Werewolf of London (1935)

The juice of a rare Tibetan flower is the only thing that keeps Dr. Glendon from turning into a werewolf during a full moon.

Director:

Stuart Walker

Writers:

John Colton (screenplay), Robert Harris (story)

Stars:

Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Hull	...	Dr. Glendon
Warner Oland	...	Dr. Yogami
Valerie Hobson	...	Lisa Glendon
Lester Matthews	...	Paul Ames
Lawrence Grant	...	Sir Thomas Forsythe
Spring Byington	...	Miss Ettie Coombes
Clark Williams	...	Hugh Renwick
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Hawkins
Charlotte Granville	...	Lady Forsythe
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Whack
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Mrs. Moncaster
Jeanne Bartlett	...	Daisy

Storyline

While on a botanical expedition in Tibet Dr. Wilfred Glendon is attacked in the dark by a strange animal. Returning to London, he finds himself turning nightly into a werewolf and terrorizing the city, with the only hope for curing his affliction a rare Asian flower.

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Plot Keywords:

animal attack | werewolf bite | full moon | fog | scientist | 

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Taglines:

Beware the Stalking Being - Half-Human - Half-Beast!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese Latin

Release Date:

13 May 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Unholy Hour

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$195,393 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening scene in "Tibet" was filmed at Vasquez Rocks north of Los Angeles, well know to Star Trek fans as the rock outcropping from where Captain Kirk rolled a boulder down trying to kill the Gorn in "Arena."

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Goofs

Glendon calls the plant "Mariphasa lupino lumino" but Yogami reverses the last two names, and calls it "Mariphasa lumina lupina."

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Quotes

Lisa Glendon: [to Wilfred] It's Lisa. Don't you know me. Lisa.

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Crazy Credits

"A good cast is worth repeating..."

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Connections

Featured in Creature Features: Werewolf of London/Murders in the Rue Morgue (1970)

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Soundtracks

Tales from the Vienna Woods, op.325
(uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauss
Played as background music during the botanical gardens party

User Reviews

Draw Blood!

Listen to the Warren Zevon jokes fly…

The secret to telling stories in any media, be it books, plays, TV or movies, is to make the audience care about the characters. The hero of `Werewolf of London,' Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull), manages to earn our sympathy: he's a botanist obsessed with his studies to the point where he neglects his beautiful young wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson). His ordered life disintegrates when he is attacked by a werewolf in Tibet; he realizes he is doomed to the lycanthrope's savage curse at the same time his wife begins flirting with an old flame, Paul (Lester Matthews). The logical foundation of Glendon's life flies apart, and he came face-to-face with his brutal animal nature.

`Werewolf of London,' like most of the classic Universal horror pictures, is heavy on atmosphere, lots of shadows and fog. The transformation sequences and the makeup are good, although not as proficient as `The Wolf Man' six years later. The Werewolf of London struck me as a more sinister creature than the Wolf Man in his deliberateness. The Werewolf would even wear a sort of disguise as he stalked the streets of London, using his intelligence, whereas the Wolf Man was a more savage, animalistic force that attacked anyone nearby. It makes you wonder who would win a fight between the two…

And, as is usual for the old Universal horror films, the acting is very good. Henry Hull moves from stuffy academic to tortured soul, and brings us along for the ride (reminiscent of Basil Rathbone's deterioration in `Son of Frankenstein.') Valerie Hobson is luminous as always, and Warner Oland is quietly menacing as Dr. Yogami, who has an inside knowledge of `werewolfery.'

`Werewolf of London' will probably always be in the shadow of its successor, and rightfully so. There's nothing wrong with `Werewolf,' but there also isn't anything here that `Wolf Man' doesn't do better. It's just part of the horror evolution, a lesson well learned.