I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Director Dan Curtis had an impressive track record after developing the memorable character of Carl Kolchack, played wonderfully by Darren McGavin, in both "The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler", and also the one-off "The Norliss Tapes" with Roy Thinnes.Unfortunately, he doesn't have the same success here, though it does start off strongly with an innocent motorist being killed by a mysterious creature(a werewolf, perhaps?) Several more murders occur, until the twist at the end which is...underwhelming, to say the least. Peter Graves and Clint Walker face off as uneasy friends on opposing sides, since Walker's big game hunter is coldly indifferent to the deaths. He plays it menacingly, but his character(as well as Graves') come off quite flat, and there is little else to distinguish this film and make it memorable. Too bad.

Scream of the Wolf (1974) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Made-for-TV horror film from Dan Curtis has a game hunter (Peter Graves) coming out of retirement to track down a wolf that has been killing people but he soon fears that it's actually a werewolf. Another game hunter (Clint Walker) in town refuses to help in the case and obviously suspicion falls on him. SCREAM OF THE WOLF isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but with such a short running time, a great atmosphere and some fun performances there's no question that fans of the genre should enjoy it. I'll give Curtis a lot credit because he really does quite a bit with obviously very little money. I thought the director did a really good job at building up a rather dark atmosphere and this is especially true during the attack sequences. Another good aspect of this happens with the beautiful scenes in the darken woods with the fog machines doing their job. Graves offers up the laid back type of performance we'd expect from him and he does a nice job with the role. Walker easily steals the film as the main suspect and I really liked how he played guilty so obviously well. Jo Ann Pflug is good as the love interest and Philip Carey is nice as the sheriff. The one major problem with the film is that the screenplay makes it clear who the killer is and if this doesn't turn out to be the case then there's an obvious twist. I won't ruin which way the film goes but I think more of a mystery would have helped things especially since we never actually see the wolf as the film wants to keep us in the dark as to who or what is doing the killings. Still, SCREAM OF THE WOLF has enough going for it to make it worth viewing.

This 1974 mystery thriller sets it's stall out very early on with a reasonably nerve-jangling beginning as a stranded motorist is murdered in a grisly manner on a mist-shrouded,isolated road by someone or something lurking in woods of rural Los Angeles.The plot quickly develops as the baffled police turn to an ex-game hunter (Peter Graves) to assist them with the search of an "animal", who leaves both four-legged and two-legged tracks (never seen by the viewer, by the way, and indicative of the budget restrictions that prevail in this film). One ex-game-hunter goes to an old friend who is still plying his trade as a hunter (Clint Walker) but he oddly backs off and refuses to help anybody track down the killer.At just over 75 minutes running time, the whole thing virtuously floes at a brisk pace, but saying that the early part of the film is rather repetitious in portraying the murders. Furthermore, some sequences are too short and/or choppily edited so the overall smoothness of what is being viewed is compromised.Budget restrictions place a heavy emphasis on mystery and suspense, rather than horror and gore, and with Dan Curtis (of Night Stalker fame) at the production/directorial helm, the whole thing was potentially in safe hands. Nevertheless, there is only decent nail-biting scene in the rest of the film: at the home of the leading character's girlfriend's house where the murderer tries to strike.The script also spends an inordinate amount of time building and playing on the cold-hearted, egocentric and humourless characterisation of Clint Walker's role: whilst Walker carries this off very effectively it becomes rather mind-numbing and tiresome as the film shifts towards its conclusion, even within the confines of the aforementioned running time. What this does is imply considerable guilt on the part of this character and puts all the film's "eggs in one basket." When the conclusion comes it comes with twists that are perfectly explicable in terms of what the viewer has seem beforehand, if not entirely satisfactory.Overall the performances of Peter Graves and Jo-Ann Pflug are merely adequate, but Walker merits more praise for his consistently poker-face portrayal of his character. The film itself carries an element of intrigue that makes it worth watching but many aspects of the script don't translate particularly well to the screen, so it's lasting impact is unfortunately rather Luke-warm.

This is another winner from the pen of sci-fi master writer Richard Matheson, author of the classic film "The Incredible Shrinking Man," though "Scream of the Wolf" plays more as a murder mystery than as a traditional werewolf flick. Made-for-TV on a limited budget, almost nothing is shown in way of special effects, which on the positive side leaves more room for suspense and less room for gore and guts. It seems some huge wolf is the culprit in a series of murders taking place in the woods around Byron Douglas'(Clint Walker) lair. As Sheriff Vernon Bell (Philip Carey) investigates he uncovers strange tracks indicating a four-footed creature; then the markings become those of a being walking upright; finally, the prints suddenly end as if erased. When dogs are brought in to trail, the scent changes unexpectedly when the tracks end. Local hunter, now adventure writer, John Wetherby (Peter Graves) is turned to for assistance. He is unconvinced that a werewolf is to blame, determining that either a monster wolf or a human monster is responsible. When he calls on his former hunting buddy, Byron, to participate in the track down, Byron refuses, maintaining that it's time for his old partner to renew his interest in the pursuit of the kill. John's girlfriend, Sandy Miller (Jo Ann Pflug), is partly accountable for his giving up the hunt. She now helps him to catch the perpetrator of the dastardly deeds, placing herself in death's jaws.The primary suspect from the beginning is weird glory hunter, Byron. But is he really the killer and if so, is he really a werewolf? Another suspect is Byron's man servant, or is he a red herring? He was hired on the basis of his ability to successfully arm wrestle Byron. Or could it be the star of the show, former trophy hunter John Wetherby?Clint Walker, usually a wooden actor, gives one of his best performances in a different type role. He is convincing as the macho hunter intent on bringing his erstwhile friend back into the game. Peter Graves makes a good foil for him. The rest of the cast is above average for a TV movie from the 1970's. A major criticism of Matheson's story is toward the end when "Scream of the Werewolf" almost becomes yet another retelling of Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." Otherwise, this little movie is a gripping murder mystery filled with thrills and chills, with a few frightening scenes, especially if you're watching alone in the dark with dogs howling outside.