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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bizarre! Weird! A real horror!, August 9, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Black Cat (1941) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This has to be one of the most bizarre movies ever produced by a major studio during the early 40s. First of all, this is not a horror movie. It's an hysterical hybrid of comedy/old house creeps/suspense. Someone wearing a disguise runs around the house killing people. But what a fantastic cast: Basil Rathbone, who acts so uncomfortable, he must have realized too late what kind of a mess he had gotten into; Gale Sondergarde (who had won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and this is what she ended up with!); Bela Lugosi, who does nothing more than leer, smirk, bulge his eyes. And the others: Broderick Crawford, Alan Ladd, Gladys George (who had just played Bette Davis' bitch mother in the classic, Now, Voyager); and cute B-actress Claire Dodd (she has only ten words). What's so exasperating is that the characters act like lunatics. Crawford bumbles, mumbles, trips,falls, does double-takes. Even worse is his horrendous sidekick, some fifth-rate comedian who is supposed to be an antique dealer. He's even worse. He acts so stupid he doesn't even know what a clock is. One example of how insane this movie is. The camera films a group of faces, as possible killers. One of them is Sondergarde. For no reason at all, she suddenly bursts into maniacal laughter. What's really strange is that the photography and lightning is a knockout. Because legendary Stanley Cortez was the camera man! This would certainly make a fascinating article for FilmFax. Or maybe even a book, like "Hollywood Gothic".You've got to see this curiosity to believe it. Paging James Whale, Tod Browning, George Waggner. Yes, even Reginald le Borge.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hey! Lighten up, it's a B movie and it's fun to watch., July 10, 2002
This review is from: Black Cat (1941) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
OK, so it's not perfect, but it is entertaining. And, Hugh Herbert is not "some 5th rate comedian" he's a hoot! The overall appearance, photography, lighting, setting are all worth a look. To me, it's a campy take on the classic Hollywood "who dunit." There's shadows, lightening & thunder, cats, scheming relatives all in glorious black & white. The cast is delightful and includes a very young Alan Ladd. I recommend it!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Atmosphere and more, March 2, 2000
This review is from: Black Cat (1941) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I highly recommend this movie. It has good photography, a storm, cats that meow hauntingly, and even some humor. I love horror and comedy together but this movie didn't quite find the perfect blend of the two but still is an excellent film. You can't go wrong with this one!
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