The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
-
60% of critics liked it
(5 reviews) -
60% of users liked it
(1,813 ratings)
After injecting new life into classic movie monsters Dracula and Frankenstein, Hammer Studios apply their Gothic touch to another monster genre with this excellent, stylish piece -- probably the best of the old school (i.e. pre-Rick Baker) man-to-wolf transformation films in the mold of… More After injecting new life into classic movie monsters Dracula and Frankenstein, Hammer Studios apply their Gothic touch to another monster genre with this excellent, stylish piece -- probably the best of the old school (i.e. pre-Rick Baker) man-to-wolf transformation films in the mold of Universal's The Wolf Man. The title curse surfaces when a mute servant girl bears a child on Christmas day after being raped by a bestial madman and first shows itself at the infant's christening, whereupon the holy water begins to boil. Things go downhill from there, as young Leon's development is marred by savage, violent behavior during a full moon. Upon adulthood, Leon's (Oliver Reed) only relief from his murderous impulses comes from the love of Christina (Catherine Feller)... but he soon begins to fear that this cannot contain the beast within. Liberally based on Guy Endore's The Werewolf of Paris (here relocated to Spain), this film represents Hammer at their early best, building tension through mood and character (Reed turns in a bravura performance) and saving the effective monster transformation for the climax. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Terence Fisher
- Genres
- Horror
- In Theaters
- Jun 7, 1961 Wide
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
-
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
A literate and respectful addition to the lycanthrope canon, generating enormous sympathy for its characters and even taking digs at the abuses heaped upon the working class by the 1%.
-
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
Lon Chaney, Jr.'s Wolf Man may be cinema's most famous lycanthrope, but there can be little doubt that this 1960 film from Hammer Productions is the best werewolf movie ever made.
-
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
Directed by famed horror filmmaker and Hammer favorite, Terence Fisher, this slow-moving tale never quite works.
-
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
One of the better Hammer horrors
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Clifford Evans
as Alfredo
-
Oliver Reed
as Leon
-
Yvonne Romain
as Servant girl
-
Catherine Feller
as Christina
-
Anthony Dawson
as Marques Siniestro
-
Josephine Llewellyn
as Marquessa
-
Warren Mitchell
as Pepe Valiente
-
Richard Wordsworth
as Beggar
-
Hira Talfrey
as Teresa
-
John Gabriel
as Priest
-
Anne Blake
as Rosa Valiente
-
George Woodbridge
as Dominique
-
Michael Ripper
as Old Soaker
-
Ewen Solon
as Don Fernando
-
Peter Sallis
as Don Enrique
-
Martin Matthews
as Jose
-
David Conville
as Rico Gomez
-
Dennis Shaw
as Gaoler
-
Charles Lamb
as Chel
-
Sheila Brennan
as Vera
-
Joy Webster
as Isabel
-
Renny Lister
as Yvonne
