She-Wolf Of London

 She-Wolf Of London

In 1946 Universal Pictures released what promised to be the first female werewolf film, taking the werewolf film genre into a new direction with She-Wolf Of London.   However rather than a supernatural horror they released more of a horror/whodunnit film, that is more in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock than Universal Monsters.  

She-Wolf of London was directed by Jean Yarborough and produced by Ben Pivar, with a screenplay by George Bricker, based on a story by Dwight V Babcock.   The film was distributed by Universal Pictures, and released in 1946.  Upon release the film received generally negative reviews, and has been referred to as the film that horror fans love to hate.  Though I hold a different viewpoint on this film, and actually really like and appreciate the film for some of the same reason that other critics hated or dismissed it. 

She-Wolf Of London stars June Lockhart as Phillis Allenby, Don Porter plays her fiance Barry Lanfield, Sara Haden plays her aunt Martha Winthrop, and Jan Wiley plays her cousin Carol Winthrop.  The film also features Lloyd Corrigan as Detective Latham, Dennis Hoey as Inspector Pierce, Martin Malyon as Dwight Severn (Carol's boyfriend), Eily Malyon as Hannah the housekeeper, Frederick Worlock as Constable-in-charge Ernie Hobbs, and Olaf Hytten as Constable Alfred.   This film has a capable cast, I was happy seeing June Lockhart in this film, she starred in the television show Lost In Space as well as being in b-horror film Troll (which I also did a review of).  

Many critics derided this film for being unoriginal and misleading.   I disagree with them, though the film is a simple whodunnit, and not a supernatural horror film, I still feel like it was really well done, and as I was watching it the first time, I remember expecting it to be just a female version of The Wolfman or Werewolf in London, and then when the plot twist happened in the climax of the film, it actually surprised me.   I really feel like the film was well done, and it pays homage to the classic werewolf films, by bringing in tropes and elements of those films, but then twists to be a murder-mystery film, and I feel like it is effective and a fun film.   There isn't a lot of action, and there is no on screen violence, but the film creates an atmosphere of horror through the dialogue and the tone that is created in the sets and how they are lit and filmed.   I like how the film shows Phillis Allenby descending into madness as she believes that she has inherited the family curse and is turning into a wolf at night and murdering innocent people in the park, and there are all of these signs that she is a werewolf, but we realize instead that she is being gaslit by a woman driven by greed.   

Though She-Wolf of London has been slagged off by the critics, and hasn't been a fan favourite, I do feel like this is a valid film and it has a lot of great qualities to it.   Sure, there are better horror films, and even better whodunnit mystery films out there, Alfred Hitchcock had a very successful career of making these kinds of films for example, but I don't think that She-Wolf of London should be so quickly dismissed.  I don't think that it is a must-see film, and if it was an actual werewolf film, I think that might be different, but I do think as a film it is a great classic and one that should still be watched.   I love this film, and I love the acting, I love the sympathetic Phillys and just how hateable Aunt Martha is, the women play their roles so well.  Though there is something off with the character of Carol, as sometimes she gives these looks that makes it feel that there is something going on with her character.    Overall it is a great, well done film that I always enjoy watching.   If you haven't seen it yet, it is definitely one that I feel like you should check out.