snicewanger I really liked this film as a kid and it's still fun to watch as a grownup.The idea of a female werewolf was a totally different horror concept in 1944 and Nina Foch was quite effective in her portrayal of the character. This movie boasts one of the most solid casts of any horror film of the 1940's with talented actors such as the wonderful Blanche Yurka, John Abbott, Fritz Leiber, Barton MacLane, and the delightfully ghoulish Milton Parson uplifting the proceedings. Osa Massen is eye catching if not a bit overwrought as the damsel in distress. The whole thing is shot down by Stephen Crane's inept attempt to play the leading man. He defines the cliché of the bland, boring, and ineffectual pretty boy and his performance is amateurish. Screenwriter Griffin Jay was a craftsman and quite dependable at providing screenplays for these hour long chillers and his script is economical with no frills. Director Henry Levin was an old pro at mysteries, drama, and adventure films but this was his only foray into the horror genre and he filmed it as more of a mystery and suspense piece the a true horror film. The special effects are minimal and were created more by the editor then the make up or camera crews. During WWII, the Hollywood Studio's were cranking out movies at a factory assembly line pace. Most films were produced with an eye towards keeping on schedule and within budget. The also kept the studio film makers busy and earning their paychecks. If they turned out to be well done, so much the better.Cry of the Werewolf was a film that was intended to be a neighborhood theater crowd pleaser that would be released and spend a few weeks making the rounds and move on.It's not a great film but it's a fun one to watch.

dougdoepke Apparently werewolf genes are inheritable as a young woman becomes one because of her mom; then, in a hairy mood, she goes after nice young couple who know about her problem.This Columbia studio production shows why Universal had the franchise on the half-human half-wolf. Instead of going the Universal route by using big-time make-up and blended dissolves, Columbia employs an actual German Shepherd dog, (not even a real wolf, mind you), as the fanged menace. And the nice doggie all but wags his tail while "menacing" the humans. Needless to say, this turns a potential horror movie into a version of Lassie Goes Bad, despite the best efforts of a strong supporting cast— e.g. Abbott, Leiber, Yurka.Then too, the war thinned out the ranks of Hollywood leading men, leaving lightweights such as Stephen Crane to haul the goods. Good thing he went into the restaurant business instead of staying on the stage. And what a waste of the talented Nina Foch who doesn't get nearly the screen time her character deserves. Instead, that goes to Osa Massen, a decent enough actress, but without Foch's special brand of haughty disdain.No need to waste time on this B-movie disappointment. Columbia simply cut too many budgetary corners with not enough imagination to produce anything more than a sometimes amusing misfire and a general waste of acting talent.

Norm Vogel I enjoyed this film precisely due to the reasons that another reviewer DIDN"T! It was interesting to have a woman as a werewolf, there was no werewolf costume used, and there was an element of mystery in the proceedings.I enjoyed the Val Lewton-ish scene in the mortuary basement where the hero is being stalked by the werewolf!I myself am glad that the werewolf transformation scene was done in shadow (the Val Lewton touch), as the special effects of the time were far removed from today's slick computer-created animations. Anything other than the way it was done would've looked SILLY.A nifty, seldom-seen film! Norm(PS. Hull's makeup looks MUCH more "wolfish" than Cheney Jr's!).

bbowman-7 I can't believe these User Comments! Sheesh! This one has GOT to be one of the worst travesties and wastes of time in my book! What's up with Stephen Crane? Terrible actor! He's attacked by the werewolf and then stands up calmly, brushes himself off and says: "Yeah..I'm okay..." This is the best that Lana Turner could do? The whole piece of garbage looked like it was made for about twenty bucks. Nina Foch must have gone home a gotten drunk every night. The "wolf" was the only natural actor in the movie! Fritz Leiber's wooden performance brings new meaning to the expression "bad actor"! And Osa Massen? I couldn't get Inga from Young Frankenstein out of my mind!