| Werewolf of London | |
|---|---|
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| Credits | |
| Title: | Werewolf of London |
| Directed by: | Stuart Walker |
| Written by: | John Colton; Robert Harris; Edmund Pearson |
| Produced by: | Stanley Bergerman; Robert Harris |
| Music by: | Karl Hajos |
| Cinematography: | Charles Stumar |
| Edited by: | Russell Schoengarth Milton Carruth |
| Production | |
| Distributors: | Universal Pictures |
| Released: | May 13th, 1935 |
| Rating: | Approved |
| Running time: | 75 min. |
| Country: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | — |
Werewolf of London is an American horror film of the werewolf subgenre. It was directed by Stuart Walker and written by John Colton and Edmund Pearson based on a story treatment by Robert Harris. It was produced by Universal Pictures and released theatrically on May 13th, 1935. It is considered the first mainstream horror movie to focus on the subject of werewolves and premiered six years before the more widely known classic The Wolf Man by George Waggner.
Werewolf of London stars Henry Hull as the eponymous London scientist-turned-werewolf, Doctor Wilfred Glendon. The film also stars Warner Oland as Doctor Yogami, Valerie Hobson as Lisa Glendon, Lester Matthews as Paul Ames, Lawrence Grant as Sir Thomas Forsythe, Spring Byington as Miss Ettie Coombes and Clark Williams as Hugh Renwick. The movie also features appearances by J.M. Kerrigan, Charlotte Granville, Ethel Griffies, Zeffie Tilbury and Jeanne Bartlett.
One of the most notable aspects of the film is the werewolf makeup effects conducted by the legendary Jack Pierce, who had already cemented himself in film lore for his work on Boris Karloff in Frankenstein and would go on to have a tumultuous relationship with Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man.
Cast[]
Credited cast[]
Uncredited cast[]
Crew[]
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Notes & Trivia[]
- Werewolf of London was first released to home video in VHS format as part of Universal's Classic Collection series on September 16th, 1997. [3]
- This film is included on The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection, which was released by Universal Studios on April 27th, 2004. It was also included on the Universal Monsters: Legacy Gift Set DVD collection, also by Universal. [4][5]
- Werewolf of London was released as a double-bill DVD set along with She-Wolf of London by Universal Studios on July 24th, 2007. [6]
- Scenes from this film, specifically the close-up book page describing the effects of Mariphasa lupine lumina and the scene where Wilfred Glendon is ascending the steps of the boarding house are included in the Monsters by Moonlight documentary.
- This was the eleventh film directed by Stuart Walker and his second-to-last film in total. It is his only work in the horror genre.
- Both director Stuart Walker and film star Henry Hull were born in Kentucky. Stuart was born in Augusta in 1888, while Henry was born in Louisville in 1890.
- This is screenwriter Edmund Pearson's second and final work in film. He was also a contributing writer on The Bride of Frankenstein, which was also released in 1935 and featured actress Valerie Hobson.
- Makeup effects artist Jack Pierce was charged with transforming Hull's character into a beastly half-man/half-wolf. Due to the standards of the time however, Pierce was instructed to tone down his efforts so as to not make Hull's appearance too grotesque, thus offending the sensibilities of 1930s audiences.
- Actress Valerie Hobson played two monster "gal pal" roles in 1935. In addition to playing Lisa Glendon in Werewolf of London, she also played Elizabeth Frankenstein - wife of mad scientist Henry Frankenstein in Bride of Frankenstein.
- The werewolf sound effects were made by using a combination of Henry Hull's actual voice and audio samples of a howling timber wolf.
- This is the only horror film role for actress Eole Galli.
- This is the only film work for actor Jeffrey Hassel.
- This is the first film work for actor Noel Kennedy.
- This is actress Connie Leon's first work in a horror film. She is also known for playing the role of Mrs. Wykes in 1941's The Wolf Man.
- This is Maude Leslie's second uncredited role in a film and her first horror film.
- This is actor James May's fourth film role and his first role in a horror movie.
- This is actor William Millman's second film role and his first role in a horror movie.
- This is the first professional film work for actress Roseollo Navello.
- This is one of the few films where a werewolf can be seen talking while still in werewolf form. Wilfred Glendon speaks to his wife in his final moments before succumbing to Sir Thomas' gunshot wound.
- In the mythology of this film, a werewolf can be killed by an ordinary bullet.
- This is probably the only werewolf feature ever where the werewolf in question grabs his cap and scarf before going out to prowl the streets.
- Universal Pictures produced a feature in 1946 called She-Wolf of London. The movie was directed by Jean Yarbrough, but is not a sequel to Werewolf of London, nor does it share any other similarities with the film. The title of the movie was the inspiration behind the She-Wolf of London television series of the 1990s, though this too bore no connection to either of the previous films.
- In 1978, British pop star Warren Zevon recorded a song titled Werewolves of London, which was partially inspired by the Werewolf of London film. The song first appeared on the album Excitable Boy.
- In 1981, John Landis directed a movie called An American Werewolf in London. The title of the film was inspired by Werewolf of London, though the two movies share no other similarities.
- Doctor Glendon is apparently fluent in Mongolian as evidenced by his ability to communicate with the head coolie during the Tibet expedition.
- Actor William Millman died only two years after this film was released. He passed away on July 19th, 1937 at the age of 54.
Recommendations[]
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References[]
- ↑ Stunt double for Henry Hull; uncredited
- ↑ Stunt double for Henry Hull; uncredited
- ↑ Amazon.com; Werewolf of London; VHS
- ↑ Amazon.com; The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection; DVD
- ↑ Amazon.com; Monster Legacy Gift Set; DVD
- ↑ Amazon.com; Werewolf of London/She-Wolf of London; DVD set
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Keywords[]
1930s; 1935; 4 Whitehall Place; Alf; Bedlington Hotel; Botany; Butler; Camels; Cats; Chambermaid; Coolie; Detective; Demons; Doctor; Dogs; England; Falden Abbey; Flies; Fog; Frogs; Glendon Manor; Goose Lane; Guard; Gunshot victims; Horses; Hotel; Housekeeper; Laboratory; Lisa Glendon; London; London Dispatch; London Zoological Gardens; Lycanthropy; Mad scientist; Maid; Mariphasa lupine lumina; Metropolitan Police Service; Moon; Photographer; Police constable; Priest; River Thames; Scientist; Scientific experimentation; Scotland Yard; Self-hypnosis; Smoking; Tibet; Victim; Werewolves; Wilfred Glendon; Wolves; Zoo