David Naughton's easy likeability gives An American Werewolf in London much of its sting. We rate the warmth and credible fear he brings to David Kessler, even when the writing gives him too little else to play.
Fi1m perspective
David Naughton lets David Kessler seem baffled without making him seem stupid. In John Landis's An American Werewolf in London (1981), that distinction keeps an ordinary young man worth caring about amid the supernatural trouble. His exchanges with Griffin Dunne's Jack Goodman retain the ease of travelling companions who already know each other's habits. The humour comes from that familiarity, with Naughton giving Dunne someone credible to talk to. We found David's suffering hard to watch because Naughton had made us fond of him before the physical horror took hold.
His early work drew on a more openly energetic performer, in Dr Pepper commercials and the sitcom Makin' It (1979), whose theme song he sang. Midnight Madness (1980) was his film debut; An American Werewolf in London brought the breakthrough. Landis found a useful purpose for that affability, giving the frightening material someone it could hurt. Rick Baker's make-up effects are crucial, but Naughton's credible fear gives us a reason to stay with the person underneath them.
The limitation is how little more the screenplay allows David to become once his predicament is established. Jenny Agutter brings warmth to Nurse Alex Price, and the attachment between her and David remains credible for longer than the writing deserves. Their romance needs more time, particularly if it is to tell us something about him beyond his immediate distress. Naughton can sustain the confusion and fear, but he cannot supply all the depth Landis has left unwritten.
His subsequent work has consisted largely of television guest appearances and supporting parts in lower-profile films, with horror remaining part of the career. That limited run of film leads should not obscure how well he served the one that made his name. Start with An American Werewolf in London, allowing for the thin romance and taking its physical horror seriously.
Biography
David Naughton is an American actor and singer. He trained at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied drama, and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
He is known for his lead role as David Kessler in the horror film An American Werewolf in London (1981) and for starring in the Disney comedy Midnight Madness (1980). He also appeared in the short-lived sitcom Makin' It (1979), for which he recorded the hit theme song, and featured in a long-running advertising campaign for Dr Pepper.
Naughton has worked extensively in television, with credits including My Sister Sam, Seinfeld, ER and Grey's Anatomy. His older brother, James Naughton, is also an actor.
