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An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.

Director:

John Landis

Writer:

John Landis
Reviews
Popularity
1,410 ( 396)

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Belcher ... Truck Driver
David Naughton ... David Kessler
Griffin Dunne ... Jack Goodman
David Schofield ... Dart Player
Brian Glover ... Chess Player
Lila Kaye ... Barmaid
Rik Mayall ... 2nd Chess Player
Sean Baker Sean Baker ... 2nd Dart Player
Paddy Ryan Paddy Ryan ... First Werewolf
Jenny Agutter ... Nurse Alex Price
Anne-Marie Davies Anne-Marie Davies ... Nurse Susan Gallagher
John Woodvine ... Dr. J. S. Hirsch
Frank Oz ... Mr. Collins / Miss Piggy
Don McKillop Don McKillop ... Inspector Villiers
Paul Kember Paul Kember ... Sergeant McManus
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Storyline

Two American college students are on a walking tour of Britain and are attacked by a werewolf. One is killed, the other is mauled. The werewolf is killed but reverts to its human form, and the local townspeople are unwilling to acknowledge its existence. The surviving student begins to have nightmares of hunting on four feet at first but then finds that his friend and other recent victims appear to him, demanding that he commit suicide to release them from their curse, being trapped between worlds because of their unnatural deaths. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

John Landis - the director of Animal House brings you a different kind of animal. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 1981 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

An American Werewolf in London See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,786,512, 23 August 1981, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$30,565,292

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,565,292
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (heavily cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release)| Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

It is unknown if Jack and all six of David's victims were free of the curse and able to move on to the afterlife after David gets shot to death. See more »

Goofs

Repeated mentions of werewolf attacks during a full moon are ignored when David undergoes his transformation on two consecutive nights. There is only one full moon during a lunar cycle. If the moon is full on a Saturday night, for example, it cannot be truly full on the next night, Sunday. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Truck Driver: That way is Proctor, and over here is the moors. I go this way.
Jack: Thanks for the ride, sir. You have lovely sheep.
Truck Driver: Boys, keep off the moors, stick to the roads. The best to ya...
David: Thanks again.
[then to the sheep]
David: We'll miss you.
David: Bye girls...
See more »

Crazy Credits

All characters and events in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living, dead, or undead, is purely coincidental. See more »

Alternate Versions

The film was edited to receive an "R" rating in the U.S. The love scene with David and Jenny was toned down. Food coming through Jack's mouth as he was eating toast was also removed. See more »

Connections

Featured in Coming Soon (1982) See more »

Soundtracks

Blue Moon
Music by Richard Rodgers (uncredited)
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart (uncredited)
Performed by Sam Cooke
Courtesy of R.C.A. Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more »

User Reviews

Excellent
27 September 1998 | by jimbo-38See all my reviews

Violent, gory yet somewhat bittersweet tale of an American tourist who has the misfortune of being bitten by a werewolf. David Naughton is young and bewildered, Jenny Agutter cute, innocent and sexy and Griffin Dunne hilarious as a rapidly decomposing poltergeist. The score is great and the special effects outstanding. This movie gives new meaning to the term Ugly American. Don't watch this on commercial TV. It can only be appreciated in its original, unedited form.


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