CAT PEOPLE/THE CURSE OF THE
CAT PROPLE
1942
These Cats Belong
Together, October 23, 2008
Amazon.com
Val Lewton's name is synonymous with the subtlest, most mysterious brand of
horror filmmaking in Hollywood's golden age, and the nine horror
classics he produced at RKO between 1942 and 1946 constitute the most
remarkable cycle of creativity in B-movie history. He and director Jacques
Tourneur scored with both a popular hit and a masterpiece in 1942: Cat
People. The story involves a pretty young Serbian woman in Manhattan
(Simone Simon) convinced that her ancestors had practiced animal worship during
the Middle Ages--and that she herself might shape-change into a lithe, ravening
panther if her passions were aroused. The film is uncannily successful in keeping
the viewer guessing whether this is a phobia borne of morbid obsession and
sexual repression, or a genuine, horrific possibility. There are two sequences
of matchless artistry and almost unbearable suspense--a lonely, echoing walk
through pools of lamplight alongside Central Park, and a late-night swim in a
deserted indoor pool--that build to throat-grabbing climaxes and remain
milestones in the history of screen horror. The Curse of the Cat People
(1944), a sequel that is not quite a sequel, is a pretend-horror movie that's
really a contemplation of the fragility of childhood. --Richard Jameson
____________________________________________
It's great that these
two films are packaged as one, because they reveal a lot about about the
producer, the legendary Val Lewton. You hear about how actors get
"typed" and get saddled with a certain kind of role for the rest of
their profession. Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi are good examples. But you
never hear about producers getting typed. They may prefer one genre over another
or one style over another--but nothing in the way Lewton was forced to produce
one horror film after another in a kind of formalistic nightmare. Don't get me wrong;
his horror films are brilliant, perhaps more than worthy of the genre.
Unfortunately for him, Lewten was a foreigner to the United States and did not
have the $cash# or the connections to steer his own course in the 1940's
Hollywood.
CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE is pretty much a mainstream
horror story of its day. Cute Serbian girl named Irina is transplanted to New
York & becomes obsessed studying a Black Panther in the City Zoo. Black
Panther appears oddly stimulated by her presence. Girl meets available American
& they get married. Irina tells him stories about people in her homeland
who could change into big cats, like the more familiar stories of werewolves. New
wife gets jealous of husband's co-worker & spooky things begin to happen.
All pretty tame, but Lewten knows how to build suspense and take advantage of
every bit put on film. He also brings intelligence & compassion into what
could have been a fairly mediocre production. So instead it is one of the great
B&W horror films of all time.
The studio wanted to capitalize on the success of CAT PEOPLE & they had to
twist Lewton's to sign on. He developed an idea that really had little to do
with the plot of CAT PEOPLE. The big boys grudgingly gave in a bit, but they
insisted he use the totally inappropriate THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE.
The finished product was a little masterpiece.
CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE is about a young girl who doesn't quite fit in. She has
visions of a beautiful lady (Irina, the cat woman of the previous film.) There
is something almost Jungian in the story that unfolds. Many times it reminded
me of the original French film BEAUTY & THE BEAST. The girl meets an
elderly woman who lives in a dark mansion. She is attended by her adult
daughter—the same Irina, but in a totally different physical form. This Irina
is bitter & filed with resentment. The mother insists that the woman's not
her daughter & wants her to leave. The story continues from there.
There is a strong European feel to this film, something too exotic for 1940's
America.
It is beautiful.
Review:
JEFarrow
Updated
10/08