THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF-1961-In Spain
in the 1700's a beggar (Richard Wordsworth) is mocked and imprisoned
by the local marquis (Anthony Dawson). He languishes for years in a
dungeon with his only human contact being the jailer's mute daughter
(Yvonne Romaine) who grows up before his eyes. When she rejects the
now decrepit zombie look marquis he has her thrown in the same
dungeon as the old beggar. He rapes her and later she kills the
marquis (quite viciously). She runs away and is taken in my a kindly
aristocrat Alfredo (Clifford Evans) and his maid. The girl gives
birth to a baby boy but dies. Unfortunately the baby was born on
Christmas and according to the maid an unwanted child born on the
25th is an insult to God. When the boy named Leon is
baptized thunder sounds and the holy water swirls. A few years later
Leon has nightmares and fangs and seems to kill sheep at night
although a wild dog is blamed. He grows into a man (Oliver Reed) and
leaves home. He gets a job bottling wine and meets Christina
(Catherine Feller). They fall in love but while out partying with a
co-worker Leon turns into a scary werewolf (slightly reminiscent of
THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON) and kills the co-worker and a hooker. He's
arrested and put in jail where his cellmate becomes a future victim.
As a wolf he breaks out, kills some more and the townsfolk go after
him. He takes refuge in a church where “dad” shoots a silver
bullet through his heart.
This Technicolor Hammer production
released in the US though Universal International was directed by the
great Terence Fisher and written by Anthony Hinds who teamed several
times for Hammer. It's based on a novel by Guy Endore
Thanks for reading!
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