WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935) test make-up

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At left, the first, unused test of Jack Pierce's werewolf makeup for WEREWOLF OF LONDON; at right, the final version (teeth definitely appear to be the same). According to the excellent UNIVERSAL HORRORS: THE STUDIO'S CLASSIC FILMS, 1931-1946, by Tom Weaver (no relation, at least that I’m aware of) and Michael and John Brunas:

"Rumor has it that Hull protested about the prolonged application sessions, so a more modified look was created. Cortland Hull put the lie to this story: 'Henry said his point was not vanity, but how the script was written... Valerie Hobson and Lester Matthews were to have recognized the werewolf as being Glendon... Jack Pierce's original design would have made this recognition impossible.'"

(The book then goes on to describe some rather delicious drama between Hull and Pierce involving pulling rank and werewolf life-casts. Do check out the book - fantastic stuff.)

Controversial opinion: while WEREWOLF OF LONDON is a lesser film than THE WOLF MAN and Glendon less endearing (to a fault) than Chaney's Larry Talbot, I far prefer Pierce's (well and truly resisted) Hull-werewolf makeup to his classic Chaney-werewolf 'do. There's something about it that I find far more haunting: perhaps it's how recognizable Glendon is inside the wolf. Makes the story that much more tragic?