''Moon of the Wolf'' is an American TV movie broadcast on September 26, 1972 on ''

ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

''. It stars

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

, Barbara Rush,

Geoffrey Lewis Geoffrey Lewis may refer to: * Geoffrey Lewis (actor) (1935–2015), American character actor * Geoffrey Lewis (scholar) (1920–2008), British professor of Turkish * Geoffrey Lewis (philatelist), Australian philatelist * Geoffrey W. Lewis (died ...

and

Bradford Dillman Bradford Dillman (April 14, 1930 – January 16, 2018) was an American actor and author. Early life Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930, in San Francisco, the son of Dean Dillman, a stockbroker, and Josephine (née Moore). Bradford's pa ...

, with a script by Alvin Sapinsley (based on Leslie H. Whitten's novel of the same name). The film was directed by

Daniel Petrie Daniel Mannix Petrie (November 26, 1920 – August 22, 2004) was a Canadian film, television, and stage director who worked in Canada, Hollywood, and the United Kingdom; known for directing grounded human dramas often dealing with taboo subject ...

and filmed on location in

Burnside, Louisiana Burnside is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was founded by French and German settlers in 1726, early in the French colonial period. The ZIP Code for Burnside is 70738. The community's name is for Joh ...

. All of the downtown footage was from Clinton, Louisiana.

Plot

In the Louisiana Bayou town of Marsh Island, two farmers (

Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 - May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic L ...

John Davis Chandler John Davis Chandler (January 28, 1935 – February 16, 2010) was an American actor. Life Chandler was born in Hinton, West Virginia. He died at age 75 in Toluca Lake, California from cancer. Career In two films in 1961, he portrayed the gangs ...

) discover the mauled, dead body of a local young woman. Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (

) is called. The victim's temperamental brother Lawrence Burrifors (

) 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 John Beradino (born Giovanni Berardino, May 1, 1917 – May 19, 1996) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Ber ...

) examines the body and concludes that the girl died from 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, 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 (

) 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 Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

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 Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

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 An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...

. 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 In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely o ...

. Translated into English the term means

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

. Transformed into a werewolf, Andrew violently escapes the hospital and becomes the subject of a manhunt. As a posse gathers, Louise runs to the mayor, telling him that her brother is sick and that there are drugs that can help him. At her and Andrew's home, 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 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.

Cast

as Sheriff Aaron Whitaker * Barbara Rush as Louise Rodanthe *

as Andrew Rodanthe *

as Dr. Druten *

as Lawrence *

as Tom Gurmandy Sr. *

as Tom Gurmandy Jr. *

Claudia McNeil Claudia McNeil (August 13, 1917 – November 25, 1993) was an American actress known for premiering the role of matriarch Lena Younger in both the stage and screen productions of ''A Raisin in the Sun''. She later appeared in a 1981 productio ...

as Sara * Robert Phillips as Deputy *

Dick Crockett Richard DeHart Crockett (February 27, 1915 – January 25, 1979) was an American television and film actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, producer, and director, best known for his work with director Blake Edwards. Career The first film ...

as Attendant * Paul R. Deville as Hugh

References

External links

* * * {{Daniel Petrie ABC Movie of the Week American independent films 1970s monster movies American horror television films American werewolf films Films directed by Daniel Petrie 1972 television films 1972 horror films 1972 films Films scored by Bernardo Segall Films based on American horror novels Films produced by Edward S. Feldman 1970s English-language films 1970s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links