The Curse of The Werewolf Movie Review 387

The Curse of the Werewolf is a 1961 Hammer horror movie directed by Terence Fisher and starring Oliver Reed(in his first credited role).

The movie is set in Spain in the 18th century. A beggar comes to the house of  a Marques at his wedding feast and he is humiliated and thrown in jail by the evil Marques(Anthony Dawson). He languishes there for years and begins to turn into some sort of animal. His only human contact is with his jailers daughter. She ends up in the jail cell with the beggar who rapes her. She escapes from the prison and she finds herself pregnant. She is taken in by Don Alfredo Corledo(Clifford Evans) and his housekeeper Teresa. The baby is born and she dies, leaving Don Alfredo and Teresa to bring the child up. They call him Leon. He is not a normal child and he has a taste for blood.

Don Alfredo and Teresa know that he is cursed as his mother was raped and he was born on Christmas Day. Cut to years later and Leon(now played by Reed) is off to find his place in the world. He goes to look for work at a vineyard. Here he meets his boss Gomez(Ewen Solon) and his beautiful daughter Cristina(Catherine Feller). They fall in love, even though she has a fiancee. Unfortunately, Leon goes out with his pal one night and kills people. He has turned into a werewolf! He gets thrown in jail as the police think that he has had something to do with the murders. He calls for Don Alfredo and the mayor and begs them to execute him before he changes. They don't and he changes into a werewolf and breaks out of the jail. He runs amok in the town and the villagers try and get him. Don Alfredo has a silver bullet and he goes after his son and shoots him dead even though it breaks his heart.

This was an okay movie. The only reason I really watched it is because I like Oliver Reed and he is good in this film. Otherwise, this is mediocre. So, be warned that there isn't much to this but if you are a Hammer fan, you might enjoy it. I will give it a 5/10.