Robert Mitchum pretty much carries the film with a solid performance until his unexpected - and utterly dumb - demise, after an inexplicable loss of mettle and lucidity on the part of Curtis, his character.
The rest of the cast is OK, with Tab Hunter performing rather credibly. In contrast, the fellow who plays the drunk pater familias seems to be in a play, and completely unconnected with the rest of the action.
The story does not amount to much, but the stunning mountain and snow photography helps. Wellman's direction is sound, but he has done better and, rather frustratingly, he never shows the cat of the title. Was he trying to imitate Jacques Tourneur in Cat People? If so, he fails quite completely.
The rest of the cast is OK, with Tab Hunter performing rather credibly. In contrast, the fellow who plays the drunk pater familias seems to be in a play, and completely unconnected with the rest of the action.
The story does not amount to much, but the stunning mountain and snow photography helps. Wellman's direction is sound, but he has done better and, rather frustratingly, he never shows the cat of the title. Was he trying to imitate Jacques Tourneur in Cat People? If so, he fails quite completely.