Before I saw Dr. Jekyll Versus the Werewolf I had a vision of a totally different movie. Waldemar Daninsky with the alias of Dr Jekyll and when he transformed, he transformed into a werewolf with the alias of Mr Hyde. So wasn’t the case of course. Instead we have something that starts of like the normal Waldemar Daninsky-flick and then takes a quick turn to something else…
A British couple is going on a honeymoon in Hungary, their car breaks down in the forest (surprise, that has never happen in a Naschy-movie) and runs into a scary guy. They move along, chats with a guy at a hotel and continues the trip. After stopping at an old graveyard they’re attacked by a gang of bandits – but of course Waldemar Daninsky shows up and saves the day. But the husband is killed and Daninsky brings the women to his castle. He’s not a popular guy in the neighbourhood, because he’s a werewolf, and she brings him to London to meet the grandchild of THE famous Dr Jekyll, played by the great Jack Taylor… and there the shit hits the fan as usual!
León Klimovsky directs with a very steady hand and this movie really looks very good. A lot of the castle locations look gorgeous, but the hastily shot London-footage looks like the normal tourist-stuff we see in these movies. The rest is probably shot on soundstage in Spain. The first half feels exactly like a normal Daninsky-movie – mountain road, attack, castle, lynch-mob, macho-Naschy – but it because extra fun when he flees from there and ends up in party party party-London. The disco scene is way to short, but the whole storyline of Dr Jekyll trying to cure Daninsky from the werewolf-syndrome is fun and creative.
It has some blood, but no real gore. The werewolf-make up is as cool as it can be (I want one of those masks! Can’t anyone start to manufacture them?) and Naschy is great in the part. He actually plays three parts: Daninsky, the werewolf and Mr Hyde – and the latter character is a creepy guy with weird eyes and a pale face who strangles prostitutes and being rude and abusive to drunks.
Dr. Jekyll Versus the Werewolf is a very nice addition to the saga of Waldemar Daninsky.
4 comments:
I've liked the Naschy movies I've seen so far, and I've liked what I've seen of Klimovsky's work. This one sounds like great fun.
It's a lotta fun. Especially when 'Hyde' Naschy is prowling swinging 70s Soho in 'Victorian' hat and cape!
Still not caught up with Dragonfly yet...
dfordoom: I'm sure would like this I lot, I think it was a blast!
Rob Talbot: Dragonfly is probably a lot better with subtitles, now I just became confused by it :)
I love this movie! Probably my favorite of the Daninsky films next to Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman. I agree with you that the disco scene should have been longer. If there's one thing this movie needed it's a good old fashioned werewolf massacre. Nonetheless it's got some beautiful photography, an enthusiastic performance by Naschy, and a memorable and melancholy soundtrack.
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