In London, 1900, Phyllis Allerby (June Lockhart) is young, beautiful, and about to be married to her lawyer boyfriend Barry Lanfield (Don Porter). She lives in the Allerby Mansion with her aunt, Martha Winthrop (Sara Haden), her cousin Carol (Jan Wiley), and a housekeeper named Hannah (Elly Malyon). A series of shocking murders, in which the victims’ throats are ripped out, take place in a nearby park. Even Scotland Yard is musing about werewolves, but Inspector Pierce (Dennis Hoey) wonders about a wolf-woman reported near the Allenby Mansion.
Phyllis is terrified because there are rumors in the family of a curse on the Allerby family. Aunt Martha tries to tell her the legend is nonsense, though both she and Carol wonder about it themselves. Phyllis tries to keep her betrothed away from the house, but a detective is killed soon after visiting the mansion. Barry becomes suspicious himself and begins to investigate. It seems that Aunt Martha is responsible, to convince Phyllis that she is insane. If she is committed to an asylum, Martha and her daughter Carol could continue to live in the mansion. Chasing Phyllis, Martha falls down the stairs and dies, and Phyllis is comforted by Barry.
The film was directed by Jean Yarbrough. It began the career of June Lockhart, who is best known for Lassie, Lost in Space, and Petticoat Junction on TV. I suppose it’s no surprise that there is no actual werewolf in the movie. It was pretty much dismissed by both critics and horror fans. It’s sad, really, because the Wolf Man, in the person of Lon Chaney Jr., is one of the great characters in film, and this is not a good way to end the Universal Wolf Man run. Dennis Hoey is typecast as a detective. He appeared as Inspector Lestrade in several Sherlock Holmes films.