Le Monstre aux filles

This is, as you might expect, a movie about a werewolf in a girl's dormitory (although technically the werewolf mostly hangs around in a forest outside the girl's dormitory). The "girls" actually look to be about twenty-five on average and resemble European fashion models of the era much more than the "delinquents" they're supposed to be. And this was made in 1962 so you're not going to get any nighties or plaid mini-skirts, let alone any nude shower scenes. Still this is an entertaining little movie that serves to show the potential "beast" that lurks within the heart of all respectable men when they get around nubile young women. The first murder especially, while tame by today's standards, was no doubt quite a taboo-breaker at the time. The werewolf attacks his victim "missionary style" and the screams and cries that she makes as he ravages her off-screen could easily be taken for something else entirely. The other murders and attacks are less lurid, but generally pretty effective.

The movie also provides a plethora of great suspects and red herrings including a new professor who left his old job after a mysterious scandal, a benefactor of the school who is paying various girls for sexual favors (and finds himself being blackmailed), the creepy and very bestial-looking groundskeeper, and the very refined headmaster who nevertheless bears a striking resemblance to the werewolf. The movie really keeps you guessing to the end.

It's in black-and-white, of course, and it's dubbed (although the European cast does seem to be speaking English most of the time). Not a great movie perhaps, but not a bad way to waste 80 minutes either.

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.

Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory was scripted by Ernesto Gastaldi, and anyone who knows that name won't be surprised to find out that despite being a werewolf film, this is also a clear precursor to the entire Giallo sub-genre. The film features themes that would go on to become the staple of the Giallo; including a setting full of attractive young girls, and an unknown killer who is picking them off. It has to be said that this film was ahead of it's time, and as the title suggests, the killer in this film is a werewolf, and it would seem that the main inspiration for the scriptwriter was the Universal classic 'The Wolf Man', although themes from more wayward titles such as 'Psycho' definitely shine through. The plot focuses on a dormitory for tearaway girls. When one of them is murdered, apparently by a werewolf, suspicion falls on the new science teacher at the school. Naturally, the crime is attributed to some wolf-like creature, and when the murders continue; the detective on the case ends up getting a surprise!

The film is shot in black and white, and looks very cheap throughout. This is certainly a reflection on the budget restraints, although they don't harm it too much as the mystery plot is often enough to pull it through. The scriptwriter would certainly improve as his career went on; with his collaborations with ace director Sergio Martino representing his best work. As you might expect, there isn't a great deal of violence and murder in the film; a reflection on the time the film was made, although this doesn't hurt the film too much as a plot like this doesn't always need blood and guts to succeed. The cast doesn't shine too much, and it's not hard to see why many of them didn't go on to receive cult status, although Carl Schell does stand out; mostly because he looks a bit like Peter Lorre. The conclusion to the story doesn't contain much in the way of surprise, as it's always obvious what the murderer is; although the way that the ending plays out is good in that it inspires some thinking. Overall, while this isn't a particularly good film; it deserves extra plaudits for its influence and frankly bizarre plot, and is definitely worth seeing for Italian horror aficionados!

Everything is almost perfect in this underrated horror movie, except the stupid theme song, which was probably added for American distribution only. The scenes in the woods are atmospheric and thrilling due to competent cinematography. The main plot (who is the werewolf stalking a girls reformatory?)might be simple, but it is supplemented with an intriguing subplot of prostitution and blackmail centered around the reformatory. No surprise that the script is by Ernesto Gastaldi who wrote some of the masterpieces of Italian horror cinema in 1960s.

This isn't Jack Nicholson or Benicio Del Toro's wolf-man. it isn't even close to Paul Naschy's beast. This one doesn't even have a werewolf face, and only scratches the victims. Maybe that is why they changed the title from Werewolf to Ghoul.

But, to see one of the early classics is still worth the time.

It is more of a mystery, as Mary (Mary McNeeran) is blackmailing a professor (Maurice Marsac) with some old letters. She is the first victim. Is the professor the killer, or the new teacher (Carl Schell) in school?

Priscilla (Barbara Lass) comes into possession of the letters and tries to find out who killed her friend. (NOTE: Lass was briefly married to Roman Polanski, and, believe it or not, this is one of her best roles in a long career.)

Several murder and several suspects. Who is the ghoul in the girl's dormitory?