Der Tod hat schwarze Krallen

Even the makers of this picture must have been surprised at the success of this horror camp film. Landon is the troubled teen, Bissel the mad doctor that transforms him into canine terror. Later in his career, Landon admittedly blushed at the mention of the picture, but this one did kick off the start of the "I Was a Teenage Whatever" craze. This one moves along quite well and is still watchable by today's standards.

The influential "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" marked the starring debut of 20 year old Michael Landon, still two years away from TV's epic Western BONANZA. The sad fate of the late James Dean would inspire a number of copycat versions of "Rebel Without a Cause," so the intervention of new AIP producer Herman Cohen to combine teenagers and terror would quickly become a staple of drive in fare for many years (the shooting title was the very straightforward "Blood of the Werewolf"). Veteran film editor Gene Fowler Jr. (working steadily from the early 40s into the 80s) made his feature directorial debut, directing another six cult films and a number of TV episodes over the next five years before returning to the editing room for the remainder of his career. He was at the helm for Gloria Talbott's classic "I Married a Monster from Outer Space," plus a pair of early starring roles for Charles Bronson, in "Showdown at Boot Hill" and "Gang War," typically displaying more savvy than more experienced pros. Just as Alfred Hitchcock graduated from the editor's chair, Fowler benefits from a solid script and characterizations, instantly grabbing the audience with an opening fistfight that demonstrates the short temper and mistrusting nature of our protagonist, Tony Rivers (Landon), whose past run ins with the law have mounted to such a degree that he is now required to seek psychiatric help. Unfortunately (or fortunately, since we wouldn't get a monster), the MD turns out to be the less than ethical Alfred Brandon (Whit Bissell), who sees his latest patient as the perfect 'disturbed' subject to undergo hypnotic treatment coupled with a serum that is supposed to prove than mankind's future depends on the savagery of his past (another topical nod to Bridey Murphy). The first attack is masterfully staged, the intended victim walking home alone through the woods, unable to see whatever it is that's creeping up on him yet too terrified to escape (even the music is effectively scary). We first watch him transform into a sweater clad werewolf at the 45 minute mark when the school bell rings in his ear, his gymnast victim played by Dawn Richard, Playboy's May 1957 Playmate of the Month, who sees her attacker approach upside down in a nice touch. The remainder of the film keeps him in hirsute form, until his human self seeks help from the doctor who betrayed him, earning his justified reward. Landon takes full advantage of the part and always cherished his lone horror vehicle, paying tribute as a middle aged werewolf on his last TV series HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN. The transformations are done by lap dissolves, Landon's snarling, drooling creation one of cinema's best, going on to play a multitude of villains prior to the phenomenally successful BONANZA. From the teens to the cops the entire cast performs admirably, only the oddball scientist is cliched to the point of ridicule (we could of course do without the token musical number). Whit Bissell took the top slot in the even more outrageous "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein" before returning to supporting roles, while James Best ("The Killer Shrews") surprisingly pops up unbilled as a record spinner who gets slapped for being fresh. Both the Teenage Werewolf and Teenage Frankenstein would be teamed in "How to Make a Monster," Gary Clarke replacing Landon under the makeup. One of AIP's biggest moneymakers, earning $2 million on a budget of $82,000, theatrically double billed with Robert Gurney's "Invasion of the Saucer Men."

A group of us guys were discussing the scariest films we'd seen as kids. I was 10 in 1957 when I saw this film while spending a week on Catalina Island. The theater was at the landmark "Casino" which was about a half mile walk from the small port village of Avalon. I was heavily absorbed in war, sci-fi, and western action films, with a special appreciation for stunts and special effects but unfamiliar with the horror genre in general and werewolf lore in particular. I was also the runt tagging along with a trio of cool eleven year old friends. It could've been a scene out of "Stand By Me". Four smart-ass kids walking at night down a dirt road to see "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" for my first and only time.

As an aspiring artist, I remember being fascinated by the opening titles where a make-up artist sketched the monster's face but when the actual transformation took place in the film it freaked me out, to say the least. Maybe it was the collective scream of a hundred other kids, but I covered my eyes until brave enough to slowly glimpse the monster. The scenes shot in Griffith Park looked too much like the dark, tree lined path we had walked to the theater. That half mile walk back to town was the longest, creepiest walk of my childhood.

A few months later I saw "A Man of a Thousand Faces" and became completely fascinated by the art of make-up and dove into everything I could find on Lon Chaney Sr. Later I finally saw Chaney Jr. in "The Wolf Man". By then I was too cool to be scared but still reading anything I could find on werewolf and vampire lore and probably first in line to see "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein".

I first saw this when I was about 14 and I immediately felt it was one of the best horror movies I had ever seen! Forget that- I thought it was one of the best MOVIES I had ever seen. I saw it again at around 50 and couldn't believe I felt that way! But I do recall that I totally related to the "angst" and mental torment Michael Landon's character expressed- the alienation from everyone, especially parents and older people, the intensity, loneliness and longing for...something. Landon's moodiness and range in something other than "Little Joe" or "Little House on the Prarie" romanticized optimism roles showed he had more to offer than we typically saw. It definitely was one of the best of the "I was a teenage..." genre.

Tony Rivers is a teenager who has a real problem with anger. He's always ready for a fight and explodes at even the slightest provocation. A sequence of unfortunate events lead him to seek help with a psychotherapist, who turns out to be a mad scientist obsessed with the possibilities of reverting man to his animal state. After a few sessions which seem to be helping, brutal animal-like killings begin to occur in the town and Tony fears that he has become ... a werewolf! Although it was made for an extremely low budget by a brand-new production company called American International Pictures, this movie became very successful very quickly. Whether or not somebody actually sat down and figured out that teenagers should be the target audience for movie theatres now that the older folk stayed at home to watch TV is uncertain, but it was definitely a winning formula. Of course, the authority figures at the time were quick to damn the movie, saying it was psychologically damaging the kids who watched it. What a bunch of squares.

The werewolf aspect here is a metaphor for common teenage mood swings, with the anger of Tony being eventually channelled into the beast. There are hints of a darker subtext, particularly in a scene where he watches an attractive, partially-clad female gymnast doing her moves, right before changing into the wolf and attacking her. Overall the movie fails to notice the other similarities between the werewolf myth and adolescence, at least not to the same extent as "Ginger Snaps" or even "Teen Wolf". It tries very hard to be hip to the teenagers of that time, with fifties slang and a completely out-of-place extended music number and dance sequence thrown in. Unfortunately, it isn't really as thrilling or as fun as it really should be in places ... it's quite slow moving, takes a long time to get started and a lot of the scenes in the second half of the movie seem thrown together and lacking in narrative flow. Obviously it isn't perfect (it was given the "Mystery Science Theatre" treatment), but hey -- it's a B-movie.

Michael Landon is a real star in this movie, giving a performance that is both intense and convincing. Rather than setting his sights on movies, from here he went on to become a popular face on television, with major roles in series such as "Bonanza" (for over a decade), "Highway to Heaven", and later starring in "Little House on the Prairie". Nobody else on the cast really stands out, although everyone is competent. Tony's girlfriend is played by Yvonne Lime, who was actually dating Elvis while this movie was being made (how cool can you get?).

The notable writing team here, although originally credited as "Ralph Thornton", were in fact Herman Cohen and Aben Kandel who also wrote the sequels "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein" and "How To Make A Monster", then credited as Kenneth Langtry. Aben Kandel also did some earlier uncredited work on the "Werewolf Of London" screenplay. Unfortunately none of these movies were particularly strong in terms of story or dialogue, but nevertheless they did contribute a great deal to werewolf movie history. Director Gene Fowler Jr made his career in B-movie horrors and westerns, with this being his most well-known work (although "I Married A Monster from Outer Space" has to rank highly).

Werewolf movie fans really have to see this movie, not only because it was so popular and so influential, but because it was one of the most interesting werewolf movies of it's time.