Film Review: B movie and Cat People (1942)

Figure 1.

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When RKO assigned Val Lewton, freshly named head of its horror department, to produce a creature movie in the line of The Wolf Man (Waggner, 1941), the studio surely did not expect the little prodigy that happened with Cat People (Tourneur, 1942). Granted only with this enigmatic title and a low budget, Lewton and his director were send out to craft a commercial flick that would make up for the losses caused by Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941). In that respect, the monster feature was first and foremost a tactical move, luridly advertised through taglines such as "Kiss me and I'll claw you to death!". Yet, despite showing many signs of B film limitations, it is clear Cat People set out for more.

What audiences were thus treated with turned out to be a thoughtfully crafted response to the Universal market; a more serious and definitely less tacky exploitation of what this kind of movie tends to offer, bearing a sensibility usually absent from the genre. Close to being a psychological thriller, the picture focuses the spectators’ attention on Serbian fashion designer Irena, an independent but lonely creature working in the big city. Believing she will turn into a deadly panther if kissed, Irena fears giving into her passions would bring harm to the person she’s fallen in love with. 

Moody and subdued, Val Lewton’s first assignment at RKO could almost been seen as an early noir disguised under the traits of a horror hit. Here, the supernatural is tinted with whiffs of fatalism and spirituality and the ‘monster’ portrayed as a tragic, multilayered anti-heroin. In short, nothing as sensational as the gore and femme fatale of the posters. 

Though aiming for complexity, “less is more” seems to be Lewton and writer Bodeen’s maître mot in their treatment of the horror aspect. With distinct solemnity, they rely on the never-racking power of suggestion rather than investing in showy transfiguration scenes. Likewise, no spooky mansion or creature costumes are required to conjure spectacle. Shadows and silence alone provide Cat People with most of its frightening material, grounding the occult in everyday Manhattan. 

At RKO’s urging request, the film does however feature some shots of a giant cat attacking. Yet, those are only shown for a split second, as if Lewton attempted the best he could to preserve the ambiguity of Irena’s nature as initially intended. On a similar note, it could also be argued there comes a point in the picture where writers seem to indulge themselves with an easy scare; just as the growl of an unseen panther seems to grow closer, a bus pulls up out of nowhere, the screech blending into the squeals of its brakes (see figure 3). This technique is however the first of its kind and proving itself eerily efficient, was later credited as a ‘Lewton Bus’ in cinema jargon.

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In the same manner they succeed in inducing tension with limited means, the filmmakers further find ways around financial issues to make the B movie-ness of their production easier to overlook. As well as reusing Welles’ crewmembers, Tourneur and Lewton borrow and redress sets from A features in order to enrich their scenes significantly. An imposing staircase, a zoo, an indoors pool and a architect office at night all make for memorable set pieces; and when the team is forced to resort to cheaper sets, pared-down lighting helps in masking their second-hand quality.

Figure 4.

Similarly, and in spite of a dubious accent and B-list performances, the leading actors’ personas (see figure 4) seems to serve the story more than impair it. Simone Simon’s feline air, enhanced by furs, high heels and angular shoulder pads, make her look in turn like a kitten lost on the streets and a melancholic predator. On the other hand, Ken Smith’s thorough American plainness – the antithesis of Irena’s exotic quality – renders him increasingly unlikable as their marriage starts to ail. 

For all the aforementioned reasons, Cat People is without a doubt a unique piece of cinema in its own right. Both confined and stimulated by the circumstances, its outcome achieved what few thought achievable within the Hollywood sphere. Dark and haunting, intelligent and incredibly modern, this little film made on lower-than-$150000 budget defied all expectations, becoming a box-office success and synonym of a new era for RKO, who pursued its collaboration with Val Lewton in transcending the genre.

Illustrations.

Figure 1. Title Still. (1942) From: Cat People. Directed by: Tourneur, J. [Film still] United States: RKO Radio Pictures Inc. At: http://www.celtoslavica.de/chiaroscuro/films/catpeople/cat.html (Accessed on 20/11/15).

Figure 2. Cat People (1942) [Poster] At: http://tdhicks.com/2014/09/01/barry-gifford-on-film-noir-a-way-with-words/ (Accessed on 20/11/15).

Figure 3. Bus Still. (1942) From: Cat People. Directed by: Tourneur, J. [Film still] United States: RKO Radio Pictures Inc. At: http://kayesoundskills.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/lewton-bus.html and http://landofcerptsandhoney.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/martin-scorsese-presents-val-lewton-man.html (Accessed on 20/11/15).

Figure 4. Meeting at the zoo Still. (1942) From: Cat People. Directed by: Tourneur, J. [Film still] United States: RKO Radio Pictures Inc. At: http://horrornews.net/82894/film-review-cat-people-1942/ (Accessed on 20/11/15).