Actually, here the werewolf actually looks like a wolf, not the hairy beast of the still excellent Universal horror classic. The creature is actually a she-wolf, the Gypsy princess Nina Foch who seeks vengeance in the most sinister way. Like some of the Val Lewton classics, this has a very mystical feeling to it and the horror is a combination of psychological torment and subtle chills that wouldn't have the same effect had they been so blatantly gory. Foch, a soft looking actress, uses that quality to make her character all the more mysterious and deadly, while Osa Massen (who usually played more sinister characters) is quite lovely as the heroine who is the target of Foch's vendetta.
Another superb performance is by John Abbott as the museum tour guide who first discovers the horror while searching for a scared cat. His constant repeat of "Here kitty kitty" gave me chills, reminding me of Boris Karloff's claim in "The Body Snatcher" that "You'll never be rid of me". Barton MacLane is commanding as the police lieutenant investigating the mysterious goings on, set in New Orleans which gives an even more Gothic feeling to the proceedings. When Foch tells one of her people, "You will lie with your ancestors in the ground selected by my mother", even more chills are felt as he realizes the outcome of that prediction and a wolf howls in the background.
Blanche Yurka, who was so memorable in vengeful roles, plays a more thoughtful character here, a gypsy elder who is Foch's companion and aware of the secrets of the past which she is afraid will be repeated over and over. She still has a commanding presence that made her the most memorable Madame DeFarge on film, and is quite subtle after some major theatrics in other films such as "Lady For a Night" and "The Furies". Her Hungarian background makes her perfect casting to play a gypsy. While certainly not a masterpiece, this is a must see among the stylish horror films of the 1940's and will leave you feeling truly haunted.
Another superb performance is by John Abbott as the museum tour guide who first discovers the horror while searching for a scared cat. His constant repeat of "Here kitty kitty" gave me chills, reminding me of Boris Karloff's claim in "The Body Snatcher" that "You'll never be rid of me". Barton MacLane is commanding as the police lieutenant investigating the mysterious goings on, set in New Orleans which gives an even more Gothic feeling to the proceedings. When Foch tells one of her people, "You will lie with your ancestors in the ground selected by my mother", even more chills are felt as he realizes the outcome of that prediction and a wolf howls in the background.
Blanche Yurka, who was so memorable in vengeful roles, plays a more thoughtful character here, a gypsy elder who is Foch's companion and aware of the secrets of the past which she is afraid will be repeated over and over. She still has a commanding presence that made her the most memorable Madame DeFarge on film, and is quite subtle after some major theatrics in other films such as "Lady For a Night" and "The Furies". Her Hungarian background makes her perfect casting to play a gypsy. While certainly not a masterpiece, this is a must see among the stylish horror films of the 1940's and will leave you feeling truly haunted.