The Leopard Man (1943)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

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 | Minister | Child

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:

The black leopard was named Dynamite. It was the same cat that Val Lewton used for Cat People (1942).

Goofs:

Continuity: The smoke from Jerry's cigarette during the conversation with Galbraith in the nightclub during Clo-Clo's dance.

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 Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

Another huge success from that genius Val Lewton!

After their success in 1942 with the fabulous 'Cat People', the star team of producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur would team up twice the year later. First for the compelling and brilliant 'I Walked With a Zombie', and second for this film; The Leopard Man. For the movie, the two filmmakers re-cast the star of their first success, the big black leopard, in this movie, who once again plays a big black leopard. The screenplay this time round makes far better use of the animal at the centre of the film, which allows the impressive creature to make a much bigger impression on the movie, and it also gives the film a unique edge over other horror movies, as there aren't a great deal that can build around a leopard. In fact, one thing that struck me about this movie was it's similarity to the 1980's remake of Cat People, and I wonder just how much influence that film took from this production. Anyway, the story here is deliriously simple and it follows a leopard that has escaped from a nightclub. After a few deaths, the cat is blamed...but is there more to this scenario than meets the eye?

Just like Val Lewton's earlier and later productions, The Leopard Man is notable for it's breathtaking atmosphere, which is once again up there with the greatest ever seen in cinema. The use of shadows and lighting is impressive, and when you combine this with Jacques Tourneur's incredible ability to stage a scene amidst this atmosphere; you've got a recipe for a truly great horror movie. This movie isn't as full of great scenes as Cat People was, but there is still some really good stuff on display, including my favourite scene which sees someone mauled behind a closed door. I'm not a big subscriber to the idea of 'less is more', but the scene I just mentioned goes to show just how well it can work if utilised properly. If the film had directly shown the killing, it would have uprooted the atmosphere and the terror of the movie on the whole wouldn't have been as astute. As it happens, The Leopard Man has got it spot on. But then again, would you expect anything less from a Val Lewton production?