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For other uses, see Cat People.
Cat People

theatrical poster
Directed byJacques Tourneur
Produced byVal Lewton
Written byDeWitt Bodeen
StarringSimone Simon
Kent Smith
Tom Conway
Music byRoy Webb
CinematographyNicholas Musuraca
Editing byMark Robson
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Release date(s)December 6, 1942 (US)
Running time73 min. Jacques Tourneur ( November 12, 1904 &ndash December 19, 1977) was a French - American Film director. Val Lewton ( 7 May  – 14 March) was an American Film producer and Screenwriter, who is best known for a sequence of nine brooding DeWitt Bodeen ( 25 July 1908, Fresno, California — 12 March 1988, Los Angeles California) was a film Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon ( April 23 1910 – February 22 2005) was a French Film actress who began Kent Smith ( March 19, 1907 &ndash April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career Tom Conway ( September 15, &ndash April 22,) was a British film and radio actor and the brother of actor George Sanders. Roy Webb ( October 3 1888 – December 10 1982) was a film music composer Nicholas Musuraca ( Riace Italy October 25, 1892 - Los Angeles September 3, 1975) was a Motion-picture Mark Robson ( December 4, 1913 – June 20, 1978) was a Canadian -born Film editor, Film director and Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$134,000 (est. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States )
Gross revenue$4 million (world)
Followed byThe Curse of the Cat People
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Cat People is a 1942 horror film produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur. The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 film directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise and produced by Cat People producer The year 1942 in film involved some significant events in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers Val Lewton ( 7 May  – 14 March) was an American Film producer and Screenwriter, who is best known for a sequence of nine brooding Jacques Tourneur ( November 12, 1904 &ndash December 19, 1977) was a French - American Film director. The writing is credited to DeWitt Bodeen, but Tourneur, composer Roy Webb, Lewton and his secretary all contributed to the script. DeWitt Bodeen ( 25 July 1908, Fresno, California — 12 March 1988, Los Angeles California) was a film Roy Webb ( October 3 1888 – December 10 1982) was a film music composer The cinematographer was Tourneur's sometime collaborator Nicholas Musuraca. Nicholas Musuraca ( Riace Italy October 25, 1892 - Los Angeles September 3, 1975) was a Motion-picture The film stars Simone Simon, Kent Smith and Tom Conway. Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon ( April 23 1910 – February 22 2005) was a French Film actress who began Kent Smith ( March 19, 1907 &ndash April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career Tom Conway ( September 15, &ndash April 22,) was a British film and radio actor and the brother of actor George Sanders.

Cat People was followed by a sequel, The Curse of the Cat People, in 1944. The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 film directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise and produced by Cat People producer The year 1944 in film involved some significant events Events July 20 - Since You Went Away is released A remake directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, and John Heard was released in 1982. Cat People is a 1982 Horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, and Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids Michigan) is an American Screenwriter and Film director Nastassja Kinski (born Nastassja Aglaia Nakszyński, January 24, 1961 Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943 is an English Actor. John Heard may refer to John Heard (ferryman (born 1835 ferryman and namesake of Heard's Ferry John Heard (actor (born Events June 10 = Steven Spielberg 's Science fiction PG-rating film E

In 1993, Cat People was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress


Contents

Synopsis

At a city zoo, Serbian-born fashion designer, Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), stands before the cage of the black panther, apparently trying to make a sketch of it. Irena Dubrovna is the name of Simone Simon 's character in the movie Cat People (1942. Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon ( April 23 1910 – February 22 2005) was a French Film actress who began She catches the attention of an American naval construction designer, Oliver Reed (Kent Smith), when she balls up a draft of the sketch and tries to throw it in a trash bin, without success. Kent Smith ( March 19, 1907 &ndash April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career The two then become engaged in a conversation, with Irena eventually agreeing to taking him to her apartment for lunch. As they walk away, once of Irena's botched drafts blows in the wind, and is revealed to show a panther impaled by a sword.

At Irena's apartment, Oliver admires a statue in her possession of a crowned medieval figure on horseback impaling a cat with his sword. Irena tells Oliver that the figure is the (fictional) King John of Serbia. She proceeds to tell Oliver the legend behind the statue, telling him about how a Satanic tribe invaded her childhood village during King John's reign. Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally Under the tribe's control, the people of the village were transformed into debaucherous devil-worshippers. When King John drove the evil tribe out of the village and saw what the villagers had become, he ordered them all killed. However, "the wisest and the most wicked" of them escaped.

As the plot unfolds it becomes clear that Irena believes herself to be descended from the evil tribe, and that she fears that she will be transformed into a panther if aroused to passion, anger, or jealousy.

Critical overview

The film is notable for frightening audiences through the suggestion of unseen horrors with cast shadows and ambiguous sound effects, specifically in the celebrated swimming pool sequence. The panther remains unseen until the final scenes of the film, although Simone Simon displays increasingly catlike behavior and the viewer is bombarded by images of cats in paintings and statues. The final, extremely brief view of Irena transforming into a black panther and attacking Judd was included over the objections of the director, who wanted to keep the entire concept as mysterious as possible.

Although Cat People is usually categorized as a horror movie, it can also be considered a film noir, as Irena assumes many of the traits of both femme fatale and the typical noir hero alienated from conventional society, psychologically wounded and morally ambiguous. Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation A femme fatale (plural femmes fatales) is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire often leading them into

Simone Simon in Cat People (1942)
Simone Simon in Cat People (1942)

Cast


Cast notes

Production details

Cat People was the first production for producer Val Lewton, who was a journalist, novelist and poet turned story editor for David O. Selznick. Val Lewton ( 7 May  – 14 March) was an American Film producer and Screenwriter, who is best known for a sequence of nine brooding David O Selznick, born David Selznick ( May 10, 1902 &ndash June 22, 1965) was one of the iconic Hollywood producers RKO hired Lewton to make horror films on a budget of under $150,000 to titles provided by the studio. [2]

The film was shot from 28 July to 21 August 1942 at RKO's "Gower Gulch" studios in Hollywood, with a budget of under $140,000. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. The year 1942 in film involved some significant events in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time Gower Gulch is a nickname for the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood California. [3][4] Sets left over from previous, higher-budgeted RKO productions—notably the staircase from The Magnificent Ambersons—were utilized. The Magnificent Ambersons is a American Drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. [5]

Lewton and his production team claim credit for inventing the popular horror film technique called the "bus". The term came from the scene where Irena is walking behind Alice; the audience expects Irena to turn into a panther at any moment and attack her. At the most tense point, when the camera focuses on Alice's confused and terrified face, the silence is shattered by what sounds like a hissing panther—but it is a bus pulling over to pick her up. After the excitement dies down, the audience is left uncertain whether anything supernatural or life-threatening actually happened. This technique has been adapted into a great many horror movies since then. Anytime a movie creates a scene where the tension rises and dissipates into nothing at all, merely an empty boo!, it is a "bus".

Near the end of the filming of Cat People, two crews were working to finish the picture on time, one at night, filming the animals, and one during the day with the cast. [2]

Reception

An image from Cat People
An image from Cat People

Reviews of the film were mixed when the film was first released. Variety magazine called Cat People a "weird drama of thrill-chill caliber"[6] while Bosley Crowther writing for the New York Times commented that "The Cat People is a labored and obvious attempt to induce shock. "[7]

Today, the film still has a cult following TV Guide's review of the film praised the film's cast:

Superbly acted (with Simon evoking both pity and chills), Cat People testifies to the power of suggestion and the priority of imagination over budget in the creation of great cinema. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of Pop culture. TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming The film was Lewton's biggest hit, its viewers lured in by such bombastic advertising as "Kiss me and I'll claw you to death!" – a line more lurid than anything that ever appeared onscreen. [8]

Prolific film critic Roger Ebert has included Cat People in his list of great movies. Roger Joseph Ebert (iːbɝt born June 18, 1942) is an American film critic and Screenwriter. [9] As of February 6, 2008, the film holds a 94% Fresh rating on popular ratings website Rotten Tomatoes. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies. [10]

This film was referenced in the novel Kiss of the Spider Woman by Argentine novelist Manuel Puig, in which two inmates pass the time by discussing the films one of them has seen. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Spanish El beso de la mujer araña) is a 1976 novel by the Argentine writer Manuel Puig. Manuel Puig (born Juan Manuel Puig Delledonne ( General Villegas, Argentina December 28, 1932 - Cuernavaca, Mexico July 22 Though this movie is not mentioned by name, and some of the details are not recalled accurately, the parallels to the plot, the mention of Jane Randolph as one of the stars, and the protagonist's name being Irena clearly indicate that Puig was speaking about this film. Jane Randolph (born Jane Roemer October 30, 1919, Youngstown Ohio) is an American film actress

Notes

  1. ^ IMDB Elizabeth Russell (I)
  2. ^ a b TCM Notes
  3. ^ IMDB Business data
  4. ^ IMDB Filming locations
  5. ^ Kent Jones. Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows documentary fiim, 2008. Broadcast on Turner Classic Movies on 14 January 2008. Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner
  6. ^ "Cat People", Variety 1 Jan 1943
  7. ^ Bosley Crowther, "Cat People (1942)" New York Times 7 Dec 1942
  8. ^ "Cat People (1942)" TV Guide
  9. ^ Roger Ebert, "Cat People (1942)" Chicago Sun-Times 12 March 2006
  10. ^ Rotten Tomatoes "Cat People (1942)"

Documentary

External links


TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies. Blogcritics is a popular online magazine of news and opinion The site — a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers" — was founded in 2002 by Eric
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