Legend of the Werewolf

This was among my earliest recollections of watching a horror film, which occurred in the early 80s via a local TV broadcast (when my family still had a black-and-white set); therefore, I was very much looking forward to re-acquainting myself with it - though, as it doesn't seem to have much of a reputation, it's proved virtually impossible to find until now!

Anyway, I'm glad to say that I liked it quite a bit still: in essence, it's a revamping of Hammer Films' CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961) - by the same writer, John Elder (aka Anthony Hinds), no less - but made this time for the short-lived Tyburn company. The script, in fact, returns the story to its original Paris setting - CURSE having been inspired by Guy Endore's "The Werewolf Of Paris" - and again pits our hirsute hero in the midst of a complicated romantic attachment (a prostitute rather than a merchant's daughter) whose development (the girl is unwilling to give up her profession at first) could or could not control his affliction; still, this element isn't quite as well integrated into the narrative here as it was in the Hammer version - and the decision to allow the lycanthrope to speak briefly, WEREWOLF OF London (1935)-style, was perhaps a mistake. Of course, the film features several other Hammer alumni - director Francis, composer Harry Robinson and, from the cast, Peter Cushing and Michael Ripper (in a cameo as a tramp and one of the werewolf's victims).

The visibly reduced budget allows for little real period atmosphere - despite traveling show, zoo and brothel - but the film is pacy and enjoyable enough to overcome such limitations; still, the werewolf scenes aren't exactly inspired - resorting mainly to either red-tinted POV shots (which, obviously, didn't register during my first viewing of the film) or close-ups of its bare and bloodied fangs - and, while I've always been partial to the silver-haired make-up myself, it's only seen in full at the very end (much like CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, actually)!

David Rintoul offers no real challenge to Lon Chaney Jr.'s definitive werewolf - or Oliver Reed from CURSE, for that matter; in fact, the most notable cast members are the three top-billed veterans: Hugh Griffith is the owner of the traveling show who raises the wolf-boy (though he disappears from the narrative after the first 20 minutes or so) and Ron Moody plays the eccentric zoo-keeper who employs Rintoul (and whose grounds are used as recreation area by the prostitutes, which is how the young man meets his beloved!), but the film truly belongs to Cushing as the unflappable police surgeon - I've rarely seen him so relaxed (particularly during this latter phase of his career) and he's clearly enjoying every minute of it...though his character gradually turns sleuth and, ultimately, bent on 'treating' Rintoul rather than capturing him (but such radical ideas are not shared by his convention-bound colleagues).

The film also generates some tension during Rintoul's confrontation scenes with his girl's madame (at one point, he even breaks into the brothel through a window to assault a client), as well as the climax set in the Paris sewers (which had allowed the werewolf to move about without being seen).

Legend of the Werewolf was released by the Tyburn production company, who only released a handful of horror films during the mid-seventies. It's obvious that the studio was trying to imitate the successful Hammer films, and indeed they've succeeded in capturing the right style as Legend of the Werewolf looks and feels like a Hammer movie, and the company have even managed to get prolific Hammer director Freddie Francis on board, as well as one of the heavyweights of horror; Peter Cushing. The obvious film to compare this one to is the sixties classic 'Curse of the Werewolf', and indeed the two films share a lot of plot elements in common. The film takes place in 19th century France, and focuses on a young boy who was kidnapped and brought up by wolves. Naturally, it's not long before the circus roll into town and spots this boy. He soon becomes the main attraction at the circus, and in spite of this; he manages to grow into a strapping young man. However, the wolf in him soon comes to surface and he begins to rampage through the local population.

Despite capturing the right atmosphere, this film isn't as good as the best that Hammer has to offer. The plot simply isn't all that interesting, and the film doesn't manage to capture that mini epic feel of the earlier Hammer classic. The plot is also rather mundane and if you've seen more than a handful of werewolf movies, you're likely to have already seen all that this film has to offer. Not even Peter Cushing manages to lift this above the mundane in genre terms, as his performance here doesn't feature his usual enthusiasm, and is really just a variation on his classic portrayal of vampire hunter Van Helsing. Cushing starred in a handful of low budget films in the seventies in which he barely had any screen time, and I'm pleased to say that here he features quite prominently. The plot line is more than a little bit stretched, and the film suffers quite often because of this. Simply put; there isn't enough distraction from the central plot idea. Overall, however, this film adequately provides ninety minutes of entertainment, and even though it can't stand up to most of Hammer's films; I did enjoy watching it.

This is a decidedly rarely seen werewolf movie that I hadn't even heard of prior to a very kind fellow IMDber sending me a copy to check out. It was directed by Freddie Francis who helmed quite a lot of British genre films in the 60's and 70's including the impressive Amicus horror omnibus movie Tales from the Crypt (1972), although he is probably most famous now as a fantastic cinematographer who shot many great films including classics such as The Straight Story (1999). Legend of the Werewolf is a film made very much in the style of a Hammer movie, with its period setting and traditional horror monster, as well as the presence of genre legend Peter Cushing. But it turns out it was made by an obscure British production company called Tyburn, who it appears were a lower budget competitor and whose small output has ensured that they are all but forgotten now compared to other more successful smaller studios like Amicus and the very similarly named Tygon.

Set in 19th century France, a young orphaned boy is raised by wolves in a forest. A travelling carnival discovers him one day and takes him under their wing. Once an adult he relocates to a town and it's here that his lycanthropy really kicks in and needless to say, a series of unexplained violent murders ensue in the vicinity.

The fate of Tyburn, and this movie, probably wasn't helped by them coming in at the tail end of the popularity of the costume horror cycle. By 1975 this sub-genre had waned in popularity and the main draws in the genre were contemporary-set films featuring the occult, deranged psychopaths and…giant sharks. So this one is more a throwback to an older style of horror and probably suffered at the box office as a consequence. It benefits from the presence of the always reliable Cushing as a coroner/amateur sleuth and Ron Moody as a shady zoo-keeper. But in truth this is a fairly middling effort overall. Nothing really wrong with that though, as most of Hammer's horror output were solid efforts rather than great on account of this particular sub-genre suffering from a certain predictability and cosiness. However, also like those films, this one is still a decent effort. The period detail serves it well now, in that it gives it a certain timelessness, although the obvious low budget renders the 'Paris' of this film to appear as if it is no more than a small village. From a werewolf film perspective its business as usual really and like several films of this type, it's not until near the end before we finally see the werewolf in all his glory. There's nothing especially new here overall but I would say this is an essential item for werewolf film completists at the very least and it does have a definite extra interest value on account of its Tyburn origins.

Hammer undoubtedly ruled the horror industry during the sixties & seventies, but there were several other production studios that released a couple of noteworthy gems, particularly Amicus ("The House that Dripped Blood", "Tales from the Crypt", "The Beast Must Die") and Tigon ("The Witchfinder General", "Blood on Satan's Claw", "The Creeping Flesh"). Tyburn was another very modest and rather anonymous studio, but they did manage to contract both director Freddie Francis and veteran actor Peter Cushing for their fairly original, suitably violent and delightfully raunchy lycanthrope tale "Legend of the Werewolf". The always-reliable and fantastic Sir Cushing has a lovely role as cynical police surgeon, but his distinct voice also serves for the narration of the atmospheric opening sequences. The titular "Legend" is that of a young infant whose parents are devoured by a pack of wolves but then raised by the same animals. When he's about 7, the boy is captured by a travelling freakshow and exploited as the main attraction in a cage. But upon the first full moon after his 18th birthday, he transforms into a werewolf for the first time, kills a man and is forced to run off again. He ends up in the sleazier part of Paris where he sneaks into a zoo and connects with the wolves there. The sleazy and drunk caretaker (a fabulous performance by Ron Moody) takes him in and offers him shelter and a job, but he cannot control his savage nature. When the moon is full, he prowls the streets and sewers and particularly targets the clients of his beloved cabaret girl Christine. "Legend of the Werewolf" is engaging 70s horror with a raw atmosphere and gruesome make-up effects, as well as a large dose of dry and wit British humor; - mainly provided by Cushing when he's performing autopsies, or Moody when he's trying to score free drinks.

Hammer Studios provided the BEST horror films for nearly two decades but sputtered out of production near the mid-seventies. What were all those Hammer folk to do? Well, Tyburn Studios utilized many of them in two of their films: The Ghoul & The Legend of the Werewolf. This production has at its directorial helm Hammer stalwart Freddie Francis, actor and Hammer star Peter Cushing, Hammer character actor supreme Michael Ripper, Hammer make-up artist Roy Baker, and scriptwriter Anthony Hinds under the name John Elder. The movie has all the ingredients to be a Hammer success but falls decidedly short. The budget on the film seems to be one of the biggest problems. The special effects are reminiscent of Curse of the Werewolf but seem to lack the craftsmanship of that film(over a decade made). Why? Wasn't Baker the same fellow that made COTW's make-up? The only answer must be budget. The biggest problem for me is the script. Anthony Hinds, who by the way also wrote the script for COTW, just doesn't seem to get any real continuity in the script. The story tells of a "wolf" boy who is picked up by a traveling showman(played very nicely I might add by Hugh Griffith). The boy befriends these people and we advance say some six-ten years and find him traveling with his newly-found friends as a young adult. The moon is full and some wolves bay - and presto chango he turns into a werewolf. This was the first time there had been a full moon in six-ten years? I just found much of what Hinds was trying to do very forced. The film begins also with a red tint to show what the wolf sees. An innovative idea but better employed in films like Wolfen. The film, despite its relatively cheap budget, does have some plusses. Peter Cushing gives a very good performance(when does he not?)as a police surgeon/detective who seems to be the only person working in the city of Paris with any brains. Cushing has some fine moments and seems to really be enjoying his role. In one scene he eats his lunch while reviewing a newly-fresh corpse. Another good scene is his interplay with a madam of a neighborhood whore-house. Always the master of props, Cushing "plays" with a frilly garter the whole scene. Ron Moody as a nasty, dirty zoo keeper also shines in his role. Despite all its efforts to be like Hammer, the film does indeed fall short of those lofty expectations - which is unfortunate given all the Hammer personnel involved. Nonetheless the film is an enjoyable ninety minutes even though it neither adds or detracts anything to the lycanthrope sub-genre.