FAQ

Leon Coledo (Oliver Reed), born on Christmas Day (an unlucky omen) in Spain to a mute mother who was raped by a beggar in prison and died shortly after giving birth, is raised by Don Alfredo Corledo (Clifford Evans) and his housekeeper, the loving and motherly Teresa (Hira Talfrey). One day, when Leon was a lad, he was taken squirrel hunting by watchman Pepe Valiente (Warren Mitchell) and found that he had a taste for warm blood. Thereafter, several goats and other small animals are found with their throats torn out, and a local dog is blamed. However, the love of Don Alfredo and Teresa keeps Leon's wolf nature in check. Now an adult, Leon leaves home and seeks work at the vineyard of Don Fernando Gomez (Ewen Solon) where he falls in love with Don Fernando's daughter Cristina (Catherine Feller), and she with him. However, Cristina is engaged to another and, with little hope of ever being able to act on their love, Leon's wolf nature rises to the surface.

The Curse of the Werewolf was loosely based on the 1933 novel The Werewolf of Paris by American writer Guy Endore. The novel was adapted for the movie by British screenwriter Anthony Hinds.

When Don Alfredo seeks advice from the priest, he is told that Leon's soul was probably weak due to the circumstances of his conception and birth, allowing a bestial spirit to enter into him. In the novel, it's explained that being born on Christmas and conceived from a rape, no less, was an insult to heaven and would result in some curse, hence the curse of the werewolf. The priest does point out, however, that things that strengthen the soul, such as love, will kelp keep the beast controlled. It's also interesting that, in the novel, Leon's mother was raped by a priest, but that detail was changed for the movie, making her rapist a beggar.

ALSO: What could logically explain Leon's changeling has been cut out of the movie since the studio didn't want the imprisoned beggar/rapist to be a werewolf, which is what he was supposed to be (instead, he was diseased and very hairy, the arms and hands included). This would have made more sense in that Leon's real father was a werewolf. Instead, as mentioned above, the priest describes Leon's soul as being vulnerable since birth.

It's claimed that the setting was moved from Paris (as in the novel) to Spain for the movie because Hammer had Spanish sets left over from an unmade movie titled "The Inquisitor".

When the mayor refuses to execute Leon without a trial, Leon pleads with Don Alfredo to get the silver bullet from Pepe and shoot him with it. As the full moon begins to rise, Leon starts the change. He kills his cellmate and breaks out of jail. Meanwhile, Cristina has gone to Don Alfredo's house to get Teresa. They return to the village where Leon is being chased over the rooftops by the angry villagers, forcing Leon to take refuge in a bell tower. In the final scene, Don Alfredo enters the bell tower and shoots Leon in the chest with the silver bullet then covers his body with his cape.