Of course those were real wolves in An American Werewolf in London (1981)
It was a howling good time!
In films today, CGI is used more often than not to tell a story on screen. But back in the 1980s, if you needed a wolf for your film, gosh darn it, you get yourself a real wolf.
At least, that’s what John Landis did during the 1980s. When filming An American Werewolf in London (1981), Landis needed a scene in which his star, played by David Naughton, wakes up in a wolf den at the zoo after a rather frightening transformation.
According to Naughton himself, those were real wolves!
“We had found these tame wolves, born in captivity and owned by an eccentric baron-type who lived in a 16th-century country manor," Naughton said during an interview with the Daily News. John [Landis], Jenny [Agutter], Griffin [Dunne], and I went out there one day and played with the wolves in order to familiarize ourselves with them...There was only one thing about that. In the film, I’m the only one who ends up alone in a cage with a male and female wolf.”
While Naughton maintained that nothing went terribly wrong, he acknowledged that at times, things got a bit...hairy. It turns out that the wolves on set were even bigger divas than some Hollywood actors.
“After we finished a take, these trainers would leash the wolves and drag them back to where they’re supposed to be when I awake,” said Naughton. “Well, these wolves did not want to be on leashes. They would bite, go after the leashes, and snarl. And I’m standing there, saying, ‘Don’t do that. You’re upsetting them. What if they get excited - and CHOMP?’”
While the scene was certainly memorable for audiences, it was a day of shooting that Naughton was not likely to forget. “I was delighted to get out of that cage,” he said.
Related
