It was an absolute pleasure sitting down with Lee Meriwether at Trekonderoga, the Ticonderoga, New York, convention that is all things Star Trek, this past August. An icon in the industry for the sixty plus years, Meriwether won Miss California in 1954, following it up by winning the Miss America pageant in 1955, the first year it was televised.
Joining the Today Show soon after, it did not take long for her to nab her first major role in the 1959 sci fi horror flick 4D Man. Splitting time between television and the silver screen, she made guest appearances or had recurring roles on shows such as Dragnet, Leave It to Beaver, The Jack Benny Program, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, The Fugitive, The Time Tunnel (all thirty episodes), Mission: Impossible, and of course, Star Trek – playing the mysterious Losira in the 1969 episode, “That Which Survives”. On the film front, Meriwether took over the role of Catwoman from Julie Newmar for Batman: The Movie (the first feature film, though there were two serial features created in the 1940s), also making two appearances as Lisa Carson soon after on the Batman series, she also starred opposite Andy Griffith in Angel in My Pocket, as well as John Wayne and Rock Hudson in the western The Undefeated, both motion pictures were released in 1969.
After a ten episode run on The New Andy Griffith Show, as well as a few other roles, Meriwether landed the part of Betty Jones, the secretary and daughter-in-law of Barnaby Jones – a CBS series; the show ran from 1973-1980 (she appeared in 173 episodes, which earned Meriwether one Emmy nomination as well as two Golden Globe noms).
Following its lengthy run, the actress found another intriguing character in the reboot of The Munsters, titled The Munsters Today, playing Lily Munster for 73 episodes. Soap opera fans will also remember her as Ruth Martin on All My Children (taking over the role from Mary Fickett, she appeared on and off from 1996 until the series’ conclusion in 2011). During this time, she also appeared on memorable shows like Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Murder, She Wrote. Meriwether continues to act in films, television, on stage, as well as doing voice work.
Charming and extremely interesting, Meriwether was gracious with her time, reminiscing about her days on many of the films and series mentioned above. She also tells a fascinating story about a false engagement to Joe DiMaggio. When the conversation turned to her favourite film, it did not take long for her to highlight the classic 1941 horror film The Wolf Man, relating her experience of seeing it with her family when she was just a child. Check out the video below to hear so many wonderful stories from her life.
One of Universal’s famed horror lineup of the 1930s-50s, The Wolf Man usually slots in at number three when it comes to popularity, ahead of others like The Invisible Man and The Creature From the Black Lagoon, stumbling only when compared to the two behemoths, Frankenstein and Dracula.
A tale of a man returning home after eighteen years (as a result of his brother’s death), Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), the second son, now finds himself the next in line to inherit the family fortune, which includes Talbot castle and all of its holdings. Though the ways in which the estate was to be passed down pushed the family apart, Larry’s father, Sir John Talbot (Claude Rains – the original Invisible Man), is glad to have him back in the fold.
As these things go in the movies, Larry spots the charming Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers) – through a giant telescope actually, and it is love at first sight. Immediately heading to the village to meet her, the persistent man insists that they go out at eight o’clock. In a complicated twist of fate, she is engaged to the head groundskeeper of the Talbot estate, Frank Andrews (Patric Knowles).
Despite this, Larry still shows up at the time he highlighted and escorts Gwen and one of her friends to a gypsy encampment that has just moved into the area – they hope to have their fortunes read. Led by an elderly woman named Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) and her son Bela (Bela Lugosi – the original Dracula), it is this fateful trip that leads the heroic Larry to rescue someone from a wolf attack, being bitten in the process.
No ordinary animal, Larry’s wound soon heals and he begins to have blackouts at night while the body count in the region rises. It is a location full of superstitious gossipers, and most point the finger at Larry, noting his close proximity to the person he attempted to save, as well as the fact that there were no murders before he arrived, suggesting that he is the culprit. Will Larry be able to escape the burden he bears?
Though, on its surface, The Wolf Man can simply be seen as a terrific horror tale packed with wolfish suspense, it is the narrative’s multiple layers that elevate it to another level. Many will probably pick up on the fact that it is also a tale of good versus evil, the battle that occurs in each and every human soul. After all, Larry is an honest, caring, upstanding man on the surface, though in the darkness of the night (after the wound, that is), an animalistic, unquenchable slake for blood bubbles into every fibre of his being. Yet, there is an even darker, less known meaning to the story. Written by Curt Siodmak (younger brother of famed director Robert Siodmak), the German Jew fled his home as anti-Semitism grew in Nazi Germany. Eventually making his way to the United States in 1937, his first break came with The Wolf Man. Released in 1941 (three years into the war), Larry Talbot is symbolic of the plight of his people. Etching him with the pentagram (an almost exact stand-in for the Star of David), Larry is a marked man, hunted for being different. The whispers on the street segregate him from the rest, an unrelenting hatred directed at him for being different, an unknown outsider. Cleverly, Larry is also a stand-in for the Nazi’s as well. . . a good man who transforms into a killer (recognizing his victims when he sees a pentagram on them). It adds a much more sombre tone to the motion picture, a horror story that all of a sudden does not feel so fictional. Actually, it opened in theatres two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Another huge hit for Universal (the top grosser for the studio in 1942), this, an original screenplay (the only other one of the major monsters that can claim the same is The Creature From the Black Lagoon), had an indelible impact in developing the lore and visuals revolving around the werewolf. Uttered several times in the film, the folkloric poem,
Even a man who is pure of heart,
And says his prayers by night
May become a Wolf when the Wolfbane blooms
And the autumn Moon is bright
written by Siodmak, helps evolve the legendary back story. It was not the full moon that had an impact here, but in the sequels, the final line was changed to “And the Moon is full and bright”. Being bitten, being marked, being nearly invincible (perfect for resurrecting characters for sequels) and silver being the wolf’s only bane also plays a major part in these films. The fog floating just above the forest floor didn’t hurt either. Though this is technically the second Universal Wolf Man film, after 1935’s Werewolf of London, it is this one that blew up. . . he returned in four sequels of sorts – though never one with just him as the lead (i.e. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein).
Always very proud of his character, Chaney Jr. was the only Universal monster to be played by the same actor, and he adds a doleful, pained aspect to the Talbot persona – his visage that of a man tortured by the predicament he finds himself in. It did not hurt having the outstanding makeup guru Jack Pierce developing the look of the Wolf Man. This particular feature has the added bonus of having a superb supporting cast, with Rains, Lugosi and Ankers (who also appeared in other movies in the Universal monster franchise, including The Ghost of Frankenstein, Son of Dracula, and The Invisible Man’s Revenge), three excellent players adding their own wonderful spin to their respective characters. Ralph Bellamy (His Girl Friday; Rosemary’s Baby) also appears as Colonel Montford.
A final little piece of trivia finds Chaney Jr. and Rains heading to a gargantuan cathedral. . . this set was actually built all the way back in 1923 for The Hunchback of Notre Dame – which starred Lon Chaney Sr.
An influential piece of movie history, The Wolf Man still stands out as an excellent horror film. Featuring stellar performances, rich direction, a powerful story, and impressive makeup work, it is definitely worth revisiting. So, take a bite out of this iconic classic, it is a transformative experience. . . and a hairy one.
Wow – great review! Movie sounds great too – I love well-made horror flicks, especially with quality acting – and makeup! Thanks for the insight into the background of the writer Nik – so interesting that he chose a horror film to depict his feelings about that experience
I love the old horror flicks. I’d love to see this movie. Lee Meriwether is such a beautiful lady. I liked the interview but found her hard to hear well due to her being so soft spoken. I’ve seen her in many movies and always loved her acting. I’d love to see her in something again.She has lasting talent. It’s great to hear from some of the older actors that were part of my TV history!