The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

If you're only going to make one werewolf story, you might as well make it one to remember. So it goes with Hammer Studios' rich, meaty tale, an adaptation of Guy Endores' novel "The Werewolf of Paris". Reset in Spain, it touches upon subjects such as the power of love, the cruelty of fate, and the nature of human beings at both their best and their worst. Much like many good werewolf fables, it's an utter tragedy, and it's populated with characters about whom you *do* care and for whom you *do* root.As elaborately fashioned as anything in the studios' repertoire, it begins as a beggar (Richard Wordsworth) is mocked and abused by a nasty and heartless Marques (Anthony Dawson). The beggar is locked up in the dungeon & forgotten, and once reduced to an animal like state, he rapes a mute servant girl (Yvonne Romain). She gives birth to a boy, Leon (played as a child by Justin Walters, and as an adult by Oliver Reed), who, according to superstition, is utterly doomed by being an unwanted child born on Christmas Day.If you are able to get past the idea of these supposed Spaniards having British accents, you'll find that the performances are sublime. Everybody gets an A+ for their efforts. Reed has one of the most sympathetic parts of his career, and he knocks it out of the park. Clifford Evans (playing Don Alfredo) and Hira Talfrey (playing Teresa) are endearing as the two people who give Leon the best care and attention that they can during his formative years. Catherine Feller is sweet and charming as Cristina, the woman whom Leon loves. Dawson is deliciously evil as the depraved Marques, and there are some great bits by the likes of Michael Ripper (a recurring player in the Hammer filmography), Warren Mitchell, John Gabriel, George Woodbridge, Ewen Solon, and Peter Sallis.Touching, suspenseful, sometimes gory, and beautifully filmed, this is fine entertainment indeed. Director Terence Fisher holds off on showing off the werewolf makeup / transformation until the final 10 minutes. The fact that co-star Reed doesn't show up until the film is half over is indicative of how expansive the story is. The music by Benjamin Frankel is wonderful.After revisiting this one tonight, this viewer will be sure to put "The Curse of the Werewolf" on his list of the top productions in this sub genre.Eight out of 10.

CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF is a movie that rocked my world when I first saw it on television more than forty years ago. I was just ten years old, and I'd never seen anyone as beautiful as Yvonne Romaine. She stole my heart as the beautiful, mute servant girl. And when she died, my heart broke. That was when I fell madly, hopelessly in love!So I made myself a promise, at ten years old. A promise that someday I would write a werewolf story where the beautiful, strong-willed Spanish servant girl does not die! Instead she stands up to the werewolf, finds her destiny, and ends up married to the most amazing older man, who by the way is fabulously rich, wise and kind. And who totally worships the ground she walks on! Well, after forty years the wait is over. JULIANA AND THE WOLF by Carol Storm is on sale now at Mystic Books. Or you can just go to the Kindle store on Amazon. But this is not just a book plug. This is me, paying tribute to Yvonne Romaine and all the ways her beauty has inspired generations of film goers. In these short pages you will see the adventures that doomed servant girl might have had. You'll see Juliana grow up, from a chubby little baker's daughter to a desperate runaway to a loving and mature woman with amazing courage. Along the way, you'll meet fun-loving army cadets, sneering evil noblemen, sexy French servant girls, a monk with a secret, a beautiful dying boy, and one dirty old man who gets exactly what he deserves. I really tried to bring the whole colorful panorama of Old Spain to life, AND tell a good old-fashioned werewolf story with a beautiful love story tucked inside.And this time, the servant girl lives happily ever after!

"Curse of the Werewolf" is the legendary British Hammer studio's one and only werewolf movie, in sheer contract to their "Dracula" and "Frankeinstein" movies that were unleashed upon the world every couple of full moons. Not coincidentally, this – arguably – also happens to be one of Hammer's most profoundly intelligent, ambitious and cautiously constructed horror movie accomplishment! If you're looking for a genuine Hammer highlight, this one has all the right trademarks: adapted from an acclaimed novel, filmed at the studios' peak period during the early sixties and directed by their most talented and professional craftsman Terence Fisher. If you analyze the script of "Curse of the Werewolf", you'll notice that the film spans over a total period of minimally 40 years, and probably even more. Set in Spain during a very dark and sinister century, the film first narrates the expanded and detailed story of pivot character Leon's birth. Perhaps a bit too extensively but nevertheless fascinating every bit of the way, we learn that Leon is the unwanted child of a bewildered beggar (locked away for several years by a snotty marquis) and an abused deaf-mute servant girl. He is taken in and loved by a nobleman and his housemaid, but the priest tells them that a child conceived in such miserable conditions is very likely to suffer from traumas and illnesses, or even lycanthropy. Leon's first nightly escapades occur during his early teenage years and leave the entire village in fear, but family love and solid metal bars in his bedroom window keep his secret safe. As a strong and handsome adult male, Leon is again confronted with his hairy inner self as a consequence of impossible love and the immoral behavior of his surroundings. So, as you can see, the background of this film's werewolf is highly untraditional, but most of all incredibly original, compelling and courageous! The lycanthrope mythology is so new and alternative here that my mate and I even joked that "Curse of the Werewolf" could even be considered an ancestor of nowadays sappy teenage horror franchises such as "Twilight" and "Vampire Diaries", because Leon's transformations are dependent of his romantic feelings and mood swings. But this film is a gazillion times superior, of course. Thanks to the patient and moody unfolding of the story, "Curse of the Werewolf" is definitely one of the most atmospheric and uniquely suspenseful horror tales Hammer – and the sixties decade in general – brought forward. Terence Fisher's visionary skills are demonstrated through masterful scenes of eerie nightly landscapes, ominous full moons and sinister little villages. The cast contributes a great deal as well. The mighty Oliver Reed is excellent in one of his first major roles and freaks us out with his menacing facial expressions. The most remarkable supportive roles are for Anthony Dawson, as the repulsive marquis, and Richard Wordsworth as the unfortunate beggar. His personality switch from amiable beggar into revolting animal is deeply impressive, to say the least. The make-up effects are scarce but exquisite, like the brutal murder of a town's wench and Leon's metamorphosis near the finale. A fantastic Hammer classic, highly recommended!

Extremely Gothic terror intent in the Universal vein and walks a fine line between romance , camp , Wolfman's classic and horror . It displays excellent set design , ambitious screenplay with too many eerie scenes and adequate interpretation for all casting . Terror picture that is renowned for ferocious departure from the stereotypical portrait of the beast . It is set in Europa , dealing with a 19 Century European werewolf , as it happens in Spain , Leon is born on Christmas day to a mute servant girl (Yvonne Romain) who was imprisoned by a nobleman (Anthony Dawson) and raped by a beggar (Richard Wordsworth stated that in the original screenplay his beggar character was a werewolf) . His mother dies giving birth and he is looked after by Don Alfredo (Clifford Evans) and his maid . As a child Leon turned into a werewolf after having been taken hunting . Leon (Oliver Reed in his first horror movie), transformed by the full moon, heads for the forest and a fateful meeting with the villagers . He is developing an extraordinary force and aware himself has a horrible curse who cannot to control . As a young man he works in a wine cellar and falls in love with the owner's daughter named Cristina (Catherine Feller). The curse will be passed on to him at the next full moon and he again turns into a werewolf and terrifies the town. This exciting motion picture displays drama , suspense, terror with mysterious touches and is quite entertaining ; being the only werewolf movie made by Hammer Studios . It's a crossover with a little of the classic version ¨Lon Chaney's Werewolf¨, the novel ¨Wolfman in Paris¨ by Guy Endore and wrapped in a Hammer style . Atmospheric, slick terror film , creaky at times but it's still impressive . The notorious screenwriter John Elder or Anthony Hinds provides a well-knit plot with mystery and horror, giving full rein to Terence Fisher natural talent for the terror genre . However , being censorshipped , as over five minutes were cut by the censor for the British release and even more for the American version ; the censor had problems with the notion of a werewolf/rapist, so out it went . It's some different but with clear reference to previous vintage film . Good performances from Oliver Reed as a creepy wolfman and Clifford Evans as his mentor . The transformation of man into werewolf is complex and is made by expert make-up artist Roy Ashton who based his makeup for this film on Jack P. Pierce's makeup for The Wolfman by George Waggner (1941) that starred Lon Chaney Jr and Bela Lugosi . Frighteing and thrilling musical score by Benjamin Frankel . Colorful and shining cinematography by Arthur Gant , Hammer's ordinary , being filmed in Bray Studios. The motion picture was masterfully directed by Terence Fisher who filmed classic horror films as ¨Dracula¨, ¨Dracula , prince of darkness¨ , ¨The brides of Dracula¨ , ¨The mummy¨ , ¨Phantom of opera¨, ¨The Gorgon¨ , ¨The devil rides out¨ and many others . Rating : Top-drawer terror film , upscale horror spectacle with a suitable climax at a church . Essential and indispensable watching for Hammer lovers . It's an above average terror and sometimes graphically exciting and turns out to be a good attempt to cash in the werewolf sub-genre . Rating : 6,5 Good .