77 Days to Halloween- 1942 Cat People

Over the next 100 days, I will present one movie of significances in horror, suspense or thrillers for each year from 1919 to 2018. The next film presented here is the 1942 horror thriller "Cat People" produced by Val Lewton, starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph, Tom Conway and directed by Jacques Tourneur.

Cat People (1942)

Dir- Jacques Tourneur

I found myself enticed by the beautiful and exotic Simone Simon, the French actress who portrays the tragic Irena. The story begins at the zoo, where a strange and charming lady named Irena draws a young ship designer named Oliver; she is strangely attracted to the Panthers and sketches them with great pleasure. The two hit it off, and they soon marry. However, Irena becomes withdrawn and expresses her fear of intimacy. She believes she is one of the Cat People, a race of Serbian exiles who mated with Panthers when the King drove them out centuries before. Oliver is distressed and turns to an associate for comfort, even though he loves Irena he discovers a jealousy that seems to possess Irena when Oliver turns to his coworker. When they move on to a psychologist, he seems more interested in seducing her than helping poor Irena. The film boasts some excellent scenery including a chase where Irena seems to stalk her husband's friend as a human and a cat and a pool sequence that is frightening. Although the remake focuses more on the sexual aspects of the story, we find a beautiful film with great visuals and a decent script. The tragic conclusion is both enlightening and depressing in positive ways. A great movie and I highly recommend it for those who have seen the 1982 remake and to admire one of the first horror films produced by Val Lewton. If nothing more them to watch the lovely and seductive Simone Simon.