Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory

Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory

Italian film poster for Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory
Directed by Paolo Heusch
Screenplay by Ernesto Gastaldi[1]
Starring
Music by Armando Trovajoli[1]
Cinematography Renato Del Frate[1]
Edited by Giuliana Attenni[1]
Production
company
Royal Film[1][2]
Distributed by Cineriz (Italy)
Release dates
  • November 9, 1961 (1961-11-09) (Italy)
Running time
82 minutes[2]
Country Italy[2]
Box office ₤115 million

Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory (Italian: Lycanthropus) is a 1961 Italian horror film directed by Paolo Heusch.

Synopsis

Wolves have been seen roaming around a girls' reformatory, and when the girls begin to get murdered, suspicion focuses on both the wolves and on a newly hired science teacher who might be a werewolf.

Production

Werewolves in a Girls' Dormitory was shot in 1961 around Cinecittà Studios and Rome.[2] In the film, director Paolo Heusch is credited under the name Richard Benson.[3] Heusch explained that it was mandatory to give yourself an English name in Italian productions of the time because "that's the way the producers wanted it."[4]

The German actor Curt Lowens plays the werewolf in the film.[4]

Cast

Release

Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory was released in Italy on November 9, 1961 where it was distributed by Cineriz.[1][2] The film grossed a total of 115 million Italian lira on its theatrical run.[2] The film was shown in the United States on June 6, 1963 where it was distributed by MGM.[2]

The American version of the film adds the rock song "The Ghoul in School" to the opening credits written by Marilyn Stewart and Frank Owens.[1][2][5] The song had vocals by Adam Keefe and was released on a 45 RPM record distributed by Cub Records.[5]

It was released on DVD in the United States by Retromedia and Alpha Video.[2]

Reception

The Globe and Mail stated that the film was "disfigured by bad dubbing and a silly attempt to establish the locale as the United states, it might have been a very respectable specimen of the horror school"[6]

Danny Shipka, author of Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France, 1960-1980 stated the film "won't convert any fans to the genre" due a slow pace and poor dubbing in the English-language dub.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Curti 2015, p. 64.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Curti 2015, p. 65.
  3. Curti 2015, p. 66.
  4. 1 2 Curti 2015, p. 67.
  5. 1 2 McCallum 1998, p. 234.
  6. Morriss, Frank (September 30, 1963). "Dubbing, Locale Make Werewolf A Beastly Film". The Globe and Mail. p. 11.
  7. Shipka 2011, p. 29.

References

  • Curti, Roberto (2015). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969. McFarland & Company. ISBN 1476619891. 
  • Shipka, Danny (2011). Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France, 1960-1980. United States: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786448881. 
  • McCallum, Lawrence (1998). Italian Horror Films of the 1960s: A Critical Catalog of 62 Chillers. United States: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786404353. 

External links

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