I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

A hypnotherapist uses a temperamental teenager as guinea pig for a serum which transforms him into a vicious werewolf.

Director:

Gene Fowler Jr.

Writers:

Herman Cohen (original story) (as Ralph Thornton), Aben Kandel (original story) (as Ralph Thornton)

Stars:

Michael Landon, Yvonne Lime, Whit Bissell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Landon	...	Tony Rivers
Yvonne Lime	...	Arlene Logan
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Alfred Brandon
Charles Willcox	...	Jimmy (as Tony Marshall)
Dawn Richard	...	Theresa
Barney Phillips	...	Detective Donovan
Ken Miller	...	Vic
Cynthia Chenault	...	Pearl (as Cindy Robbins)
Michael Rougas	...	Frank
Robert Griffin	...	Police Chief P.F. Baker
Joseph Mell	...	Dr. Hugo Wagner
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Charles Rivers
Eddie Marr	...	Doyle
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Pepe the Janitor
Louise Lewis	...	Principal Ferguson

Storyline

A troubled teenager seeks help through hypnotherapy, but his evil doctor uses him for regression experiments that transform him into a rampaging werewolf.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | werewolf | killer teen | hypnotism | rock 'n' roll | 

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Taglines:

Explosive! Amazing! Terrifying! You won't believe your eyes!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

American International Pictures rushed out a number of films similar to this in hopes of capitalizing on the success of I Was A Teenage Werewolf. Among them - I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), How to Make a Monster (1958), and Blood of Dracula (1957).

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Goofs

The night-time stalking scenes obviously were shot during daylight, like when the teenager leaves the party at night and walks in the forest. This is often done in film and television - it's a technique known as "Day-for-night". However, it is often done better in some films than in others. When it's obvious that the "night" scene was filmed in the daytime, you KNOW it was not one of the better "day-for-night" efforts.

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Quotes

Dr Hugo Wagner: But you're sacrificing a human life!
Dr Alfred Brandon: Do you cry over a guinea pig? This boy is a free police case. We're probably saving him from the gas chamber.
Dr Hugo Wagner: But the boy is so young, the transformation horrible -
Dr Alfred Brandon: And you call yourself a scientist! That's why you've never been more than an assistant.

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Connections

Referenced in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?: Count Down (1973)

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Soundtracks

Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Blaine
Sung by Ken Miller (uncredited)

User Reviews

Freaked me out!

A group of us guys were discussing the scariest films we'd seen as kids. I was 10 in 1957 when I saw this film while spending a week on Catalina Island. The theater was at the landmark "Casino" which was about a half mile walk from the small port village of Avalon. I was heavily absorbed in war, sci-fi, and western action films, with a special appreciation for stunts and special effects but unfamiliar with the horror genre in general and werewolf lore in particular. I was also the runt tagging along with a trio of cool eleven year old friends. It could've been a scene out of "Stand By Me". Four smart-ass kids walking at night down a dirt road to see "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" for my first and only time.

As an aspiring artist, I remember being fascinated by the opening titles where a make-up artist sketched the monster's face but when the actual transformation took place in the film it freaked me out, to say the least. Maybe it was the collective scream of a hundred other kids, but I covered my eyes until brave enough to slowly glimpse the monster. The scenes shot in Griffith Park looked too much like the dark, tree lined path we had walked to the theater. That half mile walk back to town was the longest, creepiest walk of my childhood.

A few months later I saw "A Man of a Thousand Faces" and became completely fascinated by the art of make-up and dove into everything I could find on Lon Chaney Sr. Later I finally saw Chaney Jr. in "The Wolf Man". By then I was too cool to be scared but still reading anything I could find on werewolf and vampire lore and probably first in line to see "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blood of the Werewolf

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$82,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sunset Productions (III)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1