one of my absolute favorites!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This movie begins about 200 years ago in the small Spanish village of Santa Vera when a beggar arrives and seeks food at a nearby castle belonging to an evil man by the name of "Marques Siniestro" (Anthony Dawson). Although he receives both food and wine he is humiliated in the process and, without much thought, imprisoned by the Marques because of an unintended slight. Time passes and eventually the beggar is totally forgotten about in his prison cell. Then one day when the beggar has gotten quite old an attractive young woman named "Cristina" (Catherine Feller) is also sent into the same prison cell because she failed to answer a question by the Marques due to her being mute. She is then raped by the beggar who dies not too long afterward. A day or two afterward she is sent back to the Marques but when he attempts to have his way with her she kills him and flees into the woods. She then proceeds to live in the woods like a wild animal before being rescued by a nice man named "Don Alfredo" (Clifford Evans). Although her wounds are treated it is soon discovered that she is pregnant and a few months later gives berth to a son named "Leon" (Oliver Reed) on Christmas Day. Unfortunately, being born on this specific day is considered unlucky by the people of the village and eventually the sum of all of these inauspicious events catches up to him and turn him into a werewolf when the moon is full. Naturally, it is during this time that terrible events happen which sets the course for the rest of the movie. Now, rather than reveal any more. I will just say that this film spent quite a bit of time attempting to provide its own interpretation on the origins of lycanthropy but doesn't really get involved in the horror or action sequences until the last third of the movie. This causes the film to seem rather slow and dull at times and not up to the usual standards of a Hammer film. At least, that is my opinion. In any case, I have rated this movie accordingly. Slightly below average.

Curse of The Werewolf marks the beginning of a slight decline in the quality of Hammer's "Golden Age" horror output. It's a good film in its own right, with some very effective scare sequences; but the script also meanders too much, has some fine British character actors looking a bit uncomfortable playing Spanish peasants and also lacks the plush visuals Jack Asher used to bestow on their prior movies.Ollie Reed allegedly visited the pub in Bray village in his lunch hour in full werewolf make-up - and no one batted an eyelid! Reed himself is very good in his first Hammer starring vehicle; it's often forgotten amidst all his hilarious hell-raising that he was a fine actor, and the role of Leon is a useful vehicle for his talents.This actually feels like an origin story for a character intended to appear in a series of movies, as the attention to detail in showing how Leon developed his condition is perhaps a bit too much for a single film; but the opening scenes with the beggar and Marques are powerful and compelling. Indeed thanks to the farrago over Peeping Tom Hammer got into trouble with the censor over these scenes - somewhat of an irony as they were always careful to work closely with the BBFC at every stage of production.You have to admire some of the bravura horror scenes here - the five year old Leon frantically tugging at the bars on his window to escape his confinement - the murder of the prostitute - Leon changing in the prison cell to his werewolf form to the astonishment of Michael Ripper. All these are handled superbly, as is Leon's baptismal scene, the latter landing Hammer in hot water again with the censor.Director Terence Fisher tries to work in a tragic love story - a theme of his he was very keen to develop in his horror movies at the time. It does add to the story here, but he was to work it less effectively in Phantom of The Opera and The Gorgon.Curse of The Werewolf remains an enjoyable horror film, and, after he once drank 126 pints in 24 hours, the modern viewer can derive much amusement from watching Ollie having to be coerced into going to the pub!

If you're only going to make one werewolf story, you might as well make it one to remember. So it goes with Hammer Studios' rich, meaty tale, an adaptation of Guy Endores' novel "The Werewolf of Paris". Reset in Spain, it touches upon subjects such as the power of love, the cruelty of fate, and the nature of human beings at both their best and their worst. Much like many good werewolf fables, it's an utter tragedy, and it's populated with characters about whom you *do* care and for whom you *do* root.As elaborately fashioned as anything in the studios' repertoire, it begins as a beggar (Richard Wordsworth) is mocked and abused by a nasty and heartless Marques (Anthony Dawson). The beggar is locked up in the dungeon & forgotten, and once reduced to an animal like state, he rapes a mute servant girl (Yvonne Romain). She gives birth to a boy, Leon (played as a child by Justin Walters, and as an adult by Oliver Reed), who, according to superstition, is utterly doomed by being an unwanted child born on Christmas Day.If you are able to get past the idea of these supposed Spaniards having British accents, you'll find that the performances are sublime. Everybody gets an A+ for their efforts. Reed has one of the most sympathetic parts of his career, and he knocks it out of the park. Clifford Evans (playing Don Alfredo) and Hira Talfrey (playing Teresa) are endearing as the two people who give Leon the best care and attention that they can during his formative years. Catherine Feller is sweet and charming as Cristina, the woman whom Leon loves. Dawson is deliciously evil as the depraved Marques, and there are some great bits by the likes of Michael Ripper (a recurring player in the Hammer filmography), Warren Mitchell, John Gabriel, George Woodbridge, Ewen Solon, and Peter Sallis.Touching, suspenseful, sometimes gory, and beautifully filmed, this is fine entertainment indeed. Director Terence Fisher holds off on showing off the werewolf makeup / transformation until the final 10 minutes. The fact that co-star Reed doesn't show up until the film is half over is indicative of how expansive the story is. The music by Benjamin Frankel is wonderful.After revisiting this one tonight, this viewer will be sure to put "The Curse of the Werewolf" on his list of the top productions in this sub genre.Eight out of 10.

In Spain, Leon (Oliver Reed) is born on Christmas day to a mute servant girl (Yvonne Romain) who was legitimately raped by a beggar (Richard Wordsworth). His mother dies giving birth and he is looked after by Don Alfredo Corledo (Clifford Evans).While Hammer made a name for themselves with Christopher Lee's vampire films, they never really were known for doing werewolves. In fact, this was the only werewolf picture they ever made. That gives it a bit of power in itself, as this has to be seen as Hammer's specific view on lycanthropy.You have to love the mythology here about how a werewolf is created (although it comes off a bit confused), and some boundaries were clearly pushed; a few minutes were cut by censors, and it is unclear if they were ever put back in. The movie focuses a lot on Leon as a human, and it builds slowly through his life (spending a fair amount of time on his father). Those who want to see the wolf early and often will not be pleased. But if you like a solid plot, good story structure and a piece of humanity, this film has a lot to offer.Oliver Reed deserves recognition for having a strong breakout performance here, though he was surely not the man in the makeup for all the roof-jumping scenes. Richard Wordsworth (the beggar) is the strongest actor here, and he needs to be singled out. Hammer fans will also know him from "The Revenge of Frankenstein" (1958), also directed by Terence Fisher.Viewers will take notice of Catherine Feller, Leon's love interest, as she has a very distinct look. Feller is something of a mystery, not having a long list of credits to her name; even her birth date seems a mystery. If a decent DVD were to be released of this film, it would be incredible to track her down for an interview or commentary.Bonus: the name Leon means lion, a kind of cat. In this film, however, he transforms into a wolf, a kind of dog. Was this intentional?