***SPOILERS*** WEREWOLF IN A GIRL'S DORMITORY (aka LYCANTHROPUS, 1961) is a standout in the Italian Gothic horror lineup. This film is part mystery, part giallo, part Gothic horror. Girls in an academy for reforming girls who have gone bad are being killed off sending shockwaves through the school. Enter one goodlooking doctor with a past (Carl Schell, handsome blond brother of Maximilian) who investigates the mysterious deaths and nearly pays with his own life (and his girlfriend-to-be, Barbara Lass (who happened to be the first Mrs. Roman Polanski!) Naturally the head of the academy, Mr. Swift (Curt Lowens) is in fact a werewolf and is responsible for the multiple murders. He is dispatched in the end with a few gunshots courtesy of Dr. Olcott (Schell). The werewolf makeup is quite effective & frightful and the musical score is memorable. "The Ghoul in School" signature song is one comedic touch that is a tad out of place, but this isn't a film to take seriously. It's a black and white Sixties chiller and lots of fun for a rainy night. WEREWOLF is not that bad but moves a bit slowly for today's audiences. Good with a few glasses of merlot and good smoke! Luciano Pigozzi, the Peter Lorre of Italy, is fun as the academy caretaker who's a little nuts.
Review of Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory
