Nina Foch Howls about Werewolves

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In 1943, Nina Foch made her film debut in The Return of the Vampire. In the horror picture, Foch finds herself in the crossfire of a vampire and his werewolf assistant, played by Matt Willis.

Remembering the film, she said, “In those days that makeup was very, very hard to do because they didn’t have the skills that they do now. It took a lot of patience on [Willis'] part. But he was a very nice fellow.”

One year later, Foch got to reverse roles – playing a werewolf instead of a human.

In Cry of the Werewolf, she played a gypsy queen who, like her mother, could transform into the beast at will. However, unlike Willis, Foch didn't have to undergo a makeup transformation. Instead, an animal was used.

“The nice thing about playing a wolf is that you get to rest sometimes because the wolf has to work,” she remembered. “And in a B picture, that’s a good thing. You can go to your trailer from time to time.”

The film didn’t actually use a wolf though. Instead, the production crew chose to work with a German shepherd.

 “The trouble with animals that work in films is they tend to smell. No matter how you try it, they’re still in a nervous state.”

Apparently, even “werewolves” have feelings.