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Cat People [VHS]

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Producer Val Lewton, working near if not on Poverty Row, learned to assemble the chilling moods of his films through ellipsis and suggestion. His director for The Cat People, Jacques Tourneur (later to helm Out of the Past), elegantly delivered the goods. Basically, Simone Simon, as the feline heroine living in Bohemian 40s Manhattan, hails from a part of old Europe where... There are scenes in Central Park and the YWCA (both, of course, at night) where the all-but-unbearable suspense is generated by the most indirect and economical of means. This may be the most perfectly realized horror film ever made, because they knew then what they've forgotten now -- that the worst images come not from speffex but from deep within our own ids. Paul Schrader's lavish and literal-minded remake in the 80s can't begin to give an idea of this unforgettable, black-and-white jewel.

There's a pivotal scene in Vincente Minelli's "The Bad and the Beautiful" where Kirk Douglas and Barry Sullivan, portraying a fledgling Hollywood producer and director are given the task of making a horror movie with little more than a title (and a silly one at that). In a flash of desperate inspiration, they eschew the typical men-in-suits method that never works anyway, relying instead on the two oldest and most reliable special effects in filmaking: the Dark and the Imagination. Needless to say their film is a hit. I have no doubt this scene was a direct tribute to the careers and films of an unjustly obscure pair of visionaries, producer Val Lewton and director Jaques Tourneur and their most "famous" film, 1942's "Cat People."

Shot at RKO in under a month for less than $140,000, this dark little gem stars Simone Simon as Irena, a Serbian woman (immigrant? refugee?) who is convinced that her blood carries the curse of a race of European Satanist druids, and that any hint of passion, love, desire, anger, jealousy will turn her into a murderous cat-creature. The tiny, lovely Simon plays the role beautifully, with a fragile, feline grace that hints at something very dark (kinky?) lurking just underneath her almond-shaped eyes and alluring smile. Kent Smith plays her husband Oliver Reed rather woodenly by comparison, but Tourneur is smart enough not to try making him any deeper than a typical all-American boy type - at one point he describes his life as "swell" and somehow we don't laugh...maybe you could say stuff like that in the 40s.

DeWitt Bodeen's script efficiently zips through the boy-meets-girl part, but not without giving us things to think about. After brazenly inviting (luring?) Oliver to her apartment for tea after having just met, we soon find Irena humming an exotically European lullaby in the darkened room as Oliver lays on her sofa...though both characters are fully dressed and on opposite sides of the room, the feeling that something did/will/should/wants to happen is palpable. Particularly chilling is a moment when Irena and Oliver enter a pet shop only to find every single animal in the room shrieking with horror, the din ceasing the moment Irena opts to stand by herself in a pouring rain while Oliver shops in the now peaceful establishment. I've seen more graphic depictions of the excluded outsider, but none more poigniant. At a party thrown in honor of their engagement, a mysterious and beautiful stranger who "looks like a cat" according to one guest greets Irena as a familiar, saying something in a language only the two of them understand. It's a simple moment, but a dark one...dark because the audience realizes that Irena truly is something other than what she seems, and because the people around her don't believe it, something bad is going to happen.

This is when Tourneur and photographer Nicholas Musuraca do their work, mixing our own expectation of something awful with shadows, sounds and silence, standing by as we push our own buttons. Utterly normal things like walking to a bus stop, answering the phone, taking a swim and even having coffee and pie morph from the common into hair raising incidents. As we watch we're more frightened each time something dosen't happen, convinced that it's going to be really awful when it finally does. It isn't until the film's bittersweet finale, that we realize that Tourneur and Bodeen have been toying with our very conception of what scary is...conning us into scaring ourselves because we already know how.

One of the best of the 1940's era horror films highlighted by Val Lewton's use of shadow and understated horror. Produced by Lewton, this film, the Wolf Man, and Dead of Night rank as the best horror films from the lean 1940's. Directed by Jacquest Tourneur (Curse of the Demon) and starring the sexy Simone Simon, this film is one of the few perfect horror films. This VHS edition is in SP speed and gives a very clear picture and sound. The black levels are good so night scenes (of which there are many) are always nicely visible. The VHS features a reproduction of the film's wonderful poster.If you like classic horror, this is for you.

Cat People is the first of Val Lewton's celebrated horror series for RKO. The studio may have thought throw-away escapism for war time audiences, but Lewton had more ambitious designs. Results in this initial entry are uneven, brought down by obvious budget constraints and a lacklustre cast. Physically, Simone Simon is a good choice for cat woman with her kittenish features and seductive smile, but the demands of the role are simply beyond her thespic powers. The real cat woman, Elizabeth Russell, shows up in the cafe scene to scare the daylights out of everyone including the audience. Too bad we don't see her again.

Nonetheless, the hallmarks of the series are already in place -- imaginative scripts , literary prologues and epilogues, sudden shocks, creative use of sound , but above all, the use of atmosphere to imply horror without actually showing it (Lewton had to fight the studio on this one). Implied horror especially requires a high level of artistry , which helps explain why so few film makers of today even attempt it. All are present in Cat People, with results that are both entertaining and interesting despite the drawbacks. And, oh yes, for those interested in the more academic side of movies, whether intentional or not, there is a mother lode of symbolism lurking in the subtext of this film, which I'm happy to say doesn't detract from the entertainment value one whit.

"Cat People" is a nifty horror thriller that stands as a model of economy. Producer Val Lewton is said to have been given a miniscule budget for the movie. It was shot by director Jacques Tourneur in less than thirty days. It is a tribute to these men that the movie remains quite watchable sixty years later.

The story is simple: A young man named Oliver [Kent Smith] meets Irena [Simone Simon] at the big cat exhibit of a zoo. She's from a small Russian village. [Simon was, in fact, French.] They fall in love, but Irena is terrified of even kissing Oliver because of a legend that says passion could turn her into a leopard. Despite the obvious drawbacks of such a phobia, Oliver marries her. Eventually, he and his friend, Alice [Jane Randolph], who is secretly in love with him, convince the bride to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Judd [Tom Conway]. Naturally, all three characters believe Irena's problem is a psychological one. Her persistent rejection of the patient Oliver and her increasingly erratic behavior causes him to turn to Alice. This causes Irena to become increasingly jealous and paranoid. Soon enough we find out that her fears about what she can turn into are horrifyingly real.

As a horror film, "Cat People" is naturally tame by today's standards, but it is still creepier and more suspenseful than much of today's fare. The camera work and the lighting are first rate, as are the sets, all of which were probably recycled from other productions. Though none of the four leads ever became a star, they were very competent character actors who enjoyed successful careers. Tourneur continued to specialize in modestly budgeted suspense and horror movies and was well regarded in the industry. Lewton died of a heart attack in 1951 in his forties.

If you study the movie, you can see how many corners were cut, though these do not detract from one's enjoyment of it. A handful sets serve as the background for the bulk of the scenes. For example, when Oliver first meets Irena, she invites him into her apartment for tea. After they marry, he moves into her place. The only reason I can think of for his doing so is that no additional sets were needed for either his home or a new one for the couple.

Despite a few flaws, most of them related to its low budget, "Cat People" is both a fun movie and a thrilling one. Recommended. [Not to be confused with the 1982 version. Although the update has merits of its own, it in no way resembles the original in either tone or style.]

Producer Val Lewton was forced to work with a small budget during his time with RKO, but faced with financial contraints and lack of star power, he hooked up with director Jacques Tourneur to create several horror films that many decades later are still considered the finest ever made in the genre. Cat People is one of those films.

Lewton and Tourneur did this by letting the imagination of the viewer make up the horror, as everything is in the unseen. It was a device they would use in several films and it always worked. Lewton and Tourneur new that what we could imagine in our minds through cinematic suggestion was far worse than anything they could graphically show on screen.

Simone Simon, small and elegant, is perfect as the sweet Yugoslavian girl Irena Dubrovna, living in New York City and trying to fit in. Even after she meets and marries Oliver (Kent Smith) there is a shadow on her life which stands eerily between the happiness she desires and the curse she feels inside her.

A scene in a restaurant when "one of her own kind" recognizes the panther inside her is particularly unsettleing. Tom Conway is the doctor who tries to help and Jane Randolph has a nice part as Oliver's friend Alice. As Irene wrestles with her fear, Oliver begins to confide in Alice and it becomes obvious to Irena that there could be more. Irena's jealously may awaken the panther inside her and put all their lives in danger.

A film that is full of atmosphere and dripping with doom, there are some genuinely scary moments here. A scene late at night as Irena walks alone down the street, and a terrifying scene by a pool are both legendary. Simone Simon brought a fragile, and yes, cat like grace to the role. Tourneur lets the audience sense her fear and feel sorry for her tortured soul.

Watch this one late at night, but by all means, do not watch it alone!

"Cat People" (1942) is considered a B Class movie.

Well it was intended as such: tiny budget, short runtime (only 73 minutes) and small cast of actors and actress.

There is no doubt in my mind that this film excels and surpasses those limited expectations. It is a real gem!

Director Jacques Tourneur has delivered an opus of deep psychological connotations. Fear derives more from the ambiance that from what is actually seen on the screen.

This atmosphere is reached by intelligent rhythm, beautifully suggestive black & white photography and adequate illumination effects.

The story opens with a casual encounter at the zoo. A beautiful young woman is sketching and discarding one drawing after another of a black panther.

Oliver is attracted irresistibly by her magic aura. In a rather quick and impromptu fashion they engage and get married, not before Irena warning him that she has some deep rooted mysterious fears.

Irene barred the entrance of her bedroom to Ollie. He expects to overcome this with patience (and tenderness? not really shown). He fails. The marriage is in distress and weirder and weirder situations occurred with mounting drama.

Simone Simon has a very expressive and exotic look as the Cat Girl and gives the best performance of the cast. Tom Conway acts convincingly as Dr. Judd. Jane Randolph as Oliver's office pal and secretly in love with him is quite good. Unfortunately Kent Smith is just starting his career and does not put up enough stamina to his character.

Film lovers will enjoy this gem!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

I really hope some of the Val Lewton movies show up on DVD.
Especially Cat People, I walked with a Zombie, 7th Victim etc.

They are very well done and would be a real shame not to have a collection of Lewton come out.

'The Cat People' is a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric film. Fans of 'The Sixth Sense' will love this suggestive, eerie classic of horror. This film just begs for a crisp DVD image and re-release with several extras included. With a recent book on Jacques Turner on the market how come this hasn't been released on the shiny disc format?

Perhaps the best known and most often imitated "B" movie of the 40s or of all-time Jacques Tourneur's "Cat People" like the main character has a lot going on underneath its surface.

Drenched in atmosphere and sexuality "Cat People" tells the story of Irena Dubrovna, a foreigner who has arrived in America and meets Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) an all-America boy, he even eats apple pie!.

Irena believes in a myth (?) about her people who turn into cats when they express any strong feelings or desires. In this movie it is mostly used as a reference to sex. After the two are married Oliver is not even allowed to kiss her.

Oliver finds out about Irena's past and suggest she go see a doctor, (Tom Conway). But no one believes her story.

The movie is somewhat slow. There is not a lot of action going on mostly subtle psychological and cultural refernces. Two people from different cultures, the American telling his wife she is wrong to hold her beliefs. When the movie starts to build up to the action I think it works best. Wait for the swimming pool scene. But mostly everything is a set-up for the action.

Some may think it was a great artistic move that the Irena is never shown turning into the panther. Maybe it is, but we never doubt, or at least I never doubted, what she says is true.

Jacques Tourneur had a very long career making these "B" movies ("I Walked with a Zombie") and they were quite popular at the time. In fact this movie was so popular it inspired a sequel "The Curse of the Cat People" which Tourneur did not directed (Robert Wise did) but starred the same people except for Conway.

Bottom-line: Great atmosphere but little action. Worthwhile if you are a Tourneur fan or like Hollywood "B" movies.