Screen Used Wolf Man Cane?

[Monsters For Sale]

 

If anybody makes another that looks like this, I'd like to get one.

[Anton Phibes]

At the risk of being chased into a burning windmill, I must confess....the only Factory Universal Monsters item I took the plunge on was Dracula's medallion. I preferred Dimensional Designs Elite Dracula and Mummy rings, and the independently produced Wolfman cane from years ago by some small manufacturer. None of which were licensed, but all of which are fantastic.

Sometimes the unlicensed,  fan created stuff is just nicer. Not as often as I would like. but when something is good.....I don't need to upgrade due to an "official" release coming much later.

[Spooked]

At the risk of being chased into a burning windmill, I must confess....the only Factory Universal Monsters item I took the plunge on was Dracula's medallion. I preferred Dimensional Designs Elite Dracula and Mummy rings, and the independently produced Wolfman cane from years ago by some small manufacturer. None of which were licensed, but all of which are fantastic.

Sometimes the unlicensed,  fan created stuff is just nicer. Not as often as I would like. but when something is good.....I don't need to upgrade due to an "official" release coming much later.

Don't feel too bad. I went with the Trick or Treat Studios Dracula's Medallion.  Factory Entertainment is just way overpriced.

[Anton Phibes]

Don't feel too bad. I went with the Trick or Treat Studios Dracula's Medallion.  Factory Entertainment is just way overpriced.

I got my Dracula medallion on clearance sale for like $59.99 plus shipping. So I hear ya about the prices.

[MonsterBaker666]

I have the original Dimentional Designs Dracula ring and the original lower priced Factory Entertainment Dracula ring.  Both are nice, but the Dimensional Design one to me is better.  Neither is 100 percent accurate, and each have pluses and minuses.  Main reason I like the Dimensional one - it fits my finger.  I have a size 14 finger and the Factory one is a much smaller size.  Also the Factory one has a plastic "stone " on a brighter red.  The Demensional one has a more blood ted rusty color carnelian stone. 

I have a mummy scarab ring I got off of Amazon that looks very similar to the Factody Ent one but was WAY cheaper.  No Mummy hand, but I also got an egyptian style jar to display the ring with.  I'm happy with it.  The Factory Mummy ring display had says it was molded from Karloff's hand...sound like BS to me. 

I skipped the Factory Entertainment Dracula medallion.  I had heard it was made of very thin metal.  I went for the Trick Or Treats Studio one.  Very nice...perhaps a bit small. 

Caviot Emptor.

[Doh!]

Great review, MonsterBaker! At the end of the day, I don't really feel ripped off (for one thing, I ordered early and spent $50 less than later orders). I think it's a quality product but would love to see the alleged "hero" photos it's alleged based off of. You've made some other excellent points, too.

I don't purchase collectibles hoping they'll go up in value, but it would be nice to know how many of these were produced. Is my no. 417 high because they're only making 500 -- or is this an edition of 1,000? The world may never know...

[MonsterBaker666]

Yeah, I'm not one to collect stuff hoping they increase in value.  I buy stuff I like.

As I've said, it is a quality product.  $300-350 worth...welllllll...that's up to the purchaser.  It looks similar to the cane in the movie, but other canes produced over the years are closer to the screen used one.  And I think Factory Entertainment is just BSing when they say this is based on a "hero" version.  They SAY they had vintage photography of the hero cane, yet don't show those photos.  I don't think they exist.  They say the wolf head was sculpted over an existing boar's head cane - this is the first time I've ever heard that.  Similarly, they say the Mummy Ring "hand" display was "molded off of Karloff's actual hand casting" - I think this is also a bunch of BS.  When would Karloff have had his hand cast?  Certainly not for any of the Universal films - he never wore any type of gloves that a hand casting would be needed for.  And I've never seen a Karloff film where he did were some kind of a glove that would have been made off of a hand casting.  And how did Factory acquire that hand casting?  Has anyone else heard about a Karloff hand casting before or since other from Factory Ent?  Same with their Dracula ring - I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure they originally said it was cast or reproduced from the original ring, tho that would have been Forry ASckerman's and the 4 crowns on the crest don't match his.  At least now they say their ring is a "recreation" of the Dracula ring.  I'm always one for truth in advertising. 

So it is a nice cane, well made, but to me it's just "off". 

My personal favorite is the one made by Unique Canes but unfortunately I think they went out of business.  The Wolfs Head one is very nice, but is as bit soft in the details of the original sculpture, plus mine has some issues with the silver plating bubbling off the brass or bronze underneath it.  And altho I don't own it, I think Factory Entertainments original version of the cane from photos I've seen are also very nice and much closer to the screen used prop.

Funny how I was looking at a Luke Skywalker lightsaber (hilt) I got about 20 years ago from Ikons, which was said by them to have been extensively researched and they had access to the original props in the Lucasfilm archives, and now knowing that wasn't entirely true and the saber isn't 100% accurate (different D-ring on the base of the hilt, the engraving on the hilt is missing, as is the engraved "GRAFLEX" on the middle section of the hilt).  AND what is 100% screen accurate as they used various slightly different ones throughout the film, plus the Lucasfilm archives didn't have some of the original props - they had recreations of them - they apparently didn't have the Darth Vader one, so they just used one of Luke's and modified it to kind of resemble Vader's. 

So for me things don't have to be 100% accurate - it just has to have that, "Yeah, this is REALLY nice and does look like it to me" look to it.  Sadly this new cane just doesn't have it for me. 

As to how many are in this edition...Since they never said I have a feeling it was manufactured based on presales thru Factory Ent and other distributors - they "guestimate" how many might be sold (that way they can quote the price if they base it on a certain number of products being made), put it up for sale with a release date of 6-12 months later, then when it's time to make them they make however have been presold by that date and a few more for later sales.   It's listed as for sale shipping in 24-48 hours on their website, yet other places (Sideshow, BBTS, Entertaiment Earth) still list it as a presale - estimated shipping Sept-Oct / 3rd quarter of 2023. 

Oh, and one more tidbit of information - the outer shipping box from Factory says these were made in India. 

[MonsterBaker666]

I see Factory Ent just changed the image of the wall mount plaque to reflect the new poem.  Other sites haven't changed it yet.

[robby431]

I really don't like that they changed the poem, and honestly, I don't like the new sculpt. I doubt they really found newly discovered photos as the shots in the film looks vastly different from this new release. The original release is much better in my opinion.

[MonsterBaker666]

Yep.  Totally missed the mark. 

[Ars Praestigium]

That could have been a stunt cane, for beating werewolves?

The original prop was made of vulcanized rubber (there was only one, and never a "stunt" version). It was coated with a viscous silver-colored plastic-like substance. I purchased a solid brass version made from the design of the original back in 1993. With permission of the new owner of the original prop (which had, at that time, almost disintegrated due to age while in storage–basically think of a carrot left outdoors on a hot sidewalk to dry in the sun for several days–you'll be able to form a mental image) were made. A casting was made of the actual prop, but it was split in numerous places, and had shrunk considerably. 

The new owner had purchased the cane head from Chaney, Jr's estate, and replicas (again, of the design, *not* the original) duplicates were made in solid brass and in silver. The silver versions, as you might imagine, were quite expensive even for then, running into thousands of dollars–Sterling silver, at the time, was less than $4.00 an ounce. These were made in extremely limited numbers. 

I worked in the entertainment industry at the time, and had old friends who'd been employed at the Hollywood studios in the "Golden Era."

In the ensuing thirty-year period, I've occasionally seen duplicates of the Wolfman cane for sale with ads claiming that they were "cast from the original." That claim, of course, is pure bovine excrement. 

[Mike Scott]

Welcome to the UMA, Ars P. 

Thanks for the info on the WM cane!

[MonsterBaker666]

The original prop was made of vulcanized rubber (there was only one, and never a "stunt" version). It was coated with a viscous silver-colored plastic-like substance. I purchased a solid brass version made from the design of the original back in 1993. With permission of the new owner of the original prop (which had, at that time, almost disintegrated due to age while in storage–basically think of a carrot left outdoors on a hot sidewalk to dry in the sun for several days–you'll be able to form a mental image) were made. A casting was made of the actual prop, but it was split in numerous places, and had shrunk considerably. 

The new owner had purchased the cane head from Chaney, Jr's estate, and replicas (again, of the design, *not* the original) duplicates were made in solid brass and in silver. The silver versions, as you might imagine, were quite expensive even for then, running into thousands of dollars–Sterling silver, at the time, was less than $4.00 an ounce. These were made in extremely limited numbers. 

I worked in the entertainment industry at the time, and had old friends who'd been employed at the Hollywood studios in the "Golden Era."

In the ensuing thirty-year period, I've occasionally seen duplicates of the Wolfman cane for sale with ads claiming that they were "cast from the original." That claim, of course, is pure bovine excrement. 

I'm confused.  The original cane head was made by Ellis Burman, and given to Bob Burns.  Made of vulcanized runner.  As far as I know, that's the only original one out there.  It may have been the "hero" one used throughout the film.  In the movie it looks like it's made of metal, but as far as I know no other ones have turned up.  So IF there was another one, how'd Chaney Jr. get it and then after his death it became part of his estate to be sold / bought?  NEVER heard any stories that Chaney Jr. ever owned the cane or cane head.  Doesn't sound right to me, more like a tale to be told in order to sell a replica and not an original movie prop.   

[Monster Bob]

Factory is hit and Miss for me. I bought the Cresture fossil hand, which is cool. I also bought the 007 "Golden Gun" prop signed by Roger Moore and Christopher Lee. Always wanted one since I saw the film as a kid. It is pretty great.
The only Dracula ring I have is the one in the coffin that FJA was associated with. First one, I think. I got #13!