I Was a Teenage Werewolf

I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

Runtime: 76 minutes

Directed by: Gene Fowler, Jr.

Starring: Michael Landon, Yvonne Lime, Whit Bissell, Charles Willcox, Barney Phillips

From: AIP

Imagine Rebel Without a Cause if James Dean had lycanthrophy… OK that isn’t the perfect comparison yet that was the idea AIP was going for. Rebellious teen movies already started becoming a thing due to Rebel so why not make it low-budget by combine it with a horror movie? Werewolves have always been connected to aggression and anger, so the pairing actually is natural.

Michael Landon (this was even before Bonanza began; thus, this was how the world was introduced to him) is angsty teen Tony Rivers-a real juvenile delinquent-who does well in school academics wise yet has an explosive temper and often gets into knock-down, drag-out brawls. He is encouraged to see a shrink to deal with this issue. Turns out, he’s a mad scientist type who uses a serum and hypnosis to regress him “to his primitive state.” That’s an interesting interpretation of lycanthrophy.

Don’t go into this expecting our lead to tear apart a whole swath of innocent victims. After all, Rivers is painted in a sympathetic light and it is scientist Whit Bissell who is the heel. The performances by Bissell and Landon are the true highlights as much of the story is standard fare involving various friends/family of Rivers, including his girlfriend. What did leave a brief yet memorable impression: May 1957 Playboy Playmate Dawn Richard in a small role as a high school gymnast who wears a leotard. I’m sure that did (and still does) make some people… howl.