A Lenda do Lobisomem

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 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).

A baby was raised by wolves and when he looked to be about 8, he was captured and put on display in a traveling show as 'the Wolf Boy'. Well, this kid (dubbed 'Etoile') continued the act for sometime...even though he had become civilized and a nice guy. Then, suddenly and for no reason I can think of, one day he goes berserk, turns into a wolf-man and kills someone--all after being with the show many years.

On the run, Etoile makes his way to Paris where he gets a job working at the zoo....all because of his natural affinity with animals. He soon falls for a prostitute but is naive enough to think she's just some nice lady. When he catches her with a john (after all, this IS her job), he goes berserk again...turning into a wolf-man and savaging the guy. He later does the same to other johns who frequent this lady. There is no full moon involved...and it seems that when Etoile gets upset he becomes a human-animal hybrid.

Investigating the case is a very intelligent professor (Peter Cushing). He uses modern investigative techniques to determine what is going on...though the dopey police seem to hold little of what he says to heart. Can this professor sort all this out and help the police stop this menace? Or, can he somehow manage to cure Etoile of this weird malady?

Let's cut to the chase. There have been quite a few werewolf films before this and most of them are simply better. This one just doesn't make a lot of sense and it ignores the wolfman canon. It also isn't as entertaining and atmospheric as many of these other films. Worth seeing...but far from a must-see horror flick.

My first exposure to horror cinema was seeing the poster of this movie when I was 10 years old. I wasn't old enough to be taken to a horror movie then, so I hadn't been able to watch it on big screen at the time. Since then, it had become a holy grail for me. Unfortunately, it wasn't easily available. A second-hand VHS I had bought from ebay had turned out to be unwatchable. It hasn't been released on DVD as of yet. Recently, someone uploaded an apparently fan-made transfer from an old 35 mm print on to you-tube and I've finally watched it. I wasn't disappointed with it. A boy raised by wolves in the wilderness becomes a werewolf when there is full moon. As a grown-up, he falls in love with a prostitute and begins to kill her customers. Perhaps the frustration and jealousy driving him might have been more developed, but this premise is nevertheless OK as it stands. Visually, the movie boasts some very gory close-ups of the werewolf's blood-soaked mouth at the violent scenes and the underground sewer tunnels where some of the action takes place are a welcome setting. Peter Cushing as the police surgeon and Ron Moody as the wolf-man's employer excel in their roles. In sum, LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF is worth a view if you don't set your expectations at the level of masterpieces.

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.