The Leopard Man (1943)

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (novel)
Ardel Wray (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Women Alone the Victims of Strange, Savage Killer!

Plot:

At the encouragement of her manager, a nightclub performer in New Mexico (Kiki Walker) takes a leashed leopard into the club as a publicity gimmick...

Plot Keywords:

Leopard | New Mexico | Nightclub | Coroner | Gunfire

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dennis O'Keefe	...	Jerry Manning
Margo	...	Clo-Clo
Jean Brooks	...	Kiki Walker
Isabel Jewell	...	Maria - Fortune Teller
James Bell	...	Dr. Galbraith
Margaret Landry	...	Teresa Delgado
Abner Biberman	...	Charlie How-Come
Tuulikki Paananen	...	Consuelo Contreras (as Tula Parma)
Ben Bard	...	Roblos - the Police Chief

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #9179)

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

There are several unidentified musical pieces used during the film including an unusual birthday song sung acapella to Consuela,

Goofs:

Continuity: At the nightclub, Kiki is seated at a table with Jerry and Galbraith. As she asks Galbraith why he gave up teaching, a slim dark haired woman wearing a matching suit and hat walks past their table. The shot cuts to Galbraith saying 'Various reasons,' the woman can be seen behind him, already seated at a nearby table, just over his shoulder on the far left of the screen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kiki Walker: It may sound like music to her. I can do better with my teeth in a cold shower.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Memorable But Neglected Val Lewton Classic

The escape of nightclub performer's leopard is followed by a series of mutilations--but are these the work of the leopard or of a serial killer stalking a small southwestern town? Although not one of producer Val Lewton's better known films, director Tourner endows the story with considerable atmosphere, and the result is a moody and intriguing film that holds it own with the more celebrated CAT PEOPLE and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE.

Like other Lewton films, THE LEOPARD MAN relies more upon what it suggests than upon what it actually shows. This film is particularly effective in building suspense in a series of scenes that show various characters walking--a saucy Spanish dancer strolling along the street, a frightened teenager making a night-time trip to the grocer, a young woman rushing through a cemetery at night. The cinematography is elegant in its simplicity, and the sound design is quite remarkable. Hard to find, but Lewton fans will find it worth seeking out.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer