Classic Horror Behind the Scenes: Chaney and Moose—A Love Story

THE WOLF MAN’s star had a genuine love of animals, and one giant dog in particular captured his heart.

By Bill Fleck, author of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards-nominated book, Chaney’s Baby: Available Here

The terrifying howl of a wolf pierces the fog-drenched night sky. Larry Talbot stops gazing into the soft blue eyes of Gwen Conliffe and stares into the woods.

“What is that?” he asks, obviously concerned.

“I don’t know,” Gwen replies, frowning into the darkness herself. “I’ve never heard anything like it before…”

And then, there comes an anguished, blood-curdling scream…

“Stay here,” Talbot barks, ignoring Gwen’s protests and jogging toward the sound.

He sees nothing at first. Frustrated, he crosses into a clearing…

And there it is…

At the base of a tree, backlit by the bright autumn moon, is a gigantic wolf.

And it’s tearing the throat out of Jenny Williams, Gwen’s friend.

It takes Talbot a second to comprehend what he’s seeing. But he’s big and powerful and knows what has to be done. He grips his silver-headed walking stick tightly and springs into action, racing across the clearing and tackling the wolf.

But the wolf viciously fights back, and Talbot—as strong as he is—finds himself in a battle for his life…

It’s one of the most exciting scenes in The Wolf Man (1941), a film filled with exciting scenes. It’s a pivotal scene as well, since the wolf is actually a werewolf named Bela…played with flair in human form by the one-and-only Bela Lugosi. Talbot manages to beat the werewolf to death with his cane, but—of course—is bitten in the process, and “becomes a werewolf himself.”

As directed by George Waggner, the scene is carefully constructed and expertly builds suspense. There is even some interesting ambiguity—in certain shots, the werewolf is obviously an animal, but in two quick long shots, Talbot’s opponent is a man. The acting of Lon Chaney, Jr., Paul Valentine’s excellent camerawork, and the atmospheric musical score all pack a punch.

But Chaney’s opponent—Bela in wolf form—is the critical element.

The scene features three versions of the werewolf. One, as noted, is a man costumed from head to toe in black, and featured in two long shots [1]. The second is a large, prop wolf’s head, which Chaney clutches to his chest when bitten in medium close-up. The third is, of course, a trained dog.

[TOP TO BOTTOM: A man costumed in black from head to toe fights Chaney as Larry Talbot in two quick long shots; a large prop wolf’s head is utilized when Talbot is bitten; Moose is seen here as Bela the werewolf in this frame blow-up.]

And what a dog it is…

Moose was a giant German shepherd, weighing in at 120 muscular pounds. But he wasn’t considered for the scene since he didn’t belong to the studio—he was, in fact, owned at the time by a Universal watchman.

But the dogs the execs brought in to test for the scene didn’t thrill Chaney.

“The studio rounded up some dogs it said looked like wolves. Only they wouldn’t wrestle,” Chaney explained.

His concern was spot on.

Much has been made of Chaney’s boisterous side over the years.

His pranks.

His temper.

His drinking.

But Chaney’s love for animals—and his affinity for them—was as much a part of his personality as any of those more negative aspects.

Chaney was intelligent, and he knew the scene required a fearsome animal who looked and acted as if he could credibly take on the big and powerful Larry Talbot. Chaney sized up Universal’s choices and found them wanting. If the scene was to have any impact at all, he knew that the werewolf had to be formidable.

And then he found Moose.

Chaney was an avid hunter during a time when hunters generally had great respect for their prey. His love for animals was coupled with a deep admiration and understanding of them. He saw something in Moose—something he knew would make the scene work.

“Why not try him?” Chaney suggested.

Moose was exactly what the scene needed.

When it was shot, Chaney’s hands were wrapped in sponge rubber and covered by leather gloves to protect them. Moose still managed to bite through—between the thumb and index finger—and broke some bones in Chaney’s hand.

“Moose got in there and gave me a real fight, because he was a smart dog and knew what to do,” Chaney remembered.

If ever there was an actor who knew about real fights, it was Lon Chaney, Jr.

This was a man who wrestled daily when he was younger, and trained fellow thespian Joel McCrea in the art.

This was a man who engaged in shin-kicking contests with powerhouse actor Broderick Crawford.

In cowboy boots.

For fun.

So, when Moose scrapped with fire in the scene, he earned Chaney’s respect. The result is incredibly effective, even today [2].

“We fell in love,” Chaney said with a smile.

Soon after, Chaney was able to buy Moose from the watchman. He took his new pal home, trained him, and eventually rented him out to the studio for parts in pictures at $25 a day—about $430.00 at this writing, when adjusted for inflation.

Of course, they were inseparable on set.

When Chaney needed a little relief from playing The Mummy—a role he despised—who was there to distract him?

Moose, of course.

[Above: Moose relieves some of Chaney’s tension while shooting The Mummy’s Ghost (1942).]

The Wolf Man’s stand-in on Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man?

Moose, of course. And a series of comic publicity shots were taken of the pair.

[Above: Moose and Chaney were inseparable on set. Moose even served as The Wolf Man’s stand-in on Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).]

Naturally, Moose had a bit part in the film as Bruno.

But most importantly, Moose was the hero the day an accident almost killed Maria Ouspenskaya, Chaney’s co-star on the film.

Chaney and Ouspenskaya were bopping along in a horse-drawn buggy when a wheel caught in a rut and quickly flipped the cart over. The injured actors were trapped underneath. Moose leaped into action, wedging himself between Ouspenskaya and the horse, protecting her from potentially getting kicked. Moose bravely remained there until the bruised but still alive actors could be rescued [3].

That was the stuff of which Moose was made. He was loyal and tough, and his bond with Chaney was unbreakable…almost.

Sadly, like too many things in Chaney’s life, this love story would come to a tragic end.

“Anyone who has ever loved and lost a dog will understand how Lon Chaney Jr., feels over the death of Moose, his giant, 120-pound German shepherd, victim of an automobile,” the Daily Press reported on May 16, 1943. “On the day Moose died, the entire company in which Chaney and the dog were working [4]…Observed a full minute of silence out of respect for the beloved animal.”

In all, Chaney and Moose had about three years together. Three great years. That it ended so quickly and so brutally is a shame. Chaney had other dogs, of course—many other dogs. But Moose held a special place in his heart.

Still, thanks to the lasting power of The Wolf Man, Chaney and his beloved four-legged buddy can be seen grappling with each other in the eerie, foggy night these 80-plus years later.

In that way, at least, their love story endures.

[Above: Chaney and Moose entertain Ilona Massey, Chaney’s co-star in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Massey adored Chaney, saying he was “something special.”]

Notes

[1] Did Waggner intend for the presence of a stunt man to add ambiguity to the scene, building a basis for Talbot’s later confusion? Or was it just easier to do these shots with a stunt man? Waggner never said, but the latter explanation is probably the more accurate; still, careful viewers are intrigued by the possibilities.

[2] Much is made of the fact that Bela in werewolf form looks like a wolf, while Talbot becomes a hybrid—The Wolf Man. Film critic R.H.W. Dillard attributes this to the idea that, while Bela had accepted his fate, Talbot had not. (See Dillard’s book Horror Films for a more in-depth explanation.) Of course, it’s more likely that Universal wanted to save a few bucks and not have Bela Lugosi undergo paid time in the makeup chair.

[3] According to Gregory William Mank, Moose wasn’t the only animal Chaney was grateful for that day; he also paid visits to the horse, feeding him treats as a thank-you for not busting out in a run.

[4] According to “Monster’s Best Friend: Lon’s Pal Moose,” the film was Cobra Woman, and the automobile that killed Moose was actually a studio truck: http://gammillustrations.bizland.com/monsterkid1/id1.html

Sources

“Anyone who has ever…” Daily Press (Newport News, VA), May 16, 1943, p. 21.

Dillard, R.H.W. Horror Films. New York: Monarch Press, 1976. Print.

Fleck, Bill. Chaney’s Baby. Wurtsboro, NY: Just Pay the Ransom Music, 2021.

Mank, Gregory William. It’s Alive. San Diego/New York: A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc., 1981. Print.

“Monster’s Best Friend: Lon’s Pal Moose.” Monster Kid Magazine, Issue #1. Count Gamula, ed. Web.

Disclamer

The images used in this article are for educational purposes only.