USA, 1973
93m
35mm film, “color by Technicolor”, 1.85:1
mono, English
An American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran.
Plot Summary
A young boy is spending a weekend in the mountains with his father when he sees his dad attacked by a werewolf. Terrified that his father will become a wolf man he tries desperately to persuade his mother and his therapist – but no-one believes him…
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Nathan H. Juran
© MCMLXXIII [1973] by Universal Pictures
Universal Pay Television [logo], an RKF production
Produced by: Aaron Rosenberg
Associate Producers: Russell Schoengarth, Vicki Rosenberg
Unit Production Manager: Les Guthrie
Assistant Director: Larry Powell
Script Supervisor: Gordon Otto
Written by: Bob Homel
Director of Photography: Michael P. Joyce
Second Unit Cameraman: Dewey Wrigley
Film Editor: Barton Hayes
Wardrobe Designer: Moss Mabry
Wardrobe Man: Jimmy Linn
Makeup: Tom Burman
Music Composed and Conducted by: Ted Stovall
Sound Mixers: Chuck King, Don Harrold
Sound by: Glen Glenn Sound
Titles: Universal Title
Optical Effects: James W. Elkin
Dialogue Coach: Herold Goodwin
Assistant to the Producer: Joe Anne Benickes
Stunt Coordinator: Paul Baxley
Casting: Phil Benjamin
Cast
Kerwin Mathews (Robert Bridgeston)
Elaine Devry (Sandy Bridgeston)
Robert J. Wilke (sheriff)
Scott Sealey (Richie Bridgeston)
Bob Homel (Brother Christopher)
Susan Foster (Jenny)
Jack Lucas (Harry)
George Gaynes (Dr Marderosian)
Loretta Temple (Monica)
David Cass (deputy)
Herold Goodwin (Mr Duncan)
Eric Gordon (hippy “Jesus freak”)
Tim Haldeman (first guard)
John Logan (second guard)
Paul Baxley (first werewolf)
Alternative Titles
Ihmissusi – Finland
Mai con la luna piena – Italy
A Maldição da Lua Cheia – Brazil
El niño que lloraba al hombre lobo – Spain
Sta ihni tou Lykanthropou – Greece
O Terror do Lobisomem – Portugal
Varulven – Finland (Swedish)
Varulvens son – Sweden
Links
Remake
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf 2010
See also
The Pig Who Cried Werewolf (2011)
Extracts included in
Coming Soon (1982)
Cinemacabre TV Trailers (1993)
Press
1973
Variety 1 August 1973 p.18
Despite some gauche allusions to contemporary sociology, Universal’s “The Boy Who Cried Werewolf” recalls that company’s 1945-55 cycle of tame scifiers and horror pix involving cobra women, creatures from black lagoons and things from outer space. Unfortunately, producer Aaron Rosenberg’s blend of folksy morality and tepid terror is probably too bland and silly for today’s audiences, and a quick shuffle’ around the drivein circuit’s lesser outlets would seem the only route for this anachronism. […] Performances under Nathan Juran’s direction are underrehearsed, to put it kindly, with scripter Homel compounding his offense with a lamentable performance as a lowcamp Jesus freak. Technical credits are okay except for some poor sound mixing on post-synchronized dialog. – from a review by Beau
Monthly Film Bulletin vol.40 no.479 (December 1973) p.244
For a moment or two it looks as though The Boy Who Cried Werewolf might be on to an idea with possibilities in the thesis that the child only imagines the werewolf because he can’t bear the thought of his father having killed a human being; an idea which is bolstered, equally briefly, by the hint of fairytale or childish fancy about the darkling moon and forest of the opening sequence. It is with mingled feelings – mainly relief in that Bob Homel’s thoroughly banal script can clearly offer little more than back street psychology – that one realises one is actually in for the whole traditional horror works, including that old standby where father-monster begs his son to lock him in as he feels the mood coming on, and silly mum lets monster-father out again. [.] [I]t is all pretty much a matter of stilted dialogue and thumping shocks, which are rather muffled by the fact that the werewolf puffing hopefully through the forest is oddly reminiscent, somehow, of Disney’s Pluto. – from a review by Tom Milne
References
Periodicals
- Castle of Frankenstein no.23 p.54
- Cinema TV Today no.10055 (27 October 1973) p.15 – credits, review
- Filmfacts vol.16 no.5 (1973) p.118 – reprinted reviews
- The Hollywood Reporter vol.227 no.11 (16 July 1973) p.3 – credits, review
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.40 no.479 (December 1973) p.244 – credits, synopsis, review (by Tom Milne)
- Variety 1 August 1973 p.18 – credits, review (by Beau)
Books
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) p.271
- Film Review 1974-75 by F. Maurice Speed (ed) p.186
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.43
- Horrorshows: The A-Z of Horror in Film, TV, Radio and Theatre by Gene Wright p.214 – credits, review
- The Werewolf Filmography by Bryan Senn p.48-50
- The World of Fantasy Films by Richard Myers p.82
