The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

In 18th Century Spain, an adopted boy becomes a werewolf and terrorizes the inhabitants of his town.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Anthony Hinds (screenplay) (as John Elder), Guy Endore (novel)

Stars:

Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clifford Evans	...	Alfredo
Oliver Reed	...	Leon
Yvonne Romain	...	Servant Girl
Catherine Feller	...	Cristina
Anthony Dawson	...	The Marques Siniestro
Josephine Llewellyn	...	The Marquesa
Richard Wordsworth	...	The Beggar
Hira Talfrey	...	Teresa
Justin Walters	...	Young Leon
John Gabriel	...	The Priest
Warren Mitchell	...	Pepe Valiente
Anne Blake	...	Rosa Valiente
George Woodbridge	...	Dominique
Michael Ripper	...	Old Soak
Ewen Solon	...	Don Fernando

Storyline

In the Eighteenth Century, in Spain, a beggar comes to the castle of a cruel marquee on his wedding day to beg for food, and the marque locks him in his dungeon, where he is forgotten. The mute daughter of the gaoler feeds him along the years. When she grows-up, the widower marquee unsuccessfully tries to shag her and locks the servant in the dungeons with the beggar that rapes her. When she is released, she kills the marquee and flees to the forest. She is found living like an animal in the woods by Don Alfredo and he brings her home. Soon his servant Teresa finds that she is pregnant. When she gives birth to a boy on Christmas, she dies and the boy Leon is raised by Don Alfredo and Teresa. A few years later they learn the curse that the boy carries with him, and the local priest advises that he must be raised with love. What will happen to Leon?

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Plot Keywords:

aristocrat | dungeon | christmas | angry mob | 18th century | 

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Taglines:

THIS SUMMER'S NEW BIG THRILL!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Curse of Siniestro

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Makeup-artist Roy Ashton based his makeup for this film on Jack P. Pierce's makeup for The Wolf Man (1941).

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Goofs

The first 20 minutes of the movie are narrated by Don Alfredo. But since he did not witness the events depicted, there is no way he could have known what transpired.

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Alternate Versions

Original video releases blot out the Technicolor credit line with a black bar. The credit is visible on the DVD version.

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Connections

Featured in The World of Hammer: Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (1994)

User Reviews

A Great Werewolf Film by Hammer

In the Eighteenth Century, in Spain, a beggar comes to the castle of a cruel marquee on his wedding day to beg for food, and the marque locks him in his dungeon, where he is forgotten. The mute daughter of the gaoler feeds him along the years. When she grows-up, the widower marquee unsuccessfully tries to shag her and locks the servant in the dungeons with the beggar that rapes her. When she is released, she kills the marquee and flees to the forest. She is found living like an animal in the woods by Don Alfredo (Clifford Evans) and he brings her home. Soon his servant Teresa (Hira Talfrey) finds that she is pregnant. When she gives birth to a boy on Christmas, she dies and the boy Leon is raised by Don Alfredo and Teresa. A few years later they learn the curse that the boy carries with him, and the local priest advises that he must be raised with love. What will happen to Leon?

"The Curse of the Werewolf" is a great werewolf film by Hammer. Directed by Terence Fisher, the storyline follows the curse of a werewolf since its origin. The direction, performances and make-up are top-notch and the sets and locations never disappoint. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Maldição do Lobisomem" ("The Curse of the Werewolf")