Oliver Reed Tries to Defy the “Curse of the Werewolf”- Tonight!

As this week's edition of the "Summer of Sven", we bring back a favorite from the Hammer Studios  vault of horrors- the only Hammer werewolf flick- 1961's "Curse of the Werewolf"!

A beggar stumbles upon the wedding feast of an evil marquis- who taunts and ridicules him- then throws him into a dungeon- forever! The poor soul is tended to by the jailer's daughter- who cannot speak- and grows into a ravishing young woman. When she also runs afoul of the aging- but still-heartless- marquis, she too is tossed into the dungeon- only to be attacked by the now-crazed beggar!

She eventually escapes, and is found by a kind nobleman-whose staff  treats her kindly- and discovers that the woman is with child! The  baby is born at a time thought to mean he will be cursed- and, as the boy child grows up, he does appear to be- unusual.

He becomes a man, and strikes out on his own, working at the vineyard of a stern master, who just happens to have  a lovely- though engaged- daughter  and , as their relationship deepens, so does his reaction to the full moon!

This  film is often requested by our Sven viewers,not only because it has Hammer heritage, but also since fans love the look of the Oliver Reed werewolf! We'll fill you in on what the make-up design was based on, as well as giving cast background- including the ravishing Yvonne Romain who plays the mute servant girl. Of course, there are the Sven segments along for added fun.

"Curse of the Werewolf" runs tonight on the Me-TV network- at 10 pm eastern and pacific, 9 pm central, and  at a time you can find elsewhere in your local listings. In Chicago, you also get an encore performance of "The Mummy's Tomb" at 11 am on WCIU, the U!

As the "Summer of Sven" dwindles down to its final weekends, be prepared for a brand new show on the first Saturday of September- complete with the new Svengoolie coffin!Also, September will mark the beginning the Svengoolie Halloween Season public appearance tour- which we will have some fewer stops on, in deference to the health problems I had after last year's tour concluded. For all the information ahead of its publication in this blog- make sure that you sign up here on our site  for our FREE monthly newsletter- which will give you the full monthly movie schedule, as well as upcoming appearance dates, and other advance knowledge!

Join us tonight for hairy Hammer horror!