By: Horror Archivist
Forty years after its release, John Landis’s An American Werewolf in London remains the gold standard for cinematic horror-comedy. It holds a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup (thanks to Rick Baker’s legendary transformation scene), and traumatized a generation with the nightmare vision of Nazi demons blowing up a suburban family.
Yet, despite its iconic status, the film has always carried a ghost in the machine: the deleted scenes.
For decades, fans have whispered about sequences that appear in the novelization, still photographs that don’t match the final cut, and rumors of a darker, longer version of the film. Recently, however, a dedicated group of "wolf hunters" (film archivists and digital sleuths) claim to have finally cracked the mystery. This is the story of what was lost, why it was cut, and how the deleted scenes of An American Werewolf in London were finally unearthed.
Here are the crown jewels that were "cracked" open. Warning: Spoilers for 40-year-old deleted content follow.
As of mid-2026, Universal has not officially released an "Extended Edition." However, due to the pressure from the "cracked" fan movement, Arrow Video has announced a 45th-anniversary box set for Q4 2026.
What is available now:
Warning: Do not search for "An American Werewolf in London deleted scenes cracked" on public streaming sites. Most links are malware. The authentic material lives in specialized forums like OriginalTrilogy.com and The Lost Media Wiki.
If you mean a corrupted file or a cracked copy (warez scene) of the deleted scenes, those aren’t a thing — the official deleted scenes are easily found on YouTube, Internet Archive, and the Blu-ray.
Recommendation: Search YouTube for “American Werewolf in London deleted scenes” — you’ll find the full 7-minute collection uploaded many times. No cracking needed. an american werewolf in london deleted scenes cracked
If you meant something else by “cracked” (e.g., cracked as in analyzed/funny commentary), let me know.
An American Werewolf in London features notable deleted scenes, most famously a "Tramp Attack" sequence removed for extreme brutality and considered lost. Other trimmed moments include additional gore effects, such as Jack attempting to eat toast and a severed thumb scene, alongside alternative broadcast edits. For a broader look at famous deleted scenes, see this Cracked.com article www.reddit.com
You're referring to the 1981 film "An American Werewolf in London" directed by John Landis. I found some information about deleted scenes from the movie.
According to various sources, including interviews with John Landis and special effects artist Rick Baker, several scenes were deleted from the final version of the film. Here are a few examples:
These deleted scenes can be found on some special edition DVD releases or through fan sites and YouTube channels that specialize in movie extras and behind-the-scenes content.
Keep in mind that some of these deleted scenes might be hard to find or require specific permissions to access.
Several famous deleted or altered scenes from An American Werewolf in London
(1981) have been discussed by outlets like Cracked, often focusing on how they explain plot gaps or character motivations. Famous Deleted or Altered Scenes
The Tramp Murders: This is considered the film's "lost" holy grail. Director John Landis filmed a graphic sequence of the werewolf killing three homeless men in a junkyard. It was cut because test audiences found it too intense and distracting, similar to the "Spider Pit" scene in King Kong. No known video or audio of this scene exists today An American Werewolf in London: The Deleted Scenes
David’s Final Phone Call: In some versions (notably older UK DVD releases due to mastering errors), a scene where David calls home to his sister Rachel was removed. In this emotional call, he says goodbye to his family just before attempting to die by suicide with a pen knife. The Zoo Interaction
: A cut scene featured a young boy with balloons who is approached by a naked David after he wakes up in the wolf enclosure. The boy tells a nearby adult that a naked American man stole his balloons.
MPAA/Rating Cuts: Several graphic moments were toned down for the "R" rating in the US, including: The love scene between David and Jenny.
A shot of half-eaten toast falling out of the undead Jack’s throat.
Alternate music: Some early TV versions used "Happy Together" by The Turtles instead of "Moondance" during the love scene. "Cracked" Context
Cracked often highlights how these scenes fix "flaws." For example, the article you likely remember, 7 Famous Movie Flaws That Were Explained in Deleted Scenes, discusses how deleted footage or alternate takes can clarify character arcs or technical "bloopers" that made it into final cuts. Behind The Scenes Saturday: An American Werewolf In London
While there is no specific "Cracked" article solely dedicated to this topic, the lore of deleted scenes in An American Werewolf in London
(1981) remains one of horror's most legendary "lost media" mysteries. The Lost "Tramp Attack" Scene
The most significant deleted footage is a graphic sequence where the werewolf mauls three homeless men in a junkyard. The "Cracked" Reconstruction: A fan edit titled "An
The Reason for Deletion: Director John Landis removed the scene after test audiences reacted negatively, finding it too distracting or perhaps too intense compared to the rest of the film.
The Mystery: Landis has expressed regret over cutting it, yet no visual or audio footage of the scene is known to exist today. Some crew members have even disputed Landis's memory, claiming the scene was never actually filmed. Other Significant Cuts and Edits
Beyond the missing junkyard scene, several smaller moments were trimmed or altered for rating and broadcast purposes:
The "Toast" Scene: A shot was removed where a piece of toast falls out of Jack's (Griffin Dunne) undead throat while he is eating.
The Tube Station Thumb: Some reports suggest a cut scene where David spits out the severed thumb of a victim in the London Underground. International Variations:
The UK version originally edited out the dead werewolf in human form on the moors.
The US theatrical version shortened the love scene between David and Alex to secure an R rating.
The Phone Call Home: A moving scene where David calls his sister to say goodbye before attempting suicide was accidentally omitted from some Region 2 DVD releases due to a mastering error. Restoration Attempts
Rejected Score: In 2008, efforts were made to restore Elmer Bernstein's original rejected score to the transformation sequence for the Blu-ray release. However, the project failed because the Sam Cooke audio ("Bad Moon Rising") could not be cleanly separated from the original tracks.
Prop Restoration: While the footage is lost, the original "Oscar" werewolf prop was famously restored by specialists, much to the astonishment of Rick Baker and John Landis.