Frederick Stafford, born Friedrich Strobel von Stein in 1928, carved a niche in European spy films and cult cinema. His role as the suave agent in O.S.S. 117: Mission to Tokyo (1966) exemplified his charm, while his later appearance in Werewolf Woman (1976) showcased his versatility in the realm of exploitation cinema. Stafford's journey from a Czechoslovak-born actor to a leading man in thrilling narratives reflects the era's fascination with espionage and the bizarre, making him a notable figure in the SassyFlix catalog.
Werewolf Woman
When Daniella Neseri was a child, she was raped. The trauma from this has stunted her emotional growth and sexuality, so much so that she is incapable of having normal romantic relationships with men. One day she discovers that one of her female ancestors was killed for purportedly being a werewolf and that she greatly resembles this woman. This causes her to have nightmares where she transforms into a werewolf and is chased by angry villagers. Eventually this delusion surfaces in her daily life and as a result, she murders her sister Elena's lover after watching the two make love. Daniella hides the murder by throwing the body over a cliff, meant to give off the impression that he was attacked by a dog and accidentally fell. Daniella is discovered unresponsive near the cliff and she is institutionalized, as her family and physicians believe that she merely discovered the body and the shock was too much for her. Her personality flickers between a calm and violence and eventually Daniella manages to escape the institution after murdering a fellow patient who made sexual advances to her. While on the run she murders a man who tried to rape her and she is found by Luca, a handsome stuntman living in a movie set for Western films. Meanwhile both detectives and her family are searching for her, as they now believe that she is responsible for all of the murders that have happened thus far. Daniella ends up falling in love with Luca due to his care and gentleness, even managing to overcome her urges to murder. Believing herself cured of her mental illness, Daniella spends a happy month with Luca and is able to have a seemingly regular sexual relationship with him. This ends after another person living in the same movie set breaks into Luca's home with two of his friends and take turns violently raping Daniella. They also murder Luca when he returns home, shattering what is left of Daniella's sanity. She follows them to their homes and jobs, murdering them out of revenge. The police discover her living in the forest where her ancestor was killed, fully believing herself to be a werewolf. She is captured and institutionalized, where she dies. Her father also commits suicide, leaving her sister as the only living Neseri.
