SHE-WOLF OF LONDON (THE CURSE OF THE ALLENBYS) (director: Jean Yarbrough; screenwriters: George Bricker/story by Dwight V. Babcock ; cinematographer: Maury Gertsman; editor: Paul Landres; music: William Lava; cast: June Lockhart (Phyllis Allenby), Don Porter (Harry Lanfield), Sara Haden (Martha Winthrop), Jan Wiley (Carol Winthrop), Lloyd Corrigan (Detective Latham), Martin Kosleck (Dwight Severn), Dennis Hooey (Inspector Pierce ); Runtime: 62; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Ben Pivar; Universal; 1946-UK)
“Though the story is lacking in excitement, it at least was competently filmed and has winning sets.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Director Jean Yarbrough(“Lost in Alaska”/”House of Horrors”/”Saintly Sinners”) imitates in an inferior way John Brahm’s enticing The Undying Monster (1942).

Yarbrough’s horror pic is set in the early 20th century in London. It’s about an insane murderess called the She-Wolf. She is played by June Lockhart (later played the wonderful mom in the Lassie television series). Here she is the young heiress Phyllis Allenby, who has nightmares and thinks she has been touched by the Allenby Curse (believes members of the family at times assume the form of a wolf). Her childhood dreams were about roaming the countrysides with a wolf-pack. In her adult dreams she wakes up with blood on her hands and sees a beast-woman roaming in the countryside. The protagonist believes she’s the killer, but is not sure.

Warning: spoiler.

It turns out that Phyllis’ Aunt Martha (Sara Haden) is the lunatic serial killer, using a garden trowel to do her foul deeds in a London park.

The story is by Dwight V. Babcock, and it’s adapted to the screen by George Bricker. Though the story is lacking in excitement, it at least was competently filmed and has winning sets.

REVIEWED ON 8/11/2015 GRADE: C+

Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”

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