IMDb > The Howling (1981)
The Howling
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The Howling (1981) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

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MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Joe Dante
Writers:
Gary Brandner (novel)
John Sayles (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Howling on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 1981 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Horror See more »
Tagline:
Imagine your worst fear a reality
Plot:
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(375 articles)
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User Reviews:
Slow starting, but this werewolf picture finishes with a bang. See more (176 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Dee Wallace ... Karen White

Patrick Macnee ... Dr. George Waggner

Dennis Dugan ... Chris

Christopher Stone ... R. William 'Bill' Neill

Belinda Balaski ... Terry Fisher

Kevin McCarthy ... Fred Francis

John Carradine ... Erle Kenton

Slim Pickens ... Sam Newfield

Elisabeth Brooks ... Marsha Quist

Robert Picardo ... Eddie Quist
Margie Impert ... Donna

Noble Willingham ... Charlie Barton

James Murtaugh ... Jerry Warren
Jim McKrell ... Lew Landers

Kenneth Tobey ... Older Cop
Don McLeod ... T.C. Quist

Dick Miller ... Walter Paisley - Bookstore Owner
Steve Nevil ... Young Cop
Herbie Braha ... Porno Cashier (as Herb Braha)
Joe Bratcher ... Radio Man
Bill Sorrells ... Kline

Meshach Taylor ... Shantz (as Mesach Taylor)
Ivan Saric ... Jack Molina
Sarina C. Grant ... Hooker (as Sarina Grant)
Chico Martínez ... Man on Street
Daniel Núñez ... Liquor Cashier (as Daniel Nunez)
Michael O'Dwyer ... Drunk
Wendell Wright ... Man at Bar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Forrest J Ackerman ... Bookstore Customer (uncredited)

Robert A. Burns ... Porn store patron (uncredited)

Roger Corman ... Man in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Robert Hammond ... Bar Patron (uncredited)

Jonathan Kaplan ... Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

John Sayles ... Morgue Attendant (uncredited)
Beverly Warren ... Extra (uncredited)
Bill Warren ... Extra (uncredited)
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Directed by
Joe Dante 
 
Writing credits
Gary Brandner (novel)

John Sayles (screenplay) and
Terence H. Winkless (screenplay)

Produced by
Daniel H. Blatt .... executive producer
Rob Bottin .... associate producer
Jack Conrad .... producer
Michael Finnell .... producer
Steven A. Lane .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Pino Donaggio 
 
Cinematography by
John Hora (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Joe Dante 
Mark Goldblatt 
 
Casting by
Susan Arnold 
Judith Weiner 
 
Art Direction by
Robert A. Burns 
 
Costume Design by
Jack Buehler 
 
Makeup Department
Rick Baker .... special makeup effects consultant
Joe Beserra .... makeup effects studio artist
Rob Bottin .... special makeup effects creator
Greg Cannom .... additional makeup effects
Bill Davis .... assistant makeup artist
Morton Greenspoon .... creative contact lens effects (as Morton K. Greenspoon O.D.)
Tina Kline .... contact lens technician (as Tina Klein)
Shawn McEnroe .... first makeup effects assistant
Medusah .... assistant hair stylist (as Anne Aulenta-Spira)
Medusah .... assistant makeup artist (as Anne Aulenta-Spira)
Art Pimentel .... second makeup effects assistant
Margaret Prentice .... makeup effects studio artist (as Margaret Beserra)
Josephine Turner .... special hair work
Josephine Turner .... wig maker
Gigi Williams .... hair stylist
Gigi Williams .... makeup artist
Kevin Brennan .... special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Steve LaPorte .... special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Bill Sturgeon .... creature effects crew (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Peter Manoogian .... second unit manager
Jack C. Smith .... unit manager
David C. Thomas .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Cummins .... first assistant director
Jack Cummins .... second unit director
Jon Davison .... second unit director
Nancy King .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Mary Church .... art assistant
Ivo Cristante .... property master
Richard Hescox .... production illustrator
Steven Legler .... set designer (as Steve Legler)
Frank Ventrola .... production illustrator
 
Sound Department
Ken King .... production sound mixer
Douglas Vaughan .... boom operator
 
Special Effects by
Doug Beswick .... special mechanical effects
Roger George .... special effects
Jeff Shank .... effects unit line producer
Steve Shank .... effects unit line producer
 
Visual Effects by
David Allen .... stop motion animation
Peter Kuran .... love scene and main title animation: VCE
Rick Taylor .... effects camera operator (uncredited)
Susan Turner .... visual effects (uncredited)
Pam Vick .... cel animator (uncredited)
Mike Warren .... optical effects (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Carmen Babnick .... stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour .... stunts (as Bruce Barbour)
Roger Creed .... stunt coordinator
Marneen Fields .... stunt double: Dee Wallace
John Moio .... stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano .... utility stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Cattell .... first assistant camera
Doug Cragoe .... grip (as Douglas Cragoe)
Matia Karrell .... electrician
Laurel Moore .... still photographer
John C. Murray .... gaffer
Stephen L. Posey .... camera operator: second unit (as Stephen Posey)
Ronald Raschke .... second assistant camera
Ted Rhodes .... best boy grip
Richard Sands .... electrician (as Rick Sands)
Richard Sands .... grip (as Rick Sands)
Roger Sassen .... best boy electric
Kurt Young .... key grip
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy G. Fox .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Kent Beyda .... associate film editor
Alan Toomayan .... assistant film editor
 
Music Department
Chris Carney .... composer: song "Rocky Mountain Waltz"
Joyce Fienhage .... composer: song "Howling Chicken"
Rick Fienhage .... composer: song "Howling Chicken"
Marshall Leib .... music coordinator (as Marshall Lieb)
Natale Massara .... conductor
 
Other crew
Allen Alsobrook .... production assistant
Donald P. Borchers .... production associate
Frank Capra III .... production assistant
Susan Gelb .... production accountant
Frank Gomon .... television material provided by
Robert Jellen .... insurance (as Bob Jellen)
Stephan Kertesz .... production assistant
Sherri Lubov .... production assistant
John Ott .... production assistant
Jeanne Rosenberg .... script supervisor
Jack C. Smith .... location manager
Terry Smulen .... assistant to producer
Michael Takacs .... television technical advisor
Mark Tarnawsky .... production assistant
Stokely Van Camp .... television material provided by
 
Thanks
Forrest J Ackerman .... special thanks
Jane Alsobrook .... special thanks
Jamie Anderson .... special thanks
Paul Bartel .... special thanks
Michael Chapman .... special thanks
Roger Corman .... special thanks
Mick Garris .... special thanks
Gary Graver .... special thanks
Jonathan Kaplan .... special thanks
Sylvia Neil .... special thanks
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Spanish
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
France:-12 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1984) | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18 (heavily cut) (1981) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2004) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M (TV rating) | New Zealand:R16 | New Zealand:(Banned) (Special Edition DVD) | UK:(Banned) (Special Edition DVD) | UK:18 (Special Edition DVD) | Australia:R | Chile:14 | Portugal:M/18
Filming Locations:
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USASee more »
Company:
AVCO Embassy PicturesSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Annette Haven was offered the role of Marsha Quist, but turned it down.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When Chris arrives at the colony in his Mazda, you hear the tires squeal, but his car is on the grass, not the cement.See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Dr. George Waggner:Repression. Repression is the father of neurosis, of self-hatred. Now, stress results when we fight against our impulses. We've all heard people talk about animal magnetism, the natural man. the noble savage, as if we'd lost something valuable in our long evolution into civilized human beings. Now there's a good reason for this.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006) (V)See more »
Soundtrack:
Howling ChickenSee more »

FAQ

I thought werewolves could only transform during a full moon?
Why did Dr. Waggner invite Karen to the Colony? She hadn't been bitten by a werewolf.
Any recommendations for other good movies about werewolves?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
17 out of 20 people found the following review useful.
Slow starting, but this werewolf picture finishes with a bang., 29 July 2006
Author: Aaron1375

This classic werewolf movie is not as good as "An American Werewolf in London", however it is a pretty good horror movie in its own right. It is also one of the first (if not the first) to do an on screen transformation scene not using the old frame by frame technique. The story has a female reporter traumatized after she helps the police track down a serial killer. A friend psychiatrist sends her to a retreat known as "the colony" to help her unwind and get to the root of her problem. Well lets just say her first impulse was right as she really seems to think her and her husband are out of place in this retreat. I would agree, I do believe I would have left after seeing the first little beach party where the guy about to throw himself in the fire seemed the most sane. For the most part this movie has a bit of a slow setup, but once it gets going near the last 20 or thirty minutes it really gets going. The werewolves look rather good, there are a couple of scenes where they appear to be nothing more than cartoons or something, but for the most part they look like working models. There is a bit at the end which puzzles me as it seems to add humor into what was otherwise a movie that wasn't trying to garner laughs. However, for the most part you get a rather nice horror movie with lots of stars, something of a rarity this day and age.

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My list of the Worst Werewolf Movies of All Time!!! TomCatJones
Do younger not appreciate older horror films because.... psychocosmic-1
What a Disappointment CreatedBySin
Please Help Me With Questions About the Howling SoonerFan80
Transformations - CGI vs 80s effects lister_ashley
Looking for the definitive werewolf movie Nightlightknight
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