The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Directed by Terence Fisher

Film Review

Having resurrected three of Universal's classic monster staples - Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Mummy - Hammer completed the spine-tingling quartet with The Curse of the Werewolf, although copyright restrictions prevented the company from naming its lycanthropically inflicted protagonist the Wolf Man.  Whereas the other three gothic fiends enjoyed multiple outings at Hammer, the werewolf appeared in just one film, which makes it something of an oddity in Hammer's cycle of horror films.  Set in 18th century Spain instead of Hammer's usual Gothic locales, The Curse of the Werewolf has a more romantic, Latin feel to it, similar to Jean Delannoy's classic French film Notre Dame de Paris (1956).  The story is based on the 1933 novel The Werewolf of Paris by the American writer Guy Endore.  Although Endore ended up working as a screenwriter for Universal Studios his novel had no direct connection with any of the werewolf films made by the studio.

Cast in the role of the werewolf was a virtually unknown contract player at Hammer who would later go on to much bigger things, Oliver Reed.  Today, the casting of Reed as the werewolf would seem to be a no-brainer but at the time it was a huge gamble, much as the casting of Christopher Lee as Dracula had been a few years previously.  Just as Lee had had to follow one screen legend, Bela Lugosi, so Reed was likely to compared with another, Lon Chaney Jr, and the fact that no subsequent werewolf film was made by Hammer would suggest that the latter comparison had not been favourable.  One of the strengths of Universal's Wolf Man films is that Chaney compels us to sympathise with the plight of his character.  Whilst few would argue that Oliver Reed is not a great actor, there are not many who would describe him as a sympathetic actor.  Reed may be superb as the transformed werewolf, every bit as terrifying as Chaney's portrayal (thanks in part to an absolutely stunning make-up job), but we struggle to engage with his character's human alter ego.  With or without the wolf make-up, there is always something of the untamed savage in Oliver Reed's screen portrayals - a quality that Hammer would exploit to dazzling effect in subsequent films, notably Paranoiac (1963).

Despite its plush production values and stylish mise-en-scène by Hammer regular Terence Fisher, The Curse of the Werewolf cannot escape its one killer flaw - a plodding narrative.  Before Mr Reed shows up at the film's mid-point and belatedly brings it to life we have to sit through an interminable preamble which, moving at the pace of an asthmatic one-legged tortoise, explains just how the main character came to be afflicted with the titular curse.  Clifford Evans does a reasonable job of holding the fort until Reed turns up but the languorous pace of the film's first half is a definite turn-off for anyone expecting something in the line of Hammer's previous Gothic horrors.  Things improve a little in the second half, but the overall impact is again marred by an overly padded denouement which serves only to show what a very limited repertoire the werewolf has - it essentially consists of strangling people and running around on rooftops looking suitably menacing.  No wonder Hammer couldn't be bothered to resurrect this particular monster, even if it is the most visually striking in its entire Gothic horror range.  Still, it can be argued that Oliver Reed's colourful off-screen exploits were more than enough to make up for this shortfall...

Film Synopsis

In 18th century Spain, a beggar is thrown into a dungeon cell when he offends the cruel Marques Siniestro at his wedding feast.  Fifteen years on, the same beggar is still imprisoned and, now reduced to an animal, he rapes a young serving girl when she enters his cell.  The girl gives birth before she dies and the child is adopted by a kindly scholar, Don Alfredo Corledo, and his housekeeper Teresa.  The latter's fears that the child, christened Leon, may be tainted with evil appear to be borne out when several goats in the area are found dead, their throats ripped out.  The love that Don Alfredo and Teresa show towards him allows Leon to overcome his lycanthropic tendencies and he grows up into a good, seemingly normal young man.  He finds work bottling wine for vineyard owner Don Fernando Gomez but falls in love with the latter's daughter Cristina.  During a visit to a brothel one evening Leon is transformed into a half-man, half-wolf creature and commits two savage murders.  The only thing that can save Leon is Cristina's love, but her father has made up his mind that she will marry another man...