For those hording toilet paper

From the trailer for The Beast Must Die (1974)

I guess you could almost call The Beast Must Die a werewolf version of Who Goes There? This is Amicus studios’ werewolf film, and it is a precursor to Wolfen in that the human cursed with lycanthropy turns into a wolf, not a “wolfman”.

A wealthy businessman, Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart), loves to hunt…everything. His dream “catch” would be a werewolf. He has assembled a group of people from various walks of life (pianist, artist, jet-setting beauty, diplomat, professor in archeology (and werewolf enthusiast)) with a notoriety for being in places where serious savage murders take place. We’re talking the “ripped throat” variety. Tom has enlisted the services of Polish security expert Pavel (Anton Differing), responsible for setting up cameras, microphones, bugs, and an underground grid with alarms rigged to catch anything on the grounds near his estate/mansion.

Designed as a whodunit (and a character study of a man with too much money and a gigantic ego to match), there’s even a William Castle gimmick called The Werewolf Break which seems rather desperate and dated by 1974. It is no surprise Amicus would not be making movies for much longer. This is a rather okay but not particularly satisfying horror chiller. Lockhart is portrayed as a heel, doggedly wearisome in finding the werewolf no matter what. He even pointedly suggests he’d kill his own wife if it was determined she was the werewolf! In a twist of fate, there’s a development where Tom must kill and regret it absolutely. This was all for sport but eventually the fun of the hunt dissipates and Tom will find a purpose to kill the werewolf far beyond the thrill do so…it will be a necessity. That necessity amplifies when multiple victims fall to the werewolf on the grounds. Because Tom invited this hunt, including endangering the woman he loves, it is hard to find sympathy for him when a major turn of events leaves him with a tough choice to make…the hunt will cost him dearly.

The cast has some familiar faces. Lockhart is given star credit and he’s a force that leaves all stuck at his estate restless, anxious, and uncomfortable. He is like this living embodiment of the harbinger of doom.  When the body count starts to rise, nerves are on edge. Charles Gray is most notable for the great Hammer studios’ film, The Devil’s Bride, and the James Bond vehicle, Diamonds Are Forever. Michael Gambon is obviously known for the Harry Potter films and Robert Altman’s Gosford Park. And Cushing brings some name value in the supporting role (dropping a dialect to mix it up a bit) as an expert in werewolvery.

The dark German shepherd dog leaves much to be desired. The dog just isn’t scary. Not in the least. It is a cheap way to save money on make-up effects. The film has a penchant for tragedy and that perhaps salvages the experience from being a bit of a dud. Lockhart antagonizing and showboating doesn’t ingratiate his aristocrat to the audience. He comes off as a way-too-abundantly-rich blowhard with a need to satiate a bloodlust…the ruthless aggression that marks his business life is every bit as present in the personal business involving the hunt for animals. This time, though, he is not only the hunter but the hunted (he’s nearly killed by a hatchet hurled at him from someone wanting him dead; Tom Chadbon’s Paul Foote (with his hairy hands) is playing with a bow and arrow, with an aim that results in arrow narrowly missing Lockhart’s head), and the wolf seems to avert disaster time and again.

Cushing and Gray are vets coming out of Great Britain that will always provide an incentive in curious horror fans seeing The Beast Must Die, but the overbearing Lockhart could very well task even the most loyal of Amicus fan. Unfortunately, Anton Diffring fans will be disappointed considering he barely makes it past the thirty-minute mark. His character obviously considers Lockhart a nut, and there's amusement in his reaction and comments regarding those seemingly trapped at the estate when talking about their eccentric host (spying on people opens up listening to conversation about yourself in not the most positive light). The opening is rather exciting as Lockhart moves about the wilderness near his estate testing out the security in an exercise where Diffring communicates to armed hunters chasing after a human quarry mimicking the potential werewolf. Scenes involving a silver candlestick, placing a silver bullet in the mouth, and wolfsbane pollinating the air are means Lockhart will resort to catch his werewolf. The results may not be to his liking. I thought it was amusing how the dog...I mean werewolf...keeps outsmarting Lockhart. Lockhart will ultimately get his kill shot...but it comes with a price. A price, I must admit, is coming to him.