#233. Cat People (1942)

DVD Synopsis: The studio gave Val Lewton small budgets and lurid pre-tested film titles. Lewton, working with rising filmmakers and emphasizing fear of the unseen, turned meager resources into momentous works of psychological terror. Directed by Jacques Tourneur, Cat People  is the trailblazing first of Lewton's nine horror classics. Simone Simon portrays a bride who fears an ancient hex will turn her into a deadly panther when she's in passion's grip

With very little money, producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur managed to turn Cat People into a runaway hit for RKO studios in 1942. It would be the first of nine horror films Lewton would produce for RKO, most of which told similarly dark tales, and while there would be a few gems among them, none matched the richness and intensity of Cat People. 

At the zoo one afternoon, Irena (Simone Simon), a fashion designer born in Serbia, meets Oliver (Kent Smith), a marine engineer. She invites him back to her apartment, and before long, love is in the air. 

But Irena is hiding a dark secret from her past, which will resurface should she and Oliver ever make love. The two are married, and Irena, fearing what might happen if Oliver even so much as kisses her, begs her new husband to be patient, and give her some space. 

Oliver agrees at first, but grows more restless with each passing day. He eventually confides in his co-worker and good friend, Alice (Jane Randolph), who suggests that Irena pay a visit to noted psychiatrist Dr. Louis Judd (Tom Conway). When therapy fails to do the trick, Oliver is at his wits end, and Irena, sensing her husband's irritation, grows jealous of his relationship with Alice. 

This jealousy triggers the very secret that Irena had been trying to suppress, spelling danger for anyone who gets in her way. 

At first, Cat People tackles the subject of Irena's “curse” in subtle ways, dropping hints to the audience that all is not well with this young woman from Serbia. When Oliver buys Irena a cat, the animal wants no part of her, so they decide to return it for another, more agreeable pet. The moment Irena walks into the pet shop, however, the animals go wild, scratching at their cages and making all sorts of noise. The shop's owner (Elizabeth Dunn) tells them that the animals haven't carried on like that since the last time an alley cat was loose in the store, a hint as to the nature of Irena's secret. 

Of course, subtlety gives way to the extreme once Irena's jealousy rears its ugly head. One night, she finds Oliver, who told her he was returning to the office to catch up on work, sitting in a coffee shop with Alice. Angry and hurt, Irena waits outside to follow Alice home. In what is arguably the movie's best scene, Alice is walking along the darkened street, completely unaware that Irena is behind her. Soon, Irena's distant footsteps are replaced by a frightening growl, and Alice begins to fear for her life. It is a tense, frightening scene, and ends with a very clever jump scare. 

Whether the setting is indoors or out, Cat People takes full advantage of the dark. There are shadows aplenty in this movie, all of which contribute to the film's eerie atmosphere, leaving the viewer with a sense that something evil is lurking just out of sight, watching at all times. In Cat People, the darkness takes on a life of its own, and while many genre fans prefer their movies in color, Cat People is one motion picture that's a whole lot better in black and white!