Tonight, on MeTV we present the very first Universal Studios’ wolf man- who imports terror to England via Tibet- as the victim of a bizarre attack that triggers a hideous transformation when he is exposed to moonlight- transforming him into the "Werewolf of London"!

We join botanist Wilfred Glendon and his assistant on an expedition to Tibet – seeking a rare flower that only grows in the high altitudes- and will only bloom in the light of a full moon. Despite some dire warnings and strange, seemingly supernatural, occurrences- Wilfred finally discovers the plant high upon a mountain- only to find himself attacked by a mysterious creature! He survives the attack, though bitten in the process (actually, he was bitten in the arm- oh, you know what I mean), but still manages to procure a single specimen of the moon-blooming flower- whose botanical name is the mariphasa.

Returning to England with his new specimen, he goes into solitude, locking himself in his private botanical laboratory to study the plant. His beautiful wife Lisa finds it difficult to lure him out of the lab for a party- but eventually coerces him to come out and reluctantly greet the flock of visitors. Wilfred finds them an unwelcome distraction, and would rather return to his work-while noticing an old friend of Lisa’s paying a bit TOO much attention to his lovely spouse. Suddenly- an uninvited and unfamiliar visitor arrives- one Professor Yogami, begging to converse with Wilfred, claiming he encountered him on his Tibet trip. Wilfred has no recollection of their meeting. Yogami begins a supernatural tale involving the newly acquired plant; warning Wilfred that the bite he suffered in that fracas ( or, the arm- oh, you know what I mean) might cause him to become a werewolf! He then reveals that the bloom of the mariphasa plant must be used as the only sure way to stop that transformation!

Wilfred, being a man of science, discounts the story as a superstitious legend- but soon learns differently. During his experimentation, he is using a lamp that simulates moonlight to encourage the plant to blossom, but when his hand strays into the light- it becomes furry! He experiences the full effect when exposed to an actual full moon- and he completely transforms into a werewolf (in a wonderful shot of him gradually changing as he moves between pillars)! Even in his hirsute state, he still has the presence of mind to recall that he can use the rare flower to stave off the horrible change- and heads into the lab- only to find that someone has taken the few blossoms that had bloomed, sending Wilfred out on the prowl through the streets of London!

When the full moon’s effects have worn off, Wilfred must feverishly attempt to get more blossoms to bloom before the next moon cycle occurs. His relentless pursuit of the cure causes even more of a strained relationship with his wife, who feels rejected and turns to her old childhood sweetheart for comfort. Since the plant takes time to flower again, Wilfred attempts to keep from harming anyone by taking a room in a low-rent inn where he can be locked in each night.

However, regardless of his precautions, the next full moon has the same horrible effect on him- and he escapes his self-imposed imprisonment to again roam the city streets in search of victims. His greatest fear is of that one part of the old werewolf legend will prove to be true- that a werewolf will instinctively kill the one he loves the most! Can Lisa- and London itself- escape the savage power of the supernatural?

As I mentioned, this 1935 film is truly the first werewolf in the Universal horror catalog- preceding Larry Talbot- the best-known Wolf Man who first appeared in 1941. You’ll hear about the cast members like Henry Hull and Valerie Hobson- and those who found fame in other roles- like Spring Byington- who became a popular star of early TV- as well as Warner Oland, who made his mark in the movies as a beloved detective character. We'll also give you some in-depth information regarding the werewolf make-up- thanks to information provided to us by Cortlandt Hull, whose great uncle Henry stars in tonight's film. Thanks to Cortlandt, we can tell you the actual true story about Hull's make-up – and clear up some misinformation and downright untruths that have been passed around as fact for years. Also, we give you a look at Cortlandt’s amazing horror museum, “The Witch’s Dungeon”. Plus- you’ll see our drawing game “Too Drawn Out”- some memories of favorite events-and much more!

"Werewolf of London" airs on MeTV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, and, if unsure when or where we are on in your area, just check your local TV listings or go to www.metv.com and click on "where to watch". You can post live comments on Bluesky or live-Tweet during the show on Twitter with the many Sven fans who do so-add the hashtag #svengoolie when posting. In Chicago, local viewers can catch up with “Black Scorpion” this morning at 11 am on WCIU the U.

Thanks to everyone who came to enjoy our talk show with Robert Englund, Barbara Crampton, Joe Dante, and Tuesday Knight last week at the Flashback Weekend convention, as well as our signing and the costume contest. Watch for more personal appearance events coming this fall!

Join us tonight on MeTV for botany, lycanthropy, and…astronomy?! (you know- the full moon…)