Moon of the Wolf
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
In the Louisiana Bayou town of Marsh Island, two farmers discover the mauled, dead body of a local young woman. Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) is called. The victim's temperamental brother Lawrence Burrifors (Geoffrey Lewis) arrives at the crime scene and jumps to the conclusion that the girl's lover committed the murder, a man whose name her brother does not know. The town's Dr. Drutan (John Beradino) examines the body and pronounces the girl died of a blow to the head.
The sheriff investigates the crime and local residents have a variety of theories, including the belief she was killed by wild dogs. A posse forms to track down the wild dogs with little success. Burrifors continues to insist the killer to be his sister's mysterious lover while the sheriff, in turn, is suspicious of him. The girl's sick and dying father Hugh Burrifors (Paul R. DeVille), interviewed by the sheriff, warns him of the "Loug Garog". The sheriff does not understand the French term.
The sheriff's investigation soon takes him to the plantation home of the wealthy Andrew Rodanthe (Bradford Dillman) and his sister Louise (Barbara Rush). They are the last of a local family dynasty. Andrew, who the sheriff suspects had an affair with the victim, claims to have been suffering an attack of malaria the night the girl was killed.
The sheriff, suspicious of the temperamental brother Lawrence after he assaults the town doctor (who turns out to be the mysterious lover), puts him in jail. While there, the full moon rises again and Lawrence and the sheriff's deputy are killed in a vicious attack after the steel bars of the cell are torn from the wall.
With the town's residents fearful and the sheriff without assistance, Andrew Rodanthe volunteers to become deputy. Andrew and the sheriff return to Hugh Burrifor's house and discover the old man has created a voodoo potion that gives off a vapor meant to repel the "Loug Garog". Rodanthe inhales the potion and goes into what appears to be an epileptic seizure. He is taken to the hospital.
While there, Andrew's sister Louise tells the sheriff she can speak French fluently and would talk to Hugh Burrifor about the unexplainable term "Loug Garog". While speaking with the old man, Louise solves the puzzle. "Loug Garog" is a mispronunciation of "Loup-Garou". Translated into English the term means "werewolf".
Transformed into a werewolf, Andrew violently escapes the hospital and becomes the subject of a man-hunt. Louise talks to Sheriff Whitaker about werewolf folklore. She reveals a family secret, that her grandfather used to suffer from unusual spells of sickness, implying he was also a werewolf and Andrew's curse was inherited.
Louise returns to her plantation home alone and Andrew, still in his werewolf form, enters the house. Louise flees to the barn. When the werewolf follows she attempts to set him afire, then returns to the house. Andrew escapes the fire and pursues Louise. She eventually shoots him just as the sheriff returns. After he dies, Andrew returns to his human form.

Review: David Janssen and Barbara Rush lead a cast of characters as a southern Louisiana town is suddenly struck by a series of lycanthropic murders.
With no rhyme or reason behind the killing, and with a raving old bed-ridden cajun seeming to be the only person who fully understands what's going on, Janssen, the town's sheriff, seems to have his work cut out for him.Aided by an old friend with old money (Rush), and a posse of would-be wolf hunters, Janssen does not seem to know where to turn.
It works, the story is simple it does not get overly complicated there is a nice touch of mystery and you do not find out who the werewolf is until the last 30 minutes of the movie.
This made for TV movie, starring the late David Janssen and Barbara Rush is not bad.
The sheriff is your typical kind-hearted, beer-swilling Louisianan kind of guy, and the list of suspects includes the murdered girls brother (the angry redneck), the town's doctor (the local professional with a dark secret), a Mr Rodance (the wealthy, mysterious businessman who owns half the town) and his sister (the slightly unhinged female lead who becomes the Sheriff's love interest).Yeah, it's all fairly standard, but it's also quite entertaining in a formulaic kind of way.
This is to the film's credit, and it certainly managed to keep me engaged for that length of time, which is more than I can say for many of the similarly low-budget werewolf movies I've seen.
Set in and near the bayou community of Marsh Island, Louisiana, "Moon of the Wolf" starts with the body of a young woman named Ellie being discovered by two locals.
His investigation soon leads him into some of the town's little known secrets."Moon of the Wolf" is a well shot, well acted film that seems to have been made on location in an actual swamp or wetlands.
"Moon of the Wolf" is a good example of a an early 70's made for TV horror film.
Actors like David Jansenn,Bradford Dillman and Barbara Rush do their professional best to put this story of lycanthropy in the south across and it manages to be both interesting and somewhat exciting despite some cheesy make up effects.
Quickie case synopsis - local girl gets mauled by something, Louisiana sheriff takes the case, all the prime suspects get "pardoned" in the same night - then you have to start listening to the crazy old man and burn some home remedies on your porch step.I really got into the movie until the very end - where as usual the producer says "OK, bring in the monster, we got to wrap this thing up" and plot convenience theater really takes over.
Having been only nine years old when David Janssen died on February 13, 1980, I had never heard of him until discovering him last year when I bought a DVD of "The Swiss Conspiracy." I had never even heard of "The Fugitive!" David plays the main character in "The Swiss Conspiracy," which is my favorite obscure movie of all time.
It's fun and fast paced horror mystery that makes the most of its 75 minutes.The movie, set in the small Bayou town of Marsh Island, Louisiana, opens with a young woman named Ellie Burrifors being found dead.
During the course of the investigation, Whitaker encounters the woman who becomes the closest thing he has to a love interest in the movie - his former classmate Louise Rodanthe (Barbara Rush).
No full fledged romance between the two develops but a movie like this doesn't need a love story.When Lawrence learns of his sister's pregnancy, he believed that Dr. Duten killed her.
Janssen is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors and I'm very much looking forward to seeing much more from him, starting with the aforementioned "Prisoner in the Middle." The rest of the cast in "Moon of the Wolf" is excellent as well.
Decent cinematography, apt dialogue and some effective chills ensure the end product is beyond the typical mid week tele-movie experience, and although the make-up effects are 'limited', this doesn't undermine the picture.Lycanthropy devotee or not, the occult themes shouldn't deter you from investing 74 minutes in this modest mystery, entertaining despite its small screen threshold..
Murders start occurring in a little Louisiana town, and the sheriff's investigation points to signs of a werewolf on the loose.
Although I can't believe NOBODY in a bayou town knew the world loup-garou, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than watching "Moon of the Wolf.".
That's a stupidly obvious question, of course, since the film's title and DVD-cover promptly indicate us that this is a WEREWOLF movie we're watching here!
And yet it takes the Southern Louisiana sheriff Aaron Whitaker three quarters of the playtime to discover that the murdered town girl Ellie was torn to pieces by a sacrilegious & hairy monster underneath a full moon!
Horror movies set in the South (especially those of the 70's) always feature that typical hillbilly-atmosphere and simply every supportive character is an uncanny and dangerous looking redneck.
Younger horror buff won't find this very interesting, but "Moon of the Wolf" is definitely worth a look in case you miss TV-nostalgia of the early 70's..
Given that there are so few decent werewolf horror movie lately(thanks a lot Twilight)I have found myself looking for older movie that i;ve missed over the years.Found this gem on the internet.Don't let the words made for TV movie dissuade you as it almost did me.This movie was a pleasant surprise.Essentially it's a small town murder mystery with a supernatural twist.Sort of In the heat of the night meets Kolchack the night stalker.great old school cast all around.The Fugitives David Janssen is perfect as the tough skeptical small town sheriff whose just trying to figure it all out.More suspenseful than i thought it would be for a 70's TV movie.Especially toward the end.A good watch for werewolf genre fans..
It is interesting - quite a captivating story especially for a movie that was made for television in the 1970's.It's not a blood and guts film so if that is what you want then you might want to look for another werewolf flick instead of this one.
If you like mystery-thrillers and werewolves with a story that is somewhat captivating then you might like this one.If you like this TV movie then you might like "A Howling in the Woods", "Trilogy of Terror" or even the awesome vampire film "Salem's Lot".I would rate Moon of the Werewolf a 6 but because it is set in Louisiana I will have to give the film an extra point.7/10.
While it may not be remembered as a particularly great film, "Moon of the Wolf" is not a bad way to spend some quality time with your television or computer.
Starring the late, great David Janssen and equally talented Barbara Bush, the film opens with the discovery of a horribly mutilated girl in the lonely Louisiana bayou.
The story is well written and for much of the time feels more like a small town mystery than it does a horror picture.
David Janssen throws everything he has into the role of Sheriff Aaron as he did in every movie, be it "The Fugitive" or a low budget job like this one and it makes the movie better because of it (such a shame that he died so relatively young at the age of forty-eight in 1980).
After several locals are viciously murdered, a Louisiana sheriff (David Janssen) starts to suspect he may be dealing with a werewolf.Films like this one (as well as "Dark Night of the Scarecrow") prove that once upon a time, movies on television could actually be good.
Pretty sure that the guy allegedly suffering from it in this movie does not know what he is talking about.Sure, the werewolf (when we finally get a good glimpse) is a bit cheesy.
The makeup is truly some of the most laughable werewolf makeup I've ever seen (and - given the weakness of the makeup, thank goodness they didn't treat us to a transformation scene!) And yet, for all that, there's something about this that works reasonably well.In many ways, and for most of the runtime, this is really more of a murder mystery than a horror movie.
Janssen plays the local sheriff of the small Louisiana bayou town where this occurred who suddenly finds himself looking for a killer.
Moon of the Wolf is a decent made for TV horror movie that succeeds largely on the basis of guessing the identity of the werewolf.
As such, it is more of a mystery than a horror movie.A Louisiana town suddenly finds itself plagued with a series of gruesome murders, investigated by David Janssen as your typical redneck sheriff.
Small town Louisiana sheriff (David Janssen) investigates a murder that may have been committed by a werewolf.
This is a nice little murder mystery that takes its time building up to introducing the werewolf element.
Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) arrives on the scene and has the local doctor perform an autopsy, which reveals a head injury that could not have been caused by wild dogs.
As time goes on, Sheriff Whitaker searches from suspect to suspect, to later discover that the killer is, in fact, a werewolf.Like many of those who have recently seen this movie for the first time, I got my copy of MOON OF THE WOLF from a cheap public domain collection, specifically Mill Creek's "SciFi Classics" 50 Movie boxed set.
It's not a bad movie for fans of werewolf-themed mystery, although I dare say this is not science fiction, nor is it horror in any sense other than the general content of a lycanthrope..
Moon of the Wolf (1972) ** (out of 4) After several locals are brutally murdered, a Louisiana sheriff (David Janssen) starts to wonder if there might be a werewolf at work.
I guess I'm being a tad bit unfair when I say that's the "story" to this movie because the werewolf stuff really doesn't happen until the hour mark, which is an extremely long time considering this made-for-TV flick only clocks in at 73-minutes.
One of the things that do work is the Louisiana swamp settings and this creates a certain atmosphere, which is just perfect for a werewolf movie.
Moon Of The Wolf is a film about some really horrific killings in the Louisiana bayou country.
Sheriff David Janssen has his hands full with three different killings, first a woman who looks like some wild animal gnawed at her for food.
Janssen arrests Geoffrey Lewis for the first killing and someone ripped the iron bars off the cell door to get at him and killed a deputy sheriff guarding Lewis in the meantime.Nice atmosphere of the bayou country is achieved in this made for television film.
It's just that Janssen doesn't want to even conceive of the idea, much less the existence of a werewolf.Some of the rest of the cast includes Claudia McNeil who knows some home remedies to keep the wolf away, Barbara Rush and Bradford Dillman as a pair of rich descendants of the town's founding father and John Berardino as the town doctor.
In particular, David Janssen, Barbara Rush and Bradford Dillman (the leads) didn't sound the least bit convincing and I assume they were cast mostly because they were all prolific in TV movies.
Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen- FER-DE-LANCE) is soon looking for answers, after the autopsy shows definite foul play by someone w/ great strength.
His investigation leads him from the Louisiana swamps, to the rich part of town, where he meets Andrew (Bradford Dillman- THE SWARM, PIRANHA) and Louise (Barbara Rush- WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE) Rodanthe.
"Moon of the Wolf" its painfully mediocre, it offers nothing new to the genre, its not fun to watch (at least most of the time it isn't), and its also really dull.It has interesting elements, some of the characters are actually pretty decently written and the effects aren't too terrible but its mostly just boring and predictable.
I knew this was a made for TV movie about a werewolf and I still watched it so I only have myself to blame.For some reason I was expecting an action packed monster movie but what I got was more like Murder, She Wrote with a slightly younger male lead.Maybe a bit like Columbo with some In the Heat Of The Night thrown in the mix.Not an action hero chasing down and/or fighting a werewolf.This is my first David Janssen movie but for some reason I was expecting more from him.Watching him go around town questioning everyone is a bit lame.Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a terrible movie just not what I was expecting and definitely not the type of movie I would enjoy.While it's not bad for made for TV, there's really nothing here to see.BTW I knew which guy was the werewolf the first time he appeared on screen..
Daniel Petrie directed this TV movie that stars former "The Fugitive" star David Janssen as Louisiana Bayou sheriff Aaron Whitaker, who is called upon to solve the brutal murder of a young local girl that may be the result of a werewolf.
Local legends point to this, and he becomes involved with the wealthy matriarch Louise Rodanthe(played by Barbara Rush) whose brother Andrew(played by Bradford Dillman) insists on helping Aaron investigate, despite his high position in town, a position that won't protect them as the murders continue...
"Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) covers the Louisiana bayou country and is faced with a mysterious death.
Leading the pack, Mr. Janssen (formerly "The Fugitive") looks for the hairy left-handed suspect.*** Moon of the Wolf (9/26/72) Daniel Petrie ~ David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Bradford Dillman, John Beradino.
The plot is really not very original and if you've seen more than a handful of werewolf films, you will more than likely have come across it before.
It's not very inspiring in the way it plays out either; most of the film is taken up by talking, which is not very interesting, and there is precious little of the actual werewolf, which made me feel a bit ripped off.
David Janssen gets to grumble-frumble his way through some lovely bayou locales as he searches for a werewolf in the TV quickie Moon of the Wolf.
No matter, when Louise Rodanthe (Barbara Rush) reaches for her brother's scholarly text on lycanthropy, you know it's only a matter of time before Andrew (Bradford Dillman) reveals his hairy side.The story makes use of some tried and true werewolf lore, like death by burning and silver bullets, and throws in some new ones like sulfur induced seizures.
But then again, this was a refined Southern werewolf, so maybe it makes sense."Moon of the Wolf" has some well known folks doing a pretty good job in their respective roles.
Janssen plays a laid-back, rather-beleagered sheriff in a small Louisiana town who finds himself investigating the mauled body of a young lady.
Soon, another victim is claimed and eventually Rush discovers that she may be next on the menu, so Janssen must try to protect her (a task he performs with a notable lack of effectiveness!) For a low-budget TV-movie, this has a nice amount of atmosphere (thanks to location filming) and sports a cast of familiar faces who generally do a fine job.
Pretty Good Werewolf Movie.
We also have a pretty strong suspicion about who the werewolf is, and the movie does nothing to throw us off the trail or prove us wrong, although the mystery element of the script was halfhearted to begin with.Something must be said for the great genre cast, too.
You'll recognize familiar B-movie personality David Jannsen, although he didn't appear in many horror films during his career.
Barbara Rush ("It Came From Outer Space", "Death Car on the Freeway") and Royal Dano ("Dead People aka Messiah of Evil", "Killer Klowns from Outer Space") also make appearances."Moon of the Wolf" is interesting viewing for fans of 70s horror who've seen it all.
Younger people may find it hard to believe, but there was a time when horror fans actually looked forward to movies like Moon of the Wolf.
Surely there's not a werewolf loose in the swamp.As far as 70s made-for-television horror goes, Moon of the Wolf is far from the best.
Marsh Island, a small Louisiana bayou town, is plagued by mysterious mutilation murders committed whenever there's a full moon.
They're blamed on rabid dogs, but local good ole boy Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) thinks otherwise.
Fast moving TV movie about werewolf like killings in Louisiana David Jansen is the sheriff looking into the killings and the rest of the cast is filled out with B movie and TV regulars.A speedy 75 minutes thanks to being made when TV movies often ran 90 minutes the film doesn't feel bloated and moves along at a nice clip.
MOON OF THE WOLF (1972) is an OK-at-best, made-for-TV werewolf flick that has one outstanding quality: the setting in the Louisiana Bayou.
After several locals turn up murdered, the sheriff (David Janson) of a rural Louisiana Bayou community suspects a werewolf to be responsible...
The ending is a really bad cliché of Lon Chaney werewolf movies and the werewolf itself is ridiculous ,Bradford Dillman looks like he went to K-Mart for the makeup job,I've seen high school kids at Halloween do a better job.
Well, the sheriff is David Janssen who growls his way into the investigation until his attention is focused on the girl's slightly loopy brother (Lewis), the town doctor who got her pregnant (Beradino), and the young equestrian who runs the Big House (Dillman) that is never visited by the townspeople except by invitation.