The Curse of the Cat People

"A tender tale of terror!"

1944 1h 10m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 154

FantasyDramaHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Amy, the young, friendless daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed, befriends her father's late first wife and an aging, reclusive actress.

“A tender tale of terror!”

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Cast

Simone Simon
Ghost of Irena
Kent Smith
Oliver 'Ollie' Reed
Jane Randolph
Alice Reed
Ann Carter
Amy Reed
Eve March
Miss Callahan
Julia Dean
Julia Farren
Elizabeth Russell
Barbara Farren
Erford Gage
Police Captain

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gunther von Fritsch
Writers: DeWitt Bodeen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

82 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Cat People Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gunther von Fritsch, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor J.R. Whittredge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gunther von Fritsch directs. Nicholas Musuraca behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. J.R. Whittredge cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
382 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "Cat People Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Gunther von Fritsch, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor J.R. Whittredge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Simone Simon and Kent Smith and Jane Randolph carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "A tender tale of terror!".
11IMDB entry: tt0036733 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 15 themes, including "friendship", "parent child relationship", "wish", "imaginary friend".

The technical file

Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Original score: Roy Webb
Editing: J.R. Whittredge
Makeup / hair: Mel Berns
Sound: James G. Stewart
Runtime: 70 min · 1h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $212,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

Part of

Cat People Collection

RKO B-movies from the early 1940's surrounding women's repression through ancient supernatural tribes and an underground cult of devil worshippers.

Also by

Gunther von Fritsch

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Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-05-20
★ 8/10
I just loved this very unique and magical film. Ann Carter gives one of the most delightful performances by a child actor I have ever seen. If you accept the fact that it's not a horror film like Cat People was, you're in for a real treat.

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