source: She-Wolf of London

Trailer—She-Wolf of London

She-Wolf of London

This is quite an enjoyable obscure thriller though perhaps not the kind you'd expect if you just go by the title. June Lockhart-years before appearing in TV series like "Lassie" and the original "Lost in Space"-plays a young woman who thinks she's responsible for some murders at night because of a family curse. Sara Haden-yes, Aunt Milly from the Andy Hardy film series-is her aunt. I'll stop there and just say there are some good twists that make this quite an enjoyable movie to watch. Though it's now considered a cliché when the one who's revealed as the villain reveals everything before his/her fate comes. But despite the not-so-accurate title, She-Wolf of London is worth a look.

The film isn't all that bad but it's not superb. It's more of a dramatic-mystery than that of a horror film. I liked the film but it's far from being a favorite Universal flick for me. The movie does have it's place in the Universal Classic Horror films collection but it's just not one of their better films. The film is better to view as a stand alone film instead of trying to think of it in the context of the "Wolf-man" family of films - because it is not. ***********Spoiler*********** This is a film where lycanthropy is forced into the mind of a young woman and not a physical transformation. ***************************** Over all, not too bad of a film to watch but it's not a movie I would recommend as a "must see" Universal film. 5.5/10

I was expecting this film to be a Werewolf film in the same vein as the other Universal Studios horror films. This movie is not a werewolf film, but a mystery film. I will admit though, that despite being disappointed in the film and what I thought it was going to be, the plot turn at the end had me surprised. Sara Haden plays very well the nasty step-mother, and I have to admit that I was waiting for her to be among the first killed by the Were-Wolf, but to no avail. June Lockhart plays the main character, and she does a good job with one of her early and starring roles. The sets in this film are great, especially the estate where the main characters live.

This is certainly not a great movie but is not bad for the Universal movies back in the 1940s. June Lockhart plays a young heiress who believes a series of murders in London is her fault, seems there is a family history of family members turning into werewolves. There is lots of atmosphere and the black and white photography sets the mood for this movie. Not the best I have ever seen, but certainly far from the worst. The ending came as somewhat of a surprise and the characters drew me in. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of the old Universal horror films to see this. June Lockhart is lovely as the young heroine. She went on to play the mom on the Lassie series and also the mom on Lost in Space.

There's not a whole lot to recommend about this film. It is a Universal Horror...though at the end of all the major horror series at the studio. It does have June Lockhart in an early role...along with Martin Kosleck in a ambivalent rather than evil role, and Dennis Hoey playing a surprisingly adept Scotland Yard inspector (he must have finally won a bet with a studio executive and got away from the bumbling Lestrade of the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holme's movies). The movie has great sets, though I assume they are redressed from some other Universal horror film...they do look somewhat familiar. On the other hand, this movie is dull...and the plot is easy to figure out after about fifteen minutes. If you've seen Curse of the Cat People, you've got a start on the plot of this movie.

Apart from excellent settings and costumes, not to mention the always reliable pulchritude and charm of June Lockhart, this Val Lewton wannabe is mainly a misfire. More's the pity too, since it abounds in shadowy night scenes, fog, and much cloak and daggery, including a final act complete with tilted camera angles, and poisoned milk, (a la Hichcock's "Suspicion"). But there is no real grue and no real tension, and what we are left with is a lame, (though slickly produced) thriller whose main interest accrues from its interesting cast and glossy staging. Still, given the paucity of Victorian melodramas at your local cineplex--you could do much worse.

This is an odd little horror film from the tail end of Universal Pictures' long series of monster movies. Odd because although the title would indicate that it's a monster film, it's really more of a mystery. In fact, if you are watching just to see the werewolf, don't--there isn't any! But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as the story itself is fascinating and involves an evil woman who is trying to convince a young lady that she is a werewolf. That's because IF she can drive the young lady crazy, she and her daughter stand to inherit a fortune. While the story is excellent and the ending works very well, I must say that June Lockhart's performance is a weak link. She too often is very "doe-eyed" and seemed way too passive and zombie-like in the film. Still, it wasn't had enough to harm the film very much and it's well worth seeing.