfman form.Both actors would probably have enjoyed it Lugosi getting to play his beloved count again, with plenty of dialogue and a chance to do hypnosis, and Chaney getting a love interest ( he had hoped to become an unconventional romantic idol).The highlights are the clever revival sequence for Talbot, (he revives in an operating theatre once the silver bullet is removed) and the attack by Dracula in the form of a giant bat. With the giant and small bat forms which were intended to do complex flying sequences, the special effects of the time would have been tested.Spelling errors remain in addition to notes on the mythology of the characters and notes on where old sets from other films could be re-used.The script is supplemented by brief words from 2 who worked on the film in pre-production up to the cancellation (one of them is the author), detailing its genesis and plans to shoot it in technicolour.The film of course was dropped before shooting and replaced by House of Frankenstein when sadly for Lugosi John Carradine was cast as Dracula.If you are a big fan of these old horror films, then you'll find this worth a look.(*1) a number of attempts were made to utilise Chaney as more than one monster within the same film. House of Frankenstein was planned to have him as Kharis the Mummy as well as wolfman and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankestein at one point was to have had him play both of them and Alucard!

This is an interesting read for anyone who is interested in the classic black and white horror films. I've always loved them myself and its great to get an insight of this might have been project. The plot itself is good enough especially as continuity in those days was pretty non existent. The main let down story wise is that when the big confrontation finally happens it is Lawrence Talbot vs Dracula rather than the wolf man. I could imagine thousands of kids feeling let down in the 40s as they waited to see it kick off between the two iconic monster legends. This is not to take anything away from this publication as the script is what it is. If you're really into the original films and would genuinely like to find out about this potential addition to classic cinema then go for it.