The Werewolf (1913 film)
Encyclopedia
The Werewolf is a silent film
short that is the first werewolf
film, and was directed by Henry MacRae
. It was produced by Bison Film Company, released by Universal Studios
, and is now considered a lost film
, all prints supposedly having been destroyed in a 1924 fire. The script is by Ruth Ann Baldwin, based on the short story The Werewolves by Henry Beaugrand.
woman becomes a witch after erroneously coming to believe that her husband has abandoned her. She teaches the same skills to her daughter Watuma, who transforms
into a wolf
in order to carry out vengeance against the invading white settlers. Then, 100 years after Watuma's death, she returns from the dead to kill again.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
short that is the first werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
film, and was directed by Henry MacRae
Henry MacRae
Henry Alexander MacRae was a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter during the silent era, working on many film serials for Universal Studios...
. It was produced by Bison Film Company, released by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, and is now considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, all prints supposedly having been destroyed in a 1924 fire. The script is by Ruth Ann Baldwin, based on the short story The Werewolves by Henry Beaugrand.
Plot summary
A NavajoNavajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
woman becomes a witch after erroneously coming to believe that her husband has abandoned her. She teaches the same skills to her daughter Watuma, who transforms
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into a wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
in order to carry out vengeance against the invading white settlers. Then, 100 years after Watuma's death, she returns from the dead to kill again.
Cast
- Clarence BurtonClarence BurtonClarence Burton was an American silent film actor....
– Ezra Vance, Prospector and Trail Blazer - Marie WalcampMarie WalcampMarie Walcamp was an American actress of the silent film era.-Biography:Born in Dennison, Ohio, Walcamp headed to the East Coast in search of acting jobs on the stage after she finished her formal education. After landing various roles in New York, she eventually landed a role in 1913's The...
– Kee-On-Ee (as a young woman) - Phyllis GordonPhyllis GordonPhyllis Gordon was an American actress. She appeared in 50 silent era and sound era motion pictures between 1911 and 1941.She was born in Suffolk, Virginia, and died at age 74 in Sonoma, California....
– Watuma, daughter of Kee-On-Ee - Lule WarrentonLule WarrentonLule Warrenton was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 76 films between 1913 and 1922.She was born in Flint, Michigan and died in Laguna Beach, California.-Selected filmography:...
– Kee-On-Ee (years later) - Sherman Bainbridge – Stone Eye
- William CliffordWilliam Clifford (actor)William Clifford was an American actor and screenwriter of the silent era. He appeared in 170 films between 1910 and 1929...
– Jack Ford