Cat People
1942  NR  HORROR  1h 13min
CAST— Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, Jack Holt, Jane Randolph
MUSIC— Roy Webb  DIRECTOR— Jacques Tourneur

     A classic film capturing the use of shadows, Cat People explored the then dangerous subject of desire. A young Serbian woman and an American man marry, but they never so much as kiss, for her fear of an ancient curse upon her family. If she ever gives in to her “selfish” desires, she fears that she will turn into a panther and kill her husband. The film is really nothing more than a simple drama with a suspenseful ending, but delivered with a great sense of style. Still, the acting, set design, and afore mentioned use of shadows are used to good effect, giving the film a very eerie quality. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.
OUR RATING— ***
FOLLOWED BY— The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
REMADE AS— Cat People (1982)