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The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) 6.6
In Spain, Leon is born on Christmas day to a mute servant girl who was raped by a beggar. His mother dies giving birth and he is looked after by Don Alfredo. As a child Leon becomes a ... See full summary » Director:Terence Fisher |
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Title: The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Clifford Evans | ... |
Don Alfredo Corledo
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| Oliver Reed | ... |
Leon Corledo
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Yvonne Romain | ... |
Servant Girl (Jailer's Daughter)
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Catherine Feller | ... |
Cristina Fernando
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| Anthony Dawson | ... |
Marques Siniestro
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Josephine Llewellyn | ... |
Marquesa
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Richard Wordsworth | ... |
Beggar
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Hira Talfrey | ... |
Teresa, Corledo's Servant
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Justin Walters | ... |
Young Leon
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John Gabriel | ... |
Priest
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| Warren Mitchell | ... |
Pepe Valiente the Watchman
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Anne Blake | ... |
Rosa Valiente
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George Woodbridge | ... |
Dominique the Goat Herder
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Michael Ripper | ... |
Old Soak
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Ewen Solon | ... |
Don Fernando
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
In Spain, Leon is born on Christmas day to a mute servant girl who was raped by a beggar. His mother dies giving birth and he is looked after by Don Alfredo. As a child Leon becomes a werewolf after having been taken hunting. As a young man, he works in a wine cellar and falls in love with the owner's daughter Cristina. One full moon, he again turns into a werewolf and terrifies the town. Written by Will Gilbert
Taglines:
HALF-MAN... HALF-WOLF... COMPELLED BY THE HIDEOUS CURSE OF HIS EVIL BIRTH TO DESTROY - EVEN THOSE WHO LOVED HIM! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
7 June 1961 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Curse of Siniestro See more »Company Credits
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A modest werewolf "epic" that never feels formulaic in the hands of director Terence Fisher and writer Anthony Hinds. The film is one of Hammer's most accomplished and deals with the subject of lycanthrope with some imagination. Young Leon (Justin Walters), the consequence of a rape, is born with what appears to be a dormant werewolf gene that is awakened when he tastes the warm, "sweet" blood of a bird. Unable to resist his true nature, he starts killing livestock in a small rural community. His juvenile rampage doesn't last long because the local priest (John Gabriel) identifies his condition and encourages his adopted parents to shower him with love and affection, convinced that it is love that will keep the boy's desires at bay. Clearly, the priest's faith in love is not misplaced, because, ten year's later, the adult Leon (nicely played by Oliver Reed), who has just left home, is only a wolf with the women. He falls hard for the daughter of his employer, but when he is deprived of her love, his lycanthrope surfaces and the killings begin again, only this time he leaves the livestock alone.
The film is a character drama in werewolf clothing, and, though it references genre classics such as "The Wolfman", "The Werewolf of London", and even "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in its climax, it is still very much its own animal. There is a welcome depth to the performances and Reed's acceptance of his condition and desire to be destroyed gives the piece a fine sense of tragedy.
Unlke the genre films of today, which make this feel like something made on another planet, "The Curse of the Werewolf" really takes its time to establish a solid foundation for its horror and is a refreshing product of far less cynical times in which human warmth was seen as essential, not "uncool".
The last shot, in my opinion, is flawed. When the dead werewolf is flipped onto his side by his adopted father, he is not shown, in death, as having returned to his former state as represented by Oliver Reed.
A fine achievement.