The Werewolf

(1956) *



This movie is part of the recently released Sam Katzman collection. As I'm sure you're all aware, Katzman was a relatively successful B-movie producer of 30's Westerns and 50's Elvis films. He also directed the 1958 Superman serial. He was slightly famous for his frugality.

Werewolf movies rarely stray from the template. The cursed man transforms into a savage beast and is unable to stop himself from taking innocent life. When he returns to human form, he becomes aware of his murders and crippled with self loathing. He then wonders whether or not he deserves to live if he cannot control violent rage. Why me? Waaah! You backed me in a corner! Grrrrr! Waaah! Grrrr! Waaah! Grrrr! Repeat until 80 or so minutes go by and there's enough footate to translate into what some call a "movie". Only then can they end the film, his suffering and our suffering with a silver bullet. This particular Werewolf film is no different.

The unimaginative title does not belie the terrible contents inside. This time around, the wolf man is played by acting deficient Don Megowan. In human form, he can barely make it through a scene without his eyes swelling up with tears of self pity. Amazingly, he looks more foolish as the wolf man.



After attacking a man who tried to rob him in an alley, he runs to the town doctor for help, unable to remember his past. Doc and his daughter Amy console him and do the best they can to stop the sobbing. After their reasonable suggestion of turning himself in, he runs out into the woods as he fears a lynch mob. Doc tries to convince the police to spare his life but the cops gotta duh what the cops gotta duh. Meanwhile, the man’s wife and son show up to add to the misery.

The whole stink-fest culminates with his wife shouting through a megaphone about how much she cares about him. She’s crying, he’s crying and before you know it they’ve got the kid crying. By the time the story reached its conclusion, I was fighting tears of my own.