She-Wolf of London (1946)

An average, but unoriginal, little mystery, 19 May 2006

Phyllis Allenby (June Lockhart) is about to be wed. But a series of murders in a park nearby the Allenby estate attributed to a werewolf have her rethinking her plans. Phyllis is sick over the thought that she may be responsible for the grisly deaths. Muddy shoes, wet clothes, and blood on her hands found in Phyllis' bedroom led her to believe that she may be the werewolf. Is Phyllis a werewolf, prowling the night looking for her next victim?

Other than the title, I'm not sure why Universal decided to include this one on their Wolf Man Legacy Set. She-Wolf of London has nothing in common with The Wolf Man. It's not a horror film. There is no werewolf (or she-wolf for that matter). Instead, She-Wolf of London is an average, but unoriginal, little mystery. For the film to work, you have to believe that Phyllis Allenby is a murderer. Unfortunately, I never once bought into the notion that Phyllis was the killer, let alone a snarling werewolf.

My real problem with She-Wolf of London is in the casting. While there are some nice performances from Sara Haden as the overprotective Aunt and Lloyd Corrigan as the bumbling Detective Latham, June Lockhart is horrible as the film's heroine. She is terribly miscast. Maybe it's just that I've seen her in too many roles as the caring, All-American mother, but she's not a believable killer.

4/10