5 Howlingly Fun Facts About ‘The Curse of the Werewolf,’ Svengoolie’s Feb. 8 Movie of the Week
Take a break from Super Bowl madness with some super howl madness, and watch The Curse of the Werewolf, screening on the Feb. 8, 2025 edition of the MeTV series Svengoolie Classic Horror & Sci-Fi Movie.
This 1961 Hammer film stars Oliver Reed as Leon, a young 18th century man cursed to werewolfism by the heinous circumstances of his conception. Leon tries to live a normal life and love the local vineyard owner’s daughter … but yeah, there’s the whole “turn into a man-beast and kill whoever is in front of me” thing.
Directed by Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher, it was the first color werewolf film of all time (Hammer had broken into color just a few years earlier, with 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein). And for a movie that didn’t make a huge splash at the box office when it came out, it has had a surprisingly large footprint (pawprint?).
So lock yourself in your dungeon before the next full moon, and read these five things you probably didn’t know about The Curse of the Werewolf.
1It was Oliver Reed’s first starring role
Before he was one of the most iconic British leading men of the 20th century, Reed was an actor in his early 20s trying to make his name, snagging small parts in BBC mini-series and films where his appearance went uncredited. As he built up his resume, he began to take on larger roles — including some in Hammer films like The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll. But The Curse of the Werewolf was the first time he was a legitimate leading man.
Reed continued to pop up in Hammer Films afterwards, as well, like 1962’s Captain Clegg and 1963’s The Damned. Even after he moved on to a wider film career, he retained warm feelings for the company — he narrated the 1990 docu-series The World of Hammer, and said in his 1981 memoir Reed All About Me, “Hammer Films had given me my start and Michael Winner my bread, then Ken Russell came on the scene and gave me my art.”
2The film was made because they already had the sets
Everett Collection
Movies about lycanthropy take place in all kinds of places, but you have to admit, 18th century Spain is an unusual setting. But The Curse of the Werewolf‘s setting was determined not due to anything in the film’s script, but because Hammer already had the sets built — they were created for a film about the Spanish Inquisition, but plans for that movie were scrapped after the Catholic League of Decency threatened to launch protests.
3It was Hammer’s only werewolf film
Everett Collection
Hammer released many films about vampires in general and Dracula in particular; they also produced multiple films about Frankenstein, mummies, devil worshippers, Jekyll and Hyde, and dinosaurs. But The Curse of the Werewolf was the only werewolf film released during the classic Hammer era. This might be because this particular film did quite poorly at the box office.
4It gave Reed a chance to do something hair-raising
Everett Collection
Supposedly, the mischievous Reed liked to drive home in full werewolf makeup, fur included, so that he could freak out his fellow motorists.
5It inspired future werewolf movies
While The Curse of the Werewolf may not have been an instant hit, it cast a long shadow, and has become an integral part of werewolf cinema history. And if you don’t believe me, check out the next wave of horror movies in the ’80s — that era’s most successful werewolf films, John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London and Joe Dante’s The Howling, both explicitly reference The Curse of the Werewolf. The Howling‘s Teri Fisher is named for Curse director Terence Fisher, and in An American Werewolf, protagonist David asks love interest Alex if she’s seen The Wolf Man, to which she replies, “Is that the one with Oliver Reed?”
Remind 
Frankenstein
October 2024
Frankenstein’s monster has haunted us onscreen for nearly 100 years. Celebrate the O.G. creature in the movies and culture.
Buy This Issue