Number One in a Creepy Old Series!

 

Scary Books,

Kiddies!

 

 The Werewolf of London.  By Carl Dreadstone.  Berkley Medallion Books, 1977.

            “Carl Dreadstone” was a house name used by Berkley for these Universal Monsters tie-in paperbacks.  According to the online Sci-Fi Encyclopedia, these monster books were written by Ramsey Campbell and Walter Harris.

             This one is by Harris.  But like the rest, it has an introduction by Ramsey Campbell, describing the film and the lack of fan affection it has attracted.  I agree that part of the film’s lack of charisma is due to Henry Hull’s semi-wooden demeanor.  But overall, this film is simply overshadowed by the operatic madness of the cycle begun in 1941 with the inimitable Lon Chaney, Jr as the tortured Sir Lawrence Talbot.

            But it’s awfully nifty to notice, at the eight-minute and twenty-five-minute point in the film, Glendon uses video surveillance to see who's at his laboratory door, signaled by a flashing light.  Talk about before his time!

             Back to the novel—it’s a nice touch to suggest that the Yeti of the Himalayan peaks might be not a hominid, but a lycanthrope.  After all, who knows what is howling and yowling out there? 

            I bought this paper-bound beast on July 9, 1977.  The title page says, “Adapted from the screenplay by John Colton.  Based on an original story by Robert Harris.”  And it’s narrated in the first person by the doomed Dr Wilfrid Glendon.

            But it’s not a strict adaptation.  As somebody in Wikipedia says, “Rather than turning into a werewolf, killing Yogami, and then being shot by Sir Thomas, Glendon decides to cooperate with Yogami and they both attempt to control their transformations through hypnotism. However the plan fails, the hypnotist is killed, and Glendon and Yogami both transform and fight to the death. Glendon wins, killing Yogami, and returns to human form afterwards. The novel then ends with Glendon, alive, contemplating using the hypnotist's gun to commit suicide rather than go on living as a werewolf.”

Avoid nosy landladies and get home before the moon rises—that’s my advice for you!

See you on THURSDAY for the grand wrap-up of this month of frights -- ANOTHER new Halloween-music comp!!!!