She-Wolf of London
       
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Year: 1946
Rating: 5.0
One would expect a film with this title coming out of Universal Studio - the home to Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy - to actually be a horror film with a scare or two. No, but it has a fog machine working overtime to create some uneasy atmosphere. Universal had gone down the werewolf road two times before - Werewolf of London in 1935 and then the classic The Wolf Man in 1941. This is a pale shadow of those films. It is only 60-minutes in length with a cast of B players. They gave director Jean Yarbrough two weeks to make it. The only sets needed were a large home and a park where the evil deeds take place.

 

It is the turn of the 20th century and Phyllis Allenby (June Lockhart) is engaged to Barry (Don Porter) and all seems fine in the world. But then there is the Allenby Curse to worry about. The film doesn't have time to actually give any background on this but apparently, they have a werewolf gene in their DNA. When people start showing up dead in the park after seemingly being ripped apart by a large dog, Phyllis suspects that the curse is back. Especially with her muddy shoes and blood on her hands. The Inspector is played by Dennis Hoey who was Lestrade in those Rathbone Holmes films - so you don't expect much from him. His subordinate is played by Lloyd Corrigan, often the comic relief in films - so expect nothing there either.

 

Martha runs the house and tells Phyllis to stop worrying as she tells her to calm down with a nice glass of warm milk. It is nice seeing Sara Haden in a very different role than her many appearances as the kindly spinster Aunt Milly in the Andy Hardy series.  One would have to be crazy to think the sweet-faced Lockhart could be the killer. I mean she was with Lassie in 208 episodes. That it turns into more of a mystery than a horror film is too bad. We can always use a female werewolf film. Also making an appearance is Eily Malyon as the housekeeper. One of those character actresses that you have seen many times in small parts in some fine films. A nice part here, Martin Kosleck for once does not have to play a Nazi but is the boyfriend of Martha's daughter (Jan Wiley). Is one of them the She-Wolf of London?