MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 2,134 this week

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

 -  Drama | Horror | Romance  -  7 June 1961 (USA)
6.6
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.6/10 from 2,170 users  
Reviews: 49 user | 52 critic

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:

Writers:

(screenplay), (novel)
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 615 titles created 08 Jul 2011
 
a list of 263 titles created 4 months ago
 
a list of 1508 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 66 titles created 22 Nov 2011
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) on IMDb 6.6/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of The Curse of the Werewolf.

Videos

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clifford Evans ...
Don Alfredo Corledo
...
Leon Corledo
Yvonne Romain ...
Servant Girl (Jailer's Daughter)
Catherine Feller ...
Cristina Fernando
...
Marques Siniestro
Josephine Llewellyn ...
Marquesa
Richard Wordsworth ...
Beggar
Hira Talfrey ...
Teresa, Corledo's Servant
Justin Walters ...
Young Leon
John Gabriel ...
Priest
...
Pepe Valiente the Watchman
Anne Blake ...
Rosa Valiente
George Woodbridge ...
Dominique the Goat Herder
Michael Ripper ...
Old Soak
Ewen Solon ...
Don Fernando
Edit

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

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

HALF-MAN... HALF-WOLF... COMPELLED BY THE HIDEOUS CURSE OF HIS EVIL BIRTH TO DESTROY - EVEN THOSE WHO LOVED HIM! See more »


Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

7 June 1961 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Curse of Siniestro  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only werewolf movie made by Hammer Studios. See more »

Goofs

During the opening credits, which features a very tight close-up of the werewolf's eyes, the edges of the contact lenses can be clearly seen. See more »

Connections

Referenced in People in Luck (1963) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
A superb addition to the cinematic annals of lycanthrope
19 May 2006 | by (Mountains of Madness) – See all my reviews

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.


12 of 13 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Uncut 'The Curse Of The Werewolf' neo5506
Odd that.... powersroc
Yvonne Romain mattslittlebrother
Why was the beggar given a life sentence? dyker_the_horse
Young Leon hellokatie_
Different storyline kmartin-13
Discuss The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?