Cry of the Werewolf (1944)

Written by CinemaSerf on June 30, 2022

Nina Foch is quite efficient in this run-of-the-mill drama. She is a gypsy princess "Celeste", whom, we learn quite early on, has an interestingly carnivorous diet! Now I suppose what lets this down is that, from a creative perspective, the use of an actual beastie rather than a costume-clad person robs it of something. I could imagine someone like Rudd Weatherwax just out of shot calling the real shots. As it is therefore, it's all a rather formulaic story. The production is eerily photographed but that might have had as much to do with lack of budget as with artistic intent. It's only an hour and there are a few redeeming features to sustain it - some clever use of shadow and the ever reliable Barton McLane as pursuing copper "Lane", but for the most part it falls short on the creepy front and is pretty indistinguishable from so many others made during the War.