Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory (1961)

At a girls' school, several students are murdered by a snarling, wolf-man-like creature. Suspicion falls upon a newly arrived teacher.

Director:

Paolo Heusch (as Richard Benson)

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay) (as Julian Berry), Ernesto Gastaldi (story) (as Julian Berry)

Stars:

Barbara Lass, Carl Schell, Curt Lowens

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Lass	...	Priscilla
Carl Schell	...	Dr. Julian Olcott
Curt Lowens	...	Director Swift
Maurice Marsac	...	Sir Alfred Whiteman
Michela Roc	...	Sandy (as Maureen O'Connor)
Mary McNeeran	...	Mary Smith
Grace Neame	...	Leonor MacDonald
Luciano Pigozzi	...	Walter Jeoffrey (as Alan Collins)
Annie Steinert	...	Mrs. Sheena Whiteman
Joseph Mercier	...	Tommy - the Porter
Herbert Diamonds	...	Police Inspector
Mary Dolbek
Lauren Scott
Elizabeth Patrick	...	Miss Schultz
Patricia Meeker	...	School Girl

Storyline

The new science teacher Dr. Julian Olcott, with a mysterious past, arrives in an institutional boarding school for female troublemakers. That night intern Mary Smith, who is blackmailing another teacher - Sir Alfred Whiteman - with some love letters, is slaughtered. The detective in charge of the investigation attributes the crime to a animal, while her mate Priscilla believes she was killed by Sir Alfred. Over the next few days, other deaths happen at the school, reducing the list of suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

titillation | campy | psychotronic film | love letters | blackmail | 

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Taglines:

Beauties! The prey of a monster's desires!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the female leads, Barbara Lass, was the first wife of Roman Polanski.

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Goofs

As the school teachers are examining Mary Smith's dead body, her eyes move.

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Connections

Referenced in Mr. Rose: The Bad Halfpenny (1967)

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Soundtracks

The Ghoul in School
Written by Marilyn Stewart, Frank Owens
Sung by Adam Keefe (uncredited)

User Reviews

NOT The Teenage Lycanthrope Panty Raid You Might Be Expecting!

Just last week, I finished reading Guy Endore's classic 1933 novel "The Werewolf of Paris," a highly intelligent, insightful look at this legendary creature of modern-day folklore. Last night I watched the 1961 Italian/Austrian coproduction "Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory," a film that is hardly classic, overly intelligent or insightful, but that did come as a nice treat for me anyway. To my great surprise, this is not the teenage lycanthrope panty raid that I had been expecting, or the camp fest that the title would lead one to anticipate. The film deals with a series of brutal murders in a young women's reformatory school in what is supposed to be the U.S. but feels distinctly European. To its credit, the movie boasts some pretty creepy atmosphere, effective music, very passable B&W photography, and very decent acting (although it's hard to tell for sure about that last with the terrible dubbing). It feels like a cross between a monster flick and an early Italian "giallo," with a dash of mystery thrown in. Who IS the werewolf? Is it the new, hunky blond professor with a secret in his past? The lecherous old teacher who's being blackmailed by one of the students? Or howzabout the Igor-like, handicapped handyman? Most viewers will never guess; I know I didn't! The Maltin book inexplicably gives this film its lowest "BOMB" rating, but I think the editors there are being way too harsh. Although "Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory" is nothing great, it still deserves some respect for the effective and well-put-together thriller that it is.

Details

Country:

Italy Austria

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

5 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ghoul in a Girl's Dormitory

Filming Locations:

USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Royal Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1