Screen Used Wolf Man Cane?

[Doh!]

It was on its way to me, then... it wasn't. For some reason, shipping is being delayed until tomorrow. Was already in transit, too.

#annoying

[MonsterBaker666]

Mine definitely was shipped.  Got confirmation that it was received by Fedex.  Shipped signature required, so someone needs to be home when it arrives.  Still due to arrive Thursday.  Coming from California to Florida. 

[Doh!]

We have cane!! I'm digging it so far. I got no. 417 out of...? The head has a nice heft to it, but the wooden shaft seems a little lightweight to me. But I've never owned an actual walking stick before so maybe they're supposed to be light. The other drawback is that it was wrapped in tissue paper, and some of it is still stuck to the shaft. Not sure if I need to hit it with a polish or what.

Love how detailed the head is, but am not sure how accurate it is. Will do some comparison shopping later. I would have preferred asymmetrical teeth, but am satisfied with this overall. I'm also glad I ordered early and saved $50 bucks.

[MonsterBaker666]

"I got a rock!"

Mine is still scheduled to arrive on Thursday next week, but sometimes FedEx gives a date and I receive stuff quicker (tho lately they've been later than their estimated date). 

Looks pretty nice - perhaps a bit better than the prototype photos, which looked off to me.  The teeth do look odd, but IF based on the "hero" version, if that's what those looked like, then OK. 

Does it come with a booklet like the previous version did?  This is said to be based on the "hero" version and not the "stunt" version (the Bob Burns rubber cane head).  Their website says this is based on newly discovered info on the hero version, yet watching the film the one in it appears to look just like Bob Burn's cane head.

Sucks about the tissue paper sticking.  Hope it can be removed without damage to the cane.  Factory Entertainment had a similar issue with their Star Trek TNG Cricket Phaser - they put a plastic film on the box lid to protect it from scratching the clear plastic on the lid, but the plastic film had a reaction to the paint on the box itself, leaving it marked and sticky.  They're replacing all the boxes with new ones (due in sometime around October).    So I'm hoping the paper can be removed without damage to the cane.  Otherwise..."Hello, Factory Entertainment, I'm lodging a complaint..." 

[Doh!]

Yep, it came with a pamphlet. I left everything at the office so I can show it off this coming week so don't have the details handy. And while I'm glad it came with a wall hanger, it would have been more swell had they gotten the "poem" correct. As we all know, it should read:

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."

[MonsterBaker666]

I didn't even notice it in your photos that the poem was changed.  So weird because it IS correct on the prototype shown on Factory Entertainment's website.  Perhaps the original is copyrighted and they couldn't use it. 

To me that's one strike against it. A pretty big strike.

[MonsterBaker666]

FedEx just sent me an email saying my cane is due for delivery tomorrow (2 days earlier than their previous estimste).  I'll post my review / thoughts when I get it.

[MonsterBaker666]

OK, I got my cane last night and here's my review - the good, the bad and the...well, that's weird...

First, the box - heavy cardboard with glossy paper covering.  The front is pretty simple - the name of the product with the pentagram on black.  The back is a bit more interesting - B&W images - Talbot castle on one side and the graveyard on the other with a circle in the center with the product name and some info on it.  Now something a bit odd - the top and bottom side panels have the wolf man poem on it, BUT it appears as if these were added later on - same glossy paper but clearly a separate piece glued on to cover whatever was originally on those panels.  Why?  Now as previously mentioned in another review, on the cane wall hanger, the poem is different.  Was it changed as an afterthought?  If so, why does it appears as if the box side panels were changed later on to the CORRECT poem.  Weird!

On, onward.

Inside the cane is secured with a plastic foam with it cut out in the shape of the cane, so it's not going to be moving around in the box.  The cane is wrapped in tissue paper and in a long plastic bag, and it was easily removed from both.  1/3 down behind the cane is the wall mount.  Also inside is the info booklet and 2 wall mount screws.

Now the booklet is nice - think cardstock paper, pretty much the same info that is on the Factory Entertainment website.  It says this cane was created using "newly discovered vintage reference photography of the hero prop."  All well and good, except they don't include any of the "photography" and the only photos they show are of Bob Burns rubber stunt cane head, and a still capture of the cane from the film itself - and both do NOT resemble this new version of the cane!  Now the booklet says "Factory Entertainment certifies and warrants that this is an authentic officially licensed prop replica of the Larry Talbot Cane."  It doesn't say it's an exact replica.  And it sure isn't.

Now to me, watching the film, seeing still captures of the cane in the movie (including one close up) - this cane differs significantly from what we see in the film - hero or stunt version - they both look the same to me and this doesn't look like it.

First, the wolf head - the ears are shorter and wider than the film version which are longer and thinner.  the eyes look a bit wider to me.  The fur is way off - here it is long thin lines of it, on the original it's shorter, and thicker in clumps, looking more wolf like.  The pentagram and wolf leaping on it look pretty good.  The teeth are way off - they all look the same and the original had asymmetric teeth - all different looking.  The snarl on the wolf also looks off - less ferocious-more just an open mouth look than a snarl. 

The metal part under the wolf head on the original comes straight down.  On this version it is tapered, and the wood cane where it meets the metal has a bulge to it - NOT on the original prop.

The black wood cane itself is quite nice, and it comes with a metal tip and rubber on the very end of it. 

The wall mount is nice, though, as they say in the booklet, you need to be careful around it if you wall mount it as the cane could be knocked off easily.  You'd have thought they'd have a better more secure method of hanging it.  Factory entertainment's original wall mount from photos I've seen looked better - more secure.   And, as previously stated, the poem on the wall mount is NOT the oner in the film.  Why change it here and why is it correct on the box?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Also, one whole page of the booklet gives you instructions on how to hand it to your wall, even giving you as diagram as to how to place 2 screws on your wall about 3 inches apart - but the wall mount itself only requires ONE screw, not two!  Hello, left hand, this is the right, do you know what I'm doing??

So, all in all, it's nice, but it could have and should have been better.  They clearly have a license directly from Universal to make this cane, so why doesn't it match as close as possible?  They talk about new photography used to make this, but don't show any of those photos.  They show one photo (a screen capture image) saying it's the "hero" prop, which looks like the stunt version, and this cane doesn't resemble it.  No tapered cane head, not bulge in the wood cane, thicker fur, longer thinner ears - this doesn't look like what they say is the "hero".  And the poem - why change it?  If perhaps it is copyrighted by the estate of Curt Siodmak, why not just leave it off and have just the pentagram - and why does it look like they put the real poem on the box as an afterthought?

Now I have the Wolfs Head cane made years ago by Henry Alverez (I got the bronze silver plated version).  It was said to be based off of Bob Burns and is probably pretty close though the Bob Burns one looks a bit more detailed.  It's quite nice, BUT it has some issues - the silver plating is odd in places - for several years I could see what looked like copper corrosion in certain areas around the pentagram - kind of like the statue of liberty turning brownish green.  It come off with metal polish but kept coming back.  and some areas have the silver platting bubbling up, like air bubbles underneath the plating.  So it looks nice but I wouldn't want to use it as a cane to walk with. 

I also have a fan produced one which I think was chrome plated brass.  That one is very nice and resembles Bob Burns a bit better.  If I had my choice, I'd pick the fan made cane as my favorite. 

So since this currently appears to be the only game in town, it's up to the buyer if he wants it or not.  Looking for an exact replica of the prop - this ain't it.  For $350 it pretty expensive, especially since it's not an exact replica.  Officially licensed - yes - exact replica - no.

Factory Entertainment has missed the mark on this.  Kind of like their Dracula ring.  It's said to be molded off of the original, the one owned by Forry Ackerman, tho comparing them you'll see noticeable differences - mainly in the 4 crowns on the crest - they're all different crown of the original prop - on Factory Entertainments they're all the same. 

So if I had to do it again, I'd probably skip this one.  Their original version from about 10 years ago looked closer to the original prop. 

One more weird thing.  Mine is # 116.  I missed the $300 pre-order, and paid full price.  How many in this edition?  It doesn't say.  Their original version from about 10 years ago was said to be 400, but I read somewhere online that they ran into production problems and not all of them were made.  The weird thing is there is a quality control card in the box - it says it Plaque # 116, Inspected and approved by M-506, and the date written is...04/15/2022 - that's 5 months ago!  Musta been waiting for something before they could ship these out - changing the poem??  Adding the original poem to the box??

As I said earlier...weird. 

[Spooked]

I wasn't feeling it from the promo pics, and I'm sure not after your review. Especially for the price. I really appreciate you taking the time to go through it so thoroughly!

[Sir Masksalot]

I'm thrilled to see you fellows finally getting your canes after waiting so long.
Thanks for the reviews, D'oh and MonsterBaker666. I see what you mean
about the fur. It has a streamlined "windblown" look, more like you'd expect
on a hood ornament than a cane head. As to all the mystery and "weirdness" ...
isn't that part of its appeal?

[MonsterBaker666]

There's not much appealing to them changing the wolf man poem. 

Imagine if they released a sculpture of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara with the quote "Lady, I really don't care."  Of Jaws attacking the ship with "This boat's too small."  Or ET with "Extraterrestrial, call you home planet." 

If they couldn't use it for whatever reason, just leave it off.  It wasn't on the original release they did 10 years ago. 

[MonsterBaker666]

Compare the original release:

https://www.factoryent.com/universal-monsters-wolfman-cane-prop-replica-p/408456.htm

with the new release:

https://www.factoryent.com/The-Wolfman-Cane-Limited-Edition-Prop-Replica-p/408909.htm

The original was so much closer to the screen used prop. 

[Spooked]

Honestly, I thought the changes might have really been done to keep the 'limited' nature of the original release intact. They always advertise props like this as "Limited Editions of 'X' Amount", so its probably a way to keep selling more product while standing by their advertised selling points. If that makes any sense.

[MonsterBaker666]

It does, but to me it's false advertising by saying this is based on newly discovered vintage photos of the hero version.  Where are those photos? They show a screen capture photo from the film, saying THAT is the hero prop...all well and good, except their new replica doesn't look like the prop in that photo. 

It's well made, but clearly not a close replica of the prop in the film. And the wall mount poem being changed...why?

So if you're looking for a well made albeit expensive wolf man cane SIMILAR to the film version and you don't really care that the wall mount poem doesn't match the poem in the movie, this ones for you.

Personally I'm sad I missed out on their original version.  That looked like the one to get.

[Spooked]

This company always seemed a little iffy to me before, and I can't say this is changing my mind any. I'm sorry, man.