The Undying Monster is an interesting picture for two reasons being that it tries to be like Universal’s The Wolf Man while at the same time trying to find its own identity. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not but you have to give 20th Century Fox credit because at least they tried and on the whole, the movie was actually quite enjoyable. The plot concerns a family that has been plagued with lycanthropy for generations and as such, try to keep it a secret from those without. Yet when a man gets attacked, a member of that selfsame family, an investigation starts and despite the Hammond’s doing their best, they and their secret are soon found out.

The script by Lillie Hayward is a good one as it sprinkles some lighthearted comedy throughout the film and when you add to that the suspense and the mystery of it all, it turns out to be a pretty fun picture. While you would naturally assume this to be a horror film, even by the standards of 1942, there is nothing frightening to be found. There is a bit of a moody atmosphere to be had but it emphasizes the tension of the investigation more than anything else. The most blatant thing this film managed to do which detracted from it just a little was the creation of a curse to go with their werewolf mythos much like Universal did. It even managed to rhyme yet when it came right down to it, in the end it was neither memorable nor did it really add anything no matter how many times it was repeated:

‘When stars are bright
on a frosty night
Beware thy bane
in the rocky lane.’

Unlike the poem found in The Wolf Man which clearly stated how one would transform into a werewolf, this one was simply far too ambiguous and could simply mean for one to watch their footing as the ground would get slippery when it was frosty at night. Simply put, it was silly and unneeded and if it was trying to add to the horror of the picture, it failed miserably. The werewolf of the film did manage to put in one appearance towards the end of the movie and director John Brahm packs the scene full of action making it one of the most exciting moments to be had.

Though The Undying Monster might not be The Wolf Man, it is a good film though as far as werewolf movies go, there are many that are far, far better. Where the title comes from is a bit of a quandary as it could refer to the family curse and how it got passed down through the years thereby the ‘undying’ part of it coming into play or maybe it just sounded good to the films producer. Either way, The Wolf Man will remain the best picture of its sort from the time period but this will do in a pinch if you have nothing else to watch.

3 out of 5