An American Werewolf In London Deleted Scenes -
While there is no official "Director's Cut" of An American Werewolf in London
Yes, there is lost footage of Griffin Dunne in a full skeleton makeup suit, rattling his bones at David in the Tower Cinema. The dialogue was darkly comedic: "You think this is bad? Wait until my teeth fall out and I have to whistle for a cab."
A man attempting to escape the chaos runs directly into a local adult entertainment shop. As he hides inside, a massive piece of debris or a vehicle crashes through the window, pinning him against a provocative display in a highly compromising position.
In the hospital, after David’s nightmare, Nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) had a longer speech about her own isolation. an american werewolf in london deleted scenes
The attack on commuters at the Tottenham Court Road tube station originally featured more visceral gore. The sequence where the werewolf stalks and kills the businessman, Gerald Bringsley, contained additional shots of the wolf actively tearing at its victim. The final film relies more on the echo of screams and suggestiveness, though the initial chase remains intact. 6. The Chaos in Piccadilly Circus
While the tramp death scene is the most famous loss, a pre-release cut of An American Werewolf in London reportedly contained several other key differences that have since been lost or altered to secure an R-rating in the United States.
In the theatrical cut, David and Jack walk into the East Proctor pub, "The Slaughtered Lamb," to a sudden, freezing silence from the locals. Originally, this tension was built up differently. The bar patrons, including actors Brian Glover and Rik Mayall, were singing a bawdy, traditional English folk song. The singing abruptly stops the moment the two American tourists open the door. The scene was trimmed to make the atmosphere instantly hostile and eerie. 2. David and the Man in the Alley While there is no official "Director's Cut" of
The love scene between David and Alex (the beautiful nurse played by Jenny Agutter) is a pivotal moment of tenderness in the film. However, the version seen in theaters is a toned-down edit of a much longer and more explicit sequence. Landis filmed a more graphic sex scene to add to the film’s raw, adult atmosphere, but it was shortened significantly to satisfy the censors and achieve an R-rating in the American market.
The most famous "holy grail" of deleted footage is the junkyard attack on three homeless men. While the film currently cuts from the werewolf's emergence to the next morning, Landis originally filmed a highly graphic sequence showing their deaths.
The original script had a coda . After David’s death, we cut to the Slaughtered Lamb pub. The same five blokes are playing chess. One looks up at the clock. The camera pans to the window. The full moon is setting. One man says, "Well... that’s that, then." They turn back to their game. As he hides inside, a massive piece of
Landis edited the film tightly to maintain its relentless pacing. This resulted in several deleted scenes, extended sequences, and alternate cuts. Some of these were trimmed to avoid an X rating from the MPAA, while others were cut for tone.
In some versions, including certain UK DVD releases, a poignant scene of David calling home was omitted due to mastering errors.
: Test audiences reacted negatively, finding the violence distracting from the film's core narrative.
The original sequence featured highly detailed, graphic special effects by Rick Baker's team, showing the werewolf actively decapitating a bowler and ripping the jaw off of another victim. The camera held on the gory aftermath for several seconds. To avoid an X rating, Landis trimmed these frames down to quick, chaotic flashes of violence. 6. Extended Tramps Attack