Wolf Blood
Wolf Blood, also known as Wolfblood: A Tale of the Forest, is an American silent 1925 werewolf film starring George Chesebro, who also co-directed it with B-serial veteran Bruce M. Mitchell. The film has been referenced in a number of books as being the first werewolf movie ever made. This however is erroneous; the first werewolf movie is The Werewolf, a film made in 1913. However that film is considered to be lost. Therefore, Wolf Blood could be called the earliest surviving werewolf film. Although this film is labeled as a horror, there is very little in the feature film to be qualified as a horror film. Instead the film focuses more on romance and archaic action rather than suspense and fear as we have seen in other horror films of the time. The film is said to have more in common with westerns and adventure films of the 1920s.This film's importance to the genre of horror comes more so from its historical importance rather than historical impact. Wolf Blood is available commercially as an extra on a DVD together with F.W. Murnau's The Haunted Castle.
Plot
Dick Bannister is the new field boss of the Ford Logging Company, a Canadian logging-crew during a time when conflicts with the powerful Consolidated Lumber Company, a bitter rival company, have turned bloody, like a private war. His boss, Miss Edith Ford, comes to inspect the lumberjack camp, bringing her fiancé Dr. Horton with her. Dick is attacked by his rivals and left for dead. His loss of blood is so great that he needs a transfusion, but no human will volunteer, so the doctor uses a wolf as a source of the blood. Afterwards, Dick begins having dreams in which he runs with a pack of phantom wolves, and some rival loggers are killed by wolves. Soon, the news has spread through the camp and most of the lumberjacks begin to believe that Dick is a werewolf. Dick attempts to jump off a cliff, but is rescued by Edith.
Cast
More details
author | Cliff Hill |
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director | George Chesebro |
genre | action adventure drama fantasy historical horror romance western |
keywords | attack blood transfusion gray wolf kill left for dead log lumberjack rescue transfusion werewolf wolf |
producer | Ryan Brothers |
productionCompany | Ryan Brothers Productions |
publisher | Lee-Bradford Corporation |