CLASSIC HORROR BEHIND THE SCENES: Gwen Conliffe: A Character Analysis

As portrayed by Evelyn Ankers, Larry Talbot’s lady love was no shrinking violet.

By Bill Fleck, author of the Rondo-nominated book CHANEY’S BABY, available here, and the recently released CHANEY’S AUDITION, available here.

Did you know? Two-time Rondo-Award winning filmmaker Thomas Hamilton is in the process of making VINCENT PRICE & THE ART OF LIVING. (I’m lucky enough to be a producer on the project.) Check out Tom’s latest HORROR ICONS update here. For information about possibly joining the Ignition Group and helping to get HORROR ICONS produced, click here. Thanks!

Check out other articles on this Rondo-nominated blog by clicking here.

NOTE: It is assumed that readers of this entry have seen THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Gwen Conliffe is in shock.

As she peers into the foggy night, the rough ground in the woods is harsh against her knees. The fact that Frank Andrews—her fiancé—kneels next to her and holds her in his arms doesn’t help.

What would Frank think if he knew that Gwen had risked her life coming here searching for the man that she truly loves?

A group of hunters—until now engaged in tracking down a vicious animal that has slaughtered at least one man—stands quietly in a semi-circle, staring downward. Gwen gradually perceives—with horror—that what they are looking at is a human body. The resonant voice of Paul Montford, Chief Constable, breaks the silence.

“The wolf must have attacked her and Larry came to the rescue,” Montford sadly decrees. “I’m sorry, Sir John.

Gwen knows that “Larry” is Larry Talbot…

And now, she sees Sir John—Larry’s father, and the Lord of Talbot Castle—leaning over the body, wide-eyed with grief…

This can’t be happening…

“Larry,” Gwen gasps when it sinks in that the man she loves is dead.

She shakes her head in denial. But this is all too real. Tears form in her eyes. Instinctively, she turns her gaze away from the horrible scene and buries her face in Frank’s shoulder. But it’s not Frank she wants.

Thus ends THE WOLF MAN. It is one of the most tragic denouements in Classic Horror history. [1]

And bringing the character of Gwen Conliffe so vividly to life is none other than 23-year-old actress Evelyn Ankers.

Of course, every Monster Kid worth his/her salt knows that “Evie” and Lon Chaney, Jr.—who played Larry Talbot—intensely disliked each other. (I tell that story in much more detail—and get into Evie’s background—here).

But they sizzle together on screen, particularly in this film. This, I believe, is part of the reason why the ending is so effective. We actually care about these two people.

It may interest you to know that the idea for this column came about when I was privileged to be a guest on the BORGO PASS HORROR PODCAST (hosted by Jim Towns and Livio Merino). We talked over the life and career of Lon Chaney, Jr. in depth. (You can listen to that episode on Apple here, or catch it wherever else you listen to your podcasts.) One of the things we mentioned in passing is that something had to be amiss between Frank Andrews and Gwen Conliffe in the film in order for her to be willing to “walk out” with Larry. As I thought more about that, I figured it would be cool to really examine Gwen as a character.

So, here we go…

Let’s start with the titles. Ankers’s credit is superimposed over a beautiful shot of her that was obviously taken during the scene where Larry flirts with Gwen in her father’s antique shop (the shot doesn’t appear in the actual scene). Chaney’s credit—appearing directly after Evie’s, and announcing that he’s “The Wolf Man” (even though he’s depicted in human form)—is taken from the same scene. So, the first time we see the two of them in the film—even though it’s only in the credits—they’re connected romantically. Universal probably didn’t plan things this way, but I find it to be significant anyway.

[Above: Evie and Lon’s credits in the film are taken from the flirtation scene in Conliffe’s shop (though the shot of Ankers isn’t used in the scene as released). The credits happen back-to-back, which—at least for me—hints at the romantic feelings that would develop between the characters. Or am I making too much of it?]

Now, we come to the infamous telescope scene. [2] When we first see Gwen through the lens, she’s primping, staring at herself in an off-screen mirror. Okay, this is an indicator that Gwen really cares about her appearance; she isn’t a lady who’s just going to throw on her pajamas and face the public in the family shop! She has a certain pride in her looks. And her later behavior indicates that she is no stranger to dealing with, well, “wolves” of the human variety.

This is obvious when she engages with Larry, who—in true “boys-will-be-boys” mode—makes no secret of his intentions. [3] But Gwen knows how to sidetrack a wolf. Though obviously intelligent, she pretends that she’s not exactly sure what he’s suggesting, even though she’s certainly aware. For example, she provides the explanation of what a werewolf is to deflect his, “What big eyes you have, Grandma” comment. (She is very well-versed in the mythology.) She even takes under-the-radar digs at him.

“How about the little dog?” she says knowingly while showing him a variety of walking sticks. “That would suit you.”

Suggesting that Larry is similar to a “little dog” is Gwen’s subtle way of letting him know that she’s on to him. She is very much in control of the situation, and is obviously not offended by Larry’s behavior.

[Above: Our introduction to Gwen as she preens in a mirror. Gwen is a lady who values her appearance, and is clever enough to deflect the banter of any, well, “wolf”…as we’ll soon see when she encounters Larry.]

There is one lapse in her game, and it comes thanks to her curiosity. Larry’s claim that he’s psychic and knows about a pair of her favorite earrings—which, of course, he’s seen with the telescope—intrigues her. She has to know how he knows. (Interestingly, she doesn’t seem to have any idea that Larry is the son of Sir John.)

Still, her curiosity isn’t enough to get her to agree to go out with him…at least, at first. But does no really mean no? As events unfold, we know that—in this case—it doesn’t. (This is perhaps a dangerous message today, but in 1941, it was par for the course.) True, she denies him three times, and her final decision seems definitive. However, Larry catches one last look at her through the window of a significantly closed door…and the flirtatious expression on her face says it all.

She’s interested.

[Above: Though she’s denied Larry’s invitation to “take a walk” with him three times, her expression through the window of this (significantly) closed door tells him a different story.]

When he shows up for the date, Gwen has the earrings on that he likes…which he’s more than happy to point out. And she has changed her clothes. [4]

Of course, she’s chosen to bring a chaperone—her friend Jenny Williams. Is this to make her feel a little bit better about “walking out” on her fiancé? Whatever the case may be, Jenny does go, and she doesn’t seem to be sad about it. In fact, both she and Gwen lock arms with Larry at the start of their trip into the woods. All of this indicates to me that Gwen is not happy with Frank, and that her friend Jenny knows it. They must have talked about it.

[Above: Larry walks off arm-in-arm with Gwen and Jenny, who is acting as a chaperone. Jenny’s cheerful willingness to take on this task indicates to me that she knows Gwen is unhappy in her engagement to Frank Andrews.]

Once at the camp, Larry and Gwen have no problem with Jenny getting her fortune told by Bela first. In fact, when Larry suggests that they “take a little walk” together, Gwen gets this mysterious smile on her face which indicates that she may be a bit of a bad girl. And it is she who locks arms with him, not the other way around.

Of course, when Larry reveals that he’s seen her and her earrings with a telescope, she’s understandably creeped out: “Oh, you wouldn’t!” But when he confesses to her that it was an accident, she quickly accepts his explanation and makes a joke about drawing the curtains. He, in turn, makes a joke about not doing that on account of him. When she tells him that she knows exactly what he means, it dawned on me that Gwen is no prude.

[Above: Gwen hardly seems displeased when Larry suggests that they leave Jenny with Bela, the fortune teller, and take “a little walk” together so that he might tell her fortune.]

But then we come to the big one: Gwen confesses to Larry that she’s engaged and that she’ll be married very soon. She doesn’t look him in the eye when she explains these things.

“In fact,” she says, “I really shouldn’t be here.”

Is she ashamed? If so, then what is she doing here? As I’ve argued elsewhere, an engagement at the time was treated seriously. Gwen and Larry’s date falls just this side of adultery. Larry obviously doesn’t care—“Oh, but you are here!”—but the pangs of guilt that Gwen conveys in this exchange indicate that her heart is at odds with her head. This fight will continue for much of the film.

[Above: When Gwen confesses to Larry that she’s engaged to be married and “really shouldn’t be here,” she can’t look him in the eye.]

Soon, Jenny is attacked by Bela in werewolf form. Larry specifically tells Gwen to “stay here.” But Gwen doesn’t follow his orders. She rushes into the woods behind him. She is obviously not somebody who is going to be told what to do. Gwen Conliffe makes her own decisions, thank you.

When she arrives on the scene after Larry has been injured, she takes charge of the situation. She forces Maleva to take action. [5]

“Well, do something!” she barks at the older woman. “Can’t you help him?”

At Talbot Castle, Gwen is the one who informs Sir John and Paul Montford of the attack. Again, she is basically the one in charge. Significantly, Gwen also helps Roberts the butler and Sir John get Larry up to his room.

[Above: In spite of Larry’s directive to “stay here,” Gwen pursues him into the woods and finds him injured after being bitten by a wolf. She takes charge of the situation, demanding that Maleva “do something.” Gwen Conliffe is not somebody who passively obeys orders.]

We next see her back at Conliffe’s shop. When her father advises her to go upstairs and get some sleep, Gwen is assertive in her desire to stay in the parlor.

“As soon as I close my eyes, I see Jenny,” she explains.

She’s grief-stricken and feeling guilty. You have to have a conscience to feel these emotions, which she obviously does. When Jenny’s mother—backed up by her posse—confronts Gwen’s father, demanding to know what Gwen was doing while Jenny was being killed, Gwen hears every vitriolic word. She also hears when Larry roars in and shouts them down. She bows her head. She understands that she has done wrong. [6]

“I suppose you can’t blame them too much,” she says of Jenny’s mother and her posse to Larry. “Quite a mess, isn’t it.”

She’s also genuinely concerned for Larry when he reveals that the cops believe he’s accidentally killed Bela.

“Maybe there wasn’t a wolf,” she suggests, offering him an out. “It was dark and foggy, and, well, perhaps the story I told you about the werewolf confused you.”

Her concern for him becomes sheer anxiety when she realizes that the man she’s engaged to is about to come face-to-face with the man she walked out with. Gwen’s embarrassment while introducing Frank to Larry is palpable. When Frank’s dog Pete barks uncontrollably at Larry, it’s Gwen who instructs Frank to take the dog away.

“We grew up together,” she sheepishly explains to Larry when Frank takes Pete out. Is she hinting that the marriage might have been arranged? Or is this an indication that she’s “settling”? Again, her head and heart are fighting.

She’s also not thrilled with having to tell Larry that Frank is the gamekeeper for Sir John’s estate. She doesn’t look him in the eye, and when Frank returns, there’s a painful awkwardness as Gwen stands between the two men in her life. (It gets worse when Frank refuses to shake Larry’s outstretched hand.) She stares after Larry as he exits, and isn’t happy when Frank warns her to be careful.

“He’s been away for eighteen years, I know,” Frank instructs, “but he’s still the son of Sir John Talbot.”

“Oh, I see,” Gwen insightfully replies. “And I’m the daughter of Conliffe who owns the antique shop. Is that it?”

In other words, she’s quite aware that there may be class issues involved, and that Frank might be using them to manipulate her. As such, she can’t entirely believe what he says about Larry being tragic and bringing nothing but harm to her (which, as we know, he does).

In short, this is not a good day for Gwen Conliffe.

[Above: Gwen is awkwardly trapped between the men in her life. “We grew up together,” she sheepishly explains to Larry regarding the engagement. Frank, obviously miffed, blames his rudeness on the fact that he couldn’t take his eyes off Larry’s cane…the cane that killed Bela.]

We next see Gwen at Bela’s funeral. (May I just take a moment here and say that this is the kind of funeral I want? It’s a carnival; everybody’s partying and having a good time!) Anyway, Gwen’s got Frank by the arm. She looks happy. But is she putting on an act? Or is her head presently winning? For crying out loud, stop being ridiculous and stay with Frank!

Still, there’s no question in my mind that the two of them have had long, painful talks about the Larry situation. In fact, Frank tells Gwen that he’s willing to hang out with Larry that night to prove to her that he’s not jealous. Honestly, I feel like she’s the one who should be proving something…like, perhaps, that she’s loyal to him. But as events unfold, it will become plain as day that she isn’t.

In the meantime, she’s taken aback when Frank suggests that Larry join them. But she goes along with the plan…maybe for the sake of saving face?

In any case, she looks pretty pleased when Larry easily takes down the targets at the sharpshooting booth. And she obviously feels for him when he’s unable to shoot the wolf. (Frank has to sense that there is something going on with her here.) When Frank wins the contest by nailing the wolf target, Gwen stares at Larry with concern. In contrast, she has nothing to offer Frank—not one glance.

It’s at this point in my most recent viewing of the film that I stopped to wonder…What does Gwen actually see in Larry? Is she attracted to tragic guys? Is Frank too boring? Is it Larry’s rough-hewn good looks and his solid build? Will her life with a potential nobleman be better than her life with the employee of a nobleman? In Curt Siodmak’s shooting script, dated October 9, 1941—when Larry Talbot was still Larry Gill—Siodmak writes, “She doesn’t want to hurt Frank – she doesn’t want her life uprooted – she fights against the power of this strange man” [emphasis mine]. And perhaps that explains it all…perhaps it’s a love-at-first-sight thing. [7]

Anyway, when we see her next, she’s had an argument with Frank, and he’s left her high-and-dry at the carnival. There’s no doubt in my mind what it is they fought about…her attraction to Larry.

Larry, in a moral act, gives her the charm that he got from Maleva to protect him from the “evil spell.” She’s obviously concerned when he tells her that Maleva has told him that he’s a werewolf. He holds onto the charm while he places it around her neck; this is symbolic of their connection. The expression on her face is earnest. Their mutual attraction here is more than pronounced. Gwen is flirtatious when she accepts the charm and offers him a penny in return. When they kiss briefly, it’s not against her will—she leans in, her left hand clutching the lapel on his jacket. But her head wins this round. Guilt gets the best of her and she has to run away.

What is going through her mind? Before long, we’ll see that she is willing to give her life to this man, even though she doesn’t know Larry that long. Their connection is that strong.

[Above: Larry gifts Gwen with a charm intended to protect her. When they kiss, it is not against her will—she leans in, and grasps his lapel. But her head wins this battle over her heart, and—obviously feeling guilty—she dashes off.]

We’re then treated to the famous montage—at least we know what’s on Larry’s mind! Much of the imagery relates to Gwen and Larry’s fear of hurting her. Significantly, she’s depicted as being trapped in the pentagram, a look of sheer terror on her face.

We next see Gwen at the church, the morning after Richardson the gravedigger was killed by the Wolf Man. This is the first that they’ve seen each other since they kissed. When Gwen asks Larry how he is, his eyes are downcast. He can’t look at her. In contrast, she continually glances back at him, trying to catch his eye. Remember, there are vicious rumors swirling around about the two of them. But even in church, Gwen can’t hide her feelings for Larry. Her heart is winning. When Larry freezes near the last pew—and everyone turns around to stare at him, judging him—Gwen’s expression is very sympathetic, and it’s her eyes that he finally meets. And yet, he’s driven from the congregation by his own feelings of guilt and doubt.

[Above: The morning after the kiss…and Richardson’s murder. Larry can’t bring himself to look at Gwen. But she can’t stop looking at him. Her heart is winning the war with her head.]

And now, we come to the most emotional scene in the film… Larry goes to Gwen to set her free. He plans on running away to save the people he loves from being killed. The throbbing music on the soundtrack effectively underscores the sincere performances of both Ankers and Chaney in this moment. The fact that Gwen is willing to run away with Larry emphasizes what we already know…Her heart has won, and it’s not with Frank Andrews:

“I’ll fetch a few things and be back in a minute.”

This is a tragic, heartbreaking moment for Larry. She’s come off the fence, and he now knows that she loves him. But he can’t have her. He believes that he’s killing people (spoiler alert: he is), and he can’t have her around that.

Gwen’s part in this is tragic, too. Her declared intention to go with Larry has put her victorious heart on the table. She can’t believe that the man she loves is a murderer, and she promises to help him. She tears up as he explains to her why he has to go. She mentions the charm; she believes that it can protect her, but then he sees the pentagram in her hand. She can’t see it, but the horror that he expresses upsets her.

And now things get real. Her father—who has declared to Larry that he trusts his daughter—walks in on them. Gwen is alone with Larry in the dead of night? This is scandalous, and Charles Conliffe is angry. Gwen shocks him further by announcing that she’s going away with Larry. But Larry runs out before she can, and her father prevents her from following him by physically restraining her.

[Above: Gwen’s heart has won. When Larry tells her that he has to go away, she’s ready to drop everything and go with him. He knows that she can’t and leaves. When she attempts to follow him, she is restrained by her furious father. But this ultimately will not stop the determined Gwen.]

But it’s not going to work. Up until now, Gwen has shown definite tendencies toward independence, sometimes defiantly so. Her next actions prove that she has decided to throw off her Old-World chains entirely, and live her life her way with the man she wants no matter how tough it is…or who says what.

So, we now enter the second most emotional scene in the film. When Larry tells his father why he has to “get away from here,” Sir John straps him into a chair. [8] Once again, Larry—a man who’d made a mistake walking out with an engaged woman—makes a moral choice and gives Sir John the silver-handled cane to protect him from whatever fate has in store.

And now, we find Gwen again in the woods. She’s obviously defied her father. Her plan is to find Larry and no doubt try to convince him to take her along when he leaves. This is a HUGE decision. If getting away from “here” for Larry means returning to the United States, Frank will indeed be (more) hurt, her father (more) enraged, and Gwen’s life dramatically uprooted. But she’s willing to do all of it. Give it up for Gwen…once her heart decides on the big stuff, she goes with it one-hundred percent.

She encounters Maleva, who claims that Gwen needs to come quickly with her before Larry tracks her down. But Gwen isn’t having it. Defiant to the last, she goes off alone in the woods. Of course, she’s pursued by the Wolf Man. [9] (Ironically, she’s on her way to try to find Larry, but is being stalked by Larry at the same time.)

[Above: Having defied her father, Gwen enters the woods hoping to find Larry and convince him to take her with him when he goes. “Come with me or he will find YOU,” Maleva warns. Characteristically, Gwen ignores this advice.]

We now come to the fantastic scene wherein Gwen is confronted by the Wolf Man. Her face becomes a mask of horror. Does she somehow recognize him? After all, he’s still in the same clothes that she saw him wearing earlier that night at the antique shop…

Gwen screams. The Wolf Man pounces. He gleefully starts to choke the life out of her. She passes out. She remains unconscious as Sir John fights off and kills the monster with the cane.

When she comes to, the hunters are standing in a semi-circle, staring toward the ground…

[Above: Gwen’s reaction when confronted by the Wolf Man. Does she recognize the outlines of Larry’s face underneath the fur and behind the fangs?]

Where will she go from here? Montford’s conclusion that Larry came to her rescue and was killed in the fight will mean nothing to Gwen. (It will also mean nothing to Sir John, who knows exactly what has happened, but can’t believe it.).

And though she buries her head in Frank’s shoulder, I don’t believe that Gwen Conliffe will be going back to him. [10]

[Above: Gwen is crushed when she learns that Larry is dead. (Frank Andrews doesn’t look sorry at all.) Though she turns away from the horrific scene and buries her head in Frank’s shoulder, I can’t see her getting back together with him at all.]

Again, Gwen Conliffe was not happy with Frank Andrews. Though engaged to him, she was willing to step out with Larry. She fought it, but her attraction to Larry was undeniable. By the time he’d decided he needed to run away, she’d jumped off the fence and her heart was all in—she was going with Larry no matter what. It was a decision that she was willing to own entirely.

Following the conclusion of the movie, I can see a heartbroken Gwen—who, as we’ve noted, is not somebody who submits to authority—breaking the engagement with Frank and moving forward in life on her own terms.

Intelligent. Good looking. Insightful. Defiant—Gwen Conliffe is not going to be controlled. It’s a masterful performance by Evelyn Ankers, one that contributes immeasurably to the tragic ending of THE WOLF MAN.

It’s a shame that Universal never brought Gwen back in any of the sequels.

NOTES

[1] The others—for me—are MAN MADE MONSTER (1941) and SON OF DRACULA (1943).

[2] Larry takes a lot of heat these days on social media for being, well, a creep. Hey, it was a different time.

[3] He takes hits for this on social media these days, too.

[4] It’s interesting how Larry’s suits have changed. He wears a single-breasted jacket when he first arrives at Talbot castle. When meeting Gwen for the first time, he’s changed into a light double-breasted suit which emphasizes his shoulders and slims his waist. When he shows up for the date, he is wearing a darker double-breasted suit.

[5] How did they determine that Larry was living at Talbot Castle? I guess it’s possible that he told them in his delirium exactly where to go.

[6] She also hears when Larry attempts to assure Conliffe that “there really wasn’t anything wrong.” The older man is dismissive. “I trust my daughter, sir,” he decrees. So, apparently, Gwen has always been ‘good.’

[7] “All my life I’ve been looking for a girl like you,” Gill says to Gwen in the script. “Now I’ve found you…Come along with me, Gwen.”

[8] It is interesting that Sir John tells Larry that, as his son in Talbot Castle, the law has no power over him.

[9] Interestingly, some of these shots are framed between spreading tree limbs, symbolizing the sexual attraction between Gwen and Larry.

[10] Nor do I believe—if she told him the truth of what happened and what she intended to do—that he would have her back, either.

SOURCES

Riley, Philip (Ed.) THE WOLF MAN: THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT. Absecon, NJ: MagicImage Filmbooks, 1993. Print.

NOTE: The pictures and screen images utilized herein are intended for educational purposes only; I don’t own the copyrights, nor do I make any money from this blog.