When it comes to horror movies of the 1940s, Universal, RKO’s Val Lewton series and the Grade Z Monogram/PRC films usually get all the attention. Lost in the shuffle were a trio of B movies made by Columbia in the middle of the decade. One of them, THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE, is easily the best known thanks to the presence of Bela Lugosi but the other two are almost completely forgotten. One of them is CRY OF THE WEREWOLF and it’s easy to see why it has been forgotten. Not because it’s bad but because it’s different from expectations.
We are so conditioned to seeing onscreen werewolf transformations that we feel cheated when we don’t get one. The transformations in this film are done through shadows on a wall and not all that well but that is not what this movie is about. What makes CRY OF THE WEREWOLF worthwhile is the story of a female werewolf and the performances of an above average cast led by Nina Foch who was the victim in the Lugosi film. Here’s she’s a Gypsy princess with the curse of lycanthropy who is both evil and pitiable.
Foch is joined by Stephen Crane (one of Lana Turner’s husbands and no relation to the author) and Osa Massen as the romantic leads. They are adequate but what really makes the film worthwhile are the performances of character performers Blanche Yurka as an elderly gypsy and Barton MacLane as the investigating detective. Even better are the uncredited performances of Fritz Lieber as the professor and John Abbott as the tour guide. Director Henry Levin would later do JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) with Pat Boone and James Mason.
For years CRY OF THE WEREWOLF has only been available on VHS with the occasional showing on TV. Late in 2018 it finally appeared on DVD. However this was not an official release by Sony Pictures but rather one on independent label Rogue Pictures. This is a public domain copy from a 16mm print which has some contrast issues and no subtitles. It will have to do until Sony decides to give us an official release like they did with THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE and SOUL OF A MONSTER. 3 stars for the release but not the film which is a 4.
The Capsule Critic 