The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
December 11, 2024 8:35 PM - Subscribe
[TRAILER] In this ostensible sequel to "Cat People," Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) is married to the lovely Alice Moore (Jane Randolph). The couple has a daughter, Amy (Ann Carter), a withdrawn young girl with a vivid imagination who soon begins talking to visions of her father's deceased former wife, the cursed Irena (Simone Simon). When Amy unintentionally incurs the wrath of a mentally unstable woman (Elizabeth Russell), the girl's relationship with Irena's apparition comes into play.
Also starring Eve March, Julia Dean, Erford Gage, Sir Lancelot, Nita Hunter, Sarah Selby.
Directed by Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise. Written by DeWitt Bodeen. Val Lewton (uncredited). Produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictures. Cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Edited by J.R. Whittredge. Music by Roy Webb.
89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
JustWatch listing.
Also starring Eve March, Julia Dean, Erford Gage, Sir Lancelot, Nita Hunter, Sarah Selby.
Directed by Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise. Written by DeWitt Bodeen. Val Lewton (uncredited). Produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictures. Cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Edited by J.R. Whittredge. Music by Roy Webb.
89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
JustWatch listing.
FTR, The Curse of the Cat People is playing on TCM on Saturday, December 21st at 7:30am EST.
posted by fairmettle at 10:31 PM on December 11, 2024
posted by fairmettle at 10:31 PM on December 11, 2024
I was thinking, "wait, Robert 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' Wise?" And yes, it's the same guy. (Who also, and I did not know this, did editing on Citizen Kane and was nominated for an Oscar for it. Dude had range.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:46 AM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:46 AM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
Robert Wise had... a mixed record with Welles. He did terrific work on Kane.
However, Wise was also the person RKO assigned the dirty work of chopping up the last two reels of The Magnificent Ambersons and shooting a happy ending to tack on. It was not his finest moment, though he did a lot of great work later and more or less redeemed himself.
On this film, Gunther von Fritsch was less than halfway through filming at the end of his allotted 18 days, so he was fired and Wise was given an opportunity to direct. His first start-to-finish directing job also came through Val Lewton, with the underrated Guy de Maupassant adaptation Mademoiselle Fifi, also starring Simone Simon.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:39 AM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
However, Wise was also the person RKO assigned the dirty work of chopping up the last two reels of The Magnificent Ambersons and shooting a happy ending to tack on. It was not his finest moment, though he did a lot of great work later and more or less redeemed himself.
On this film, Gunther von Fritsch was less than halfway through filming at the end of his allotted 18 days, so he was fired and Wise was given an opportunity to direct. His first start-to-finish directing job also came through Val Lewton, with the underrated Guy de Maupassant adaptation Mademoiselle Fifi, also starring Simone Simon.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:39 AM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
Dude had range
Like a lot of those guys from that era they were journeymen - they would competently work on whatever project that was given to them. I bet you anything some old studio execs were talking -
Exec 1:"Who do we have that can direct science fiction for this Star Trek thing?"
Exec 2:"Robert did that Day the Earth Stood Still back in the day and Andromeda Strain and he's cheap and has the time."
For the record, he also did Sound of Music and West Side Story. Which goes to say, I don't think it is overly fair to blame him for Magnificent Ambersons. Sure he did the deed but it was studio interference all the way down.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:53 AM on December 12, 2024
Like a lot of those guys from that era they were journeymen - they would competently work on whatever project that was given to them. I bet you anything some old studio execs were talking -
Exec 1:"Who do we have that can direct science fiction for this Star Trek thing?"
Exec 2:"Robert did that Day the Earth Stood Still back in the day and Andromeda Strain and he's cheap and has the time."
For the record, he also did Sound of Music and West Side Story. Which goes to say, I don't think it is overly fair to blame him for Magnificent Ambersons. Sure he did the deed but it was studio interference all the way down.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:53 AM on December 12, 2024
But as for this one? Less of a horror and more of a Christmas fable. Certainly a weird one but gentle and sweet. I wish I had a ghostly Serbian Cat Person with a French accent as a friend when I was a small child.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:57 AM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:57 AM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
I got to see it on the big screen last night as the holiday entry in the Chicago Film Society's screening series.
It was a good time!
My friend Phineas got there after the introduction and had not seen any Lewton before and was unfamiliar with his whole deal. At the end of the movie, he threw his hands up and said, "There weren't any goddam cat people!"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:22 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
It was a good time!
My friend Phineas got there after the introduction and had not seen any Lewton before and was unfamiliar with his whole deal. At the end of the movie, he threw his hands up and said, "There weren't any goddam cat people!"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:22 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
There's never enough goddam cat people.
posted by Ashwagandha at 6:32 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by Ashwagandha at 6:32 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
I agree with Ashwagandha on the "gentle and sweet" in terms of this movie. Curse... should be assigned in Goth Girl 101.
posted by queensissy at 2:52 PM on December 13, 2024
posted by queensissy at 2:52 PM on December 13, 2024
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
RKO exec: So Val, you keeping busy on that new film?
Val: Mmm hmm.
RKO: The Curse of the Cat People!
Val: Fine.
RKO: And it'll be a sequel to Cat People?
Val: If you like.
RKO: So what do you have so far?
Val: We start with this married couple, living in the suburbs.
RKO: Is it Ollie and Alice from the first movie?
Val: Is it who? Oh, sure. Why not. So they've got this daughter and she's got an imaginary friend who is sort of a ghost, too.
RKO: Is it the ghost of Irena the cat person from Cat People?
Val: Sure. Anyway, there's this gorgeous French woman ghost--
RKO: I thought Irena was Serbian?
Val: I'm speaking. Anyway, there's also this aging actress and her daughter and they hate each other.
RKO: Are they cat people?
Val: Are they what? Um, sure, the daughter is. She's uh, the cat lady from the restaurant scene in the first one.
RKO: I don't remember her.
Val: She was a minor character. Anyway, eventually the ghost convinces the girl to befriend the daughter and everyone is happy.
RKO: And this is a horror film?
Val: Oh, the daughter lady tries to murder her first. So there are definitely scares.
RKO: Cat people scares?
Val: Headless Horseman scares, actually.
RKO: ???
Val: Anyway...
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:42 PM on December 11, 2024 [6 favorites]