Legend of the Werewolf (1975)

A travelling circus in 19th century France adopts and showcases a feral "wolf boy", who grows into adulthood only to kill the one-man band. He runs off to Paris, where he develops a jealous... See full summary »

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writer:

Anthony Hinds (as John Elder)

Stars:

Peter Cushing, Ron Moody, Hugh Griffith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Cushing	...	Professor Paul
Ron Moody	...	Zoo Keeper
Hugh Griffith	...	Maestro Pamponi
Roy Castle	...	Photographer
David Rintoul	...	Etoile
Stefan Gryff	...	Max Gerard
Lynn Dalby	...	Christine
Renee Houston	...	Chou-Chou (as Renée Houston)
Marjorie Yates	...	Madame Tellier
Norman Mitchell	...	Tiny
Mark Weavers	...	Young Etoile
David Bailie	...	Boulon
Hilary Farr	...	Zoe (as Hilary Labow)
Elaine Baillie	...	Annabelle
Michael Ripper	...	Sewerman

Storyline

A travelling circus in 19th century France adopts and showcases a feral "wolf boy", who grows into adulthood only to kill the one-man band. He runs off to Paris, where he develops a jealous, overprotective crush on a prostitute, leading him to attack her client, incurring a pursuit by a determined police surgeon.

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Plot Keywords:

travelling circus | feral child | jealousy | brothel madam | wolf | 

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Taglines:

A Tyburn Tale of Terror

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Genres:

Horror

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Did You Know?

Trivia

David Rintoul receives an "introducing" credit.

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Goofs

At c. 23 minutes the freshly opened champagne has negligible fizz when it is poured.

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Quotes

Maestro Pamponi: He's a boy and an animal... He's a wolf boy, that's what he is!

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Connections

Referenced in The Howling (1981)

User Reviews

Even for a horror film, this one doesn't make a lot of sense.

A baby was raised by wolves and when he looked to be about 8, he was captured and put on display in a traveling show as 'the Wolf Boy'. Well, this kid (dubbed 'Etoile') continued the act for sometime...even though he had become civilized and a nice guy. Then, suddenly and for no reason I can think of, one day he goes berserk, turns into a wolf-man and kills someone--all after being with the show many years.

On the run, Etoile makes his way to Paris where he gets a job working at the zoo....all because of his natural affinity with animals. He soon falls for a prostitute but is naive enough to think she's just some nice lady. When he catches her with a john (after all, this IS her job), he goes berserk again...turning into a wolf-man and savaging the guy. He later does the same to other johns who frequent this lady. There is no full moon involved...and it seems that when Etoile gets upset he becomes a human-animal hybrid.

Investigating the case is a very intelligent professor (Peter Cushing). He uses modern investigative techniques to determine what is going on...though the dopey police seem to hold little of what he says to heart. Can this professor sort all this out and help the police stop this menace? Or, can he somehow manage to cure Etoile of this weird malady?

Let's cut to the chase. There have been quite a few werewolf films before this and most of them are simply better. This one just doesn't make a lot of sense and it ignores the wolfman canon. It also isn't as entertaining and atmospheric as many of these other films. Worth seeing...but far from a must-see horror flick.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1978 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Legend of the Werewolf

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tyburn Film Productions Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1