The first werewolf movie --- titled simply "The Werewolf" --- appeared in 1913. It involves a Navajo woman who turns into a wolf in order to attack white settlers.
1935's "Werewolf of London" is widely cited as the first film to establish the "classic rules" of movie werewolves. It initially bombed at the box office, but its influence has since grown and it is now considered a minor classic.
The indisputable high point of werewolf movies was 1941's "The Wolf Man," starring Lon Cheney, Jr. It arrived as a part of the cycle of Universal's monster movies, along with "Dracula," "Frankenstein," and "The Creature From the Black Lagoon."
Werewolf movies were limited to lower-end B-movie fare until a trio of modern classics resurrected the genre in 1981: "Wolfen," "The Howling" and "An American Werewolf in London."
Mainstream werewolf movies have not fared well in the 21st century, but a number of smaller movies have achieved well-deserved cult success. Their ranks include 2000's "Ginger Snaps" and 2002's "Dog Soldiers."