#8 - The Werewolf (1956)

The Werewolf (1956)

(dir. Fred F. Sears)

After being rescued from a car accident by two shady scientists, Duncan Marsh finds himself with no memory and the annoying habit of turning into a murderous werewolf.  The scientists subjected him to radiation or some kind of serum or some other atomic-age nonsense, it didn't really make sense to me, but whatever it was, it had the side-effect of lycanthropy.  After killing a man in a small mountain town, Marsh becomes the target of a manhunt, with only the town doctor and nurse on his side.

This was surprisingly good for a super low-budget 1950's B movie.  At times it was a little cheesy (like many werewolf films, the victims seem to just stand there and watch while the werewolf slowly transforms, instead of running the hell away), and the sci-fi origin of the werewolf doesn't really make sense, but overall it's a really solid and entertaining film.  The cinematography was unexpectedly good, too.  There is nothing here that will blow you away, but it's definitely one of the better classic werewolf films I've seen, and the story is fairly original for the genre too.  If you are into classic horror, I highly recommend checking this one out.