Werewolf of Washington, The (1973)

Werewolf of Washington, The (1973)

“You don’t look well, Jack.”

Synopsis:
After a trip to Hungary, a political aide (Dean Stockwell) to the U.S. president (Biff McGuire) is turned into a werewolf and starts committing vicious murders when the moon is full. Can he convince those around him — including his former girlfriend (Jane House), daughter of the president — to keep him locked up, for everyone’s sake?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Dean Stockwell Films
  • Horror Films
  • “No One Believes Me!”
  • Political Corruption
  • Werewolves

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “odd blend of horror and political satire” — “concocted during [the] Watergate hysteria” — gives Dean Stockwell “another peculiar role” in “his weird career by playing the title character.” He notes that while “the film is technically erratic”, there “are a couple of inspired bits”, including “the werewolf trapping someone in a fallen telephone booth”, which is “reminiscent of Marilyn Burns sitting inside an immobile locked car while a ghoul tries to shake it open in Night of the Living Dead and Tippi Hedren being trapped in a phone booth in The Birds.” It’s too bad a would-be subplot about Stockwell wandering into a secret government lab run by a concerned midget doctor (Michael Dunn) is dropped completely, since this could have added some interest to the film’s narrative:

Instead, we must rely entirely on our sympathy for poor Stockwell, who clearly knows he’s a danger to those around him but can’t manage to convince Washington to take him seriously.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Dean Stockwell as Jack Whittier
  • Some effectively filmed low-budget sequences

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for one-time viewing.

Links:

One thought on “Werewolf of Washington, The (1973)

  1. First (and last) viewing. Skip it.

    Peary forgot three little details about this trainwreck:
    1) IT’S BORING!
    2) In a number of ways, it’s incompetent.
    3) Not only is it bad, it doesn’t even redeem itself by being camp.

    Wikipedia labels it a “comedy” (?!). (As Thelma Ritter used to say, “OH, b-ROTHER!”) … What was Dean Stockwell thinking?!!

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