The Black Cat (1934) User Reviews

Lugosi + Karloff = Fireworks!

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 19 December 2003]

I can't imaging how this movie would have been without both Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, probably very very bad. The chemistry between the two is amazing.

This is one of those movies in which the story absolutely doesn't matter. The story is totally absurd and very simple (The black cat storyline has absolutely nothing to do with the movie and serves no purpose at all) but yet that is what maybe makes this movie extremely fun and easy to watch.

Watching this movie made me realize something; Bela Lugosi actually was a very good actor that was ahead of his time. The way he delivers his lines and his eye for details shows that acting was a great passion for him. Yes I think I can now be considered one of his fans.

Another great thing were the sets that were wonderful and even now 70 years later they still look very modern.

Don't expect a movie with ghouls and monsters, it rather is more fun to watch then it is scary and the Lugosi/Karloff combination is what makes this movie a real classic.

7/10

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Cult movie with eerie atmosphere and sinister roles from Karloff and Lugosi

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 18 December 2006]

This early horror film concerns Dr. Vitus (Bela Lugosi) and a couple having an accident . They find shelter into the impressive mansion of architect Poelzig (Boris Karloff) . He built it over the corpses of thousands of dead people in a horrible war whose commander was Poelzig . Karloff followed his success in Frankenstein movie with the title role in this low budget terror classic about the leader of a band of devil-worshippers who wants to steal a gorgeous young woman (Jacqueline Welles : Julie Bishop) from her new husband (David Manners of The mummy).

The movie provides genuine chills , suspense , mystery and is rich and dark , although ludicrous at times . It's an exciting ,bizarre film skillfully paced by Edgar G. Ulmer and results to be one of the most unusual horror film ever made and certainly one of the most unsettling. Suggested by the immortal Edgar Allan Poe novel of the same title which was filmed like as one episode ¨The Black Cat¨ into the ¨Tales of terror¨ by Roger Corman and with Vincent Price and Peter Lorre , however here bears absolutely no resemblance . This gem features sets and production design with standards usually found in movies made by the major studios . The rousing mansion , lounges , rooms get an art nouveau and modernism style , besides the satanic mass is developed in a surrealistic scenario. Art director achieves some remarkable tableaux that could be removed from the movie and hung in art galleries alongside the work of famous painters . A minor classic with outstanding performances from Karloff and Lugosi in their first of many pairing. The picture is today deservedly considered a cult favorite thanks the distinguished teaming.

More Enjoyable Than It Has Any Business Being

[Doghouse-6 · 14 July 2004]

Other commentaries will fill you in on the nearly-incomprehensible plot (if that's possible) but, as has been pointed out, you don't watch a film like this for plot.

Despite the story inconsistencies and implausibilities, everything here just seems to "jell:" the fabulous sets, elegant photography, evocative music (drawing heavily from Schubert, among others) and the downright creepy atmosphere woven from the themes of jealousy, lust, revenge, murder, sadism.....all sounds delightfully sick, doesn't it? Truly, it's nowhere near as threatening as it sounds; indeed, if Astaire and Rogers had ever made a spooky thriller, it might have looked and felt something like this one. THE BLACK CAT possesses a lyrical, rhythmic quality, upon which we drift through a sleek, ultra-modern nightmare world.

One of the reasons it all works is its ability to pull us into a sort of parallel universe which, though it looks more or less like reality as we know it, glides along on a barely-concealed undercurrent - an "atmosphere of death," as Lugosi's character puts it - where things happen that "could never actually happen" (an inside reference for those who know the film).

There are some wonderful set-pieces, such as Karloff's tour through a most unusual basement mausoleum/museum memorializing all of his dearly departed earlier "wives." And of course, Boris and Bela deliver, with their restrained but full-bodied performances. Karloff conveys menace just entering a room, and Lugosi has an all-too-rare opportunity to display some tenderness; notice the single tear that rolls down his face as he learns - and sees - what became of the wife that Karloff stole from him years before.

A very stylized - and stylish - film which grants us the unusual treat of seeing Lugosi play a (more or less) "good guy," and the unique one of hearing him pronounce the word "baloney," as only he could.

Pretty good horror piece.

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 11 June 2005]

A couple Peter and Joan Allison are joined by Dr. Vitus Verdegast (Bela Lugosi) who are on their way to a hotel, but suddenly their bus crashes during a storm. Dr Verdegast suggests they seek refuge in Hjalmar Poelzig's (Borris Karloff) house, who is an old acquaintance of his and he's secretly seeking revenge against him for the death of his wife and betraying his country by slaughtering his entire army when it was sacrificed to Satan during WW1. Dr Verdegast discovers that Poelzig has the same idea for Joan, which saw him kill his wife. So to help them escape Dr. Verdegast challenges Poelzig to a game of chess and if he wins they are free and if he doesn't their doom.

Incredibly complex and odd assortments of novelties ranging from Sadism, Superstition to Satan worship fill this stylish yet confusing film. I wasn't particularly gob smacked or incredibly impressed by the film after reading a lot good things about it, but it's the performances and the look of the film that kept me glued and amazed. The plot had an engrossing set up, but the story just didn't compliment it, as it could have been far more interesting than it was. It jumps here to there without real cohesion and becomes rather thin in detail, but there are some surprising revelations along the way. The dialogue on the other hand was rather fine, if too much of it. There was a lot of conversations than actual action or lively scenes. The distinction between Dr Verdegast and Poelzig is pretty even in power and determination to rid each other. With them tossing back and forth sharp and intense dialogue to get the upper hand. All of this mayhem between them leads to a greatly energetic tussle between the two stars.

The set-up is a slow-grinder to begin with, though there are interesting ideas that pop up throughout the film. The reasonably slow dramatic 45-minutes suddenly picks up the pace and energy levels for the last thrilling and involving 15-minutes, which alone is good reason to watch it. This is when Satanists and sacrificial ceremonies fill the story. There is a brilliant climax involving a skinning that is implied to great effect and a big explosion to end it all. The ironic ending was fairly convincing and enjoyable in tying up the film.

It's definitely Lugosi's best performance that I've seen along with ''White zombie''. Though, I've yet to see "Dracula". It was a good change to see him playing a good guy and a much more controlled and subtle character than his eccentric roles. Borris Karloff comes across rather menacing and quite callous in appearance. His body language is impressively noticeable and imposing in creating terror. From his dead looking facials and soft spoken voice really added to the unease. Julie Bishop and David Manners as the couple were fine in their performances.

This is impressively atmospheric and holds such a great awe to it all. The modernistic cold domain of Poelzig's castle truly stands out, with the spiral staircase, sliding doors, the dark dungeon and curvy interior. There is such great composition with lighting and solid camera-work captures the elegance and style of the scenery beautifully. The soaring score takes hold and sometimes it got rather distracting for me. As I kept trying to figure out where I heard the score from before.

Overall, "The Black Cat" is a very good mood piece and holds such great performances. Not as great as I thought it would be, but still it's highly entertaining.

An extensive Loony Tunes cartoon

[benoit-3 · 7/10 · 10 September 2006]

The only thing differentiating this film from a Loony Tunes cartoon starring Daffy Duck and Professor Jekyll, actually, is the music. Instead of being by Carl Stalling, it's a horrible neo-Romantic hodge-podge of Tchaikovsky (Romeo and Juliet Overture, I ask you!), Schubert, Liszt and other Classic Pops. It even has Karloff, as the mad scientist, playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue at the organ for good measure, at a crucial moment, which must already have been a hoary film cliché, even in 1934.

With the plot's melodramatics skidding in constant overdrive, it's hard to decide whether one is being subjected to a shabby little shocker or to an embarrassment of cinematic riches. One clue to the whole set-up is in the ritualistic Latin incantation used by Karloff during the Black Mass he celebrates in the medieval dungeon of his ultra-modernistic castle: it's a mixture of Latin expressions cobbled together, straight from the dictionary, one of which is "cum grano salis", which translates, you guessed it, as "with a grain of salt"...

Otherwise, this film has everything horror fans crave: the young adorable honeymooning Brad-and-Janet-type American couple seeking refuge from the rain and a car accident in a strange castle in the middle of the night in backwoods Hungary, Bela Lugosi as an unsettling traveling companion, Karloff as the weird host (sporting a hairstyle half-way between a pompadour and a flat-top, that would not be seen again until the German "The Third Sex" in 1957), partial to black cats - the only link to the Edgar Allen Poe story - and embalming his mistresses in lifelike poses inside glass cages, like Bluebeard, stalwart man-servants with their own capillary peculiarities that appear to remain on duty at all times (and to sleep standing up in corridors), ultra-modern architecture that eerily foreshadows the sterility of 1950s "Home & Garden" interiors, secret chambers, house foundations resting on a dynamite cache, sliding doors, an early intercom system, spiral staircases, the already-mentioned organ, expressionistic lighting, breast pawing, suggested incest, murder, torture, etc. There's just no end to the wonders of this film. The vices on display run the entire alphabetic gamut from adultery to zoocide, by way of satanism, although if I was Satan, I'd ask to have my name removed from the credits, if only to preserve my highbrow image...

And it all fits neatly in 65 little compact minutes. In the last analysis, it's fascinating to watch Universal's horror stars turning on each other with such unbridled ferocity and playing along with this campy joke while keeping a straight face at all times.

This film is now available on DVD as part of a Bela Lugosi boxset that mostly stars Boris Karloff - his way of getting even, I guess. Another film in the collection, "The Raven", also stars Lugosi and Karloff duking it out, and is just as un-"Poe"-etic as "The Black Cat", despite its title. It also manages to use the Romeo and Juliet Overture to disastrous effect.

Great ending!

[jellopuke · 6/10 · 25 August 2018]

The movie is a little slow but it all pays off with a balls-out nuts ending (especially for the time). It's very languidly paced at first, but once Karloff and Lugosi start hamming it up, things get good. Can't think of another movie where the hero skins the villain alive!

Honeymoon in Hungary

[lugonian · 9/10 · 14 August 2001]

"The Black Cat" (Universal, 1934), directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, marks the first scream, or should I say, screen teaming of Boris ("Frankenstein") Karloff, billed in the credits only as KARLOFF, and Bela ("Dracula") Lugosi.

Suggested on the immortal story by Edgar Allan Poe, the plot, compliments of screenwriter Paul Ruric, set in Hungary, gets right down to business with Doctor Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi) returning home by train after serving 15 long years in a military prison. He finds himself sharing a compartment with mystery writer Peter Allison (David Manners) and his wife, Joan (Jacqueline Wells), on their honeymoon. Vitus introduces himself to the Allisons, talks about himself and of his mission to visit a "very old friend." The couple later accompany Werdegast on a bus to their destination, which meets with an accident during a rainstorm, killing the driver. Vitus accompanies Peter by taking the injured Joan through the rain and winds until they reach the home of Hjalmar Poelzig (KARLOFF), an architect of his futuristic mansion. As Vitus treats the unconscious Joan, Hjalmar, who makes his grand entrance, immediately takes notice on the young girl with intentions that are not too honorable. As the story progresses, the viewer learns that Vitus had been betrayed by Hjalmar during the World War and left to die at a military prison, and for this, Vitus, who survived those long dark years, returns to seek revenge, but first must learn what has happened to his wife and daughter. Peter and Joan become house guests in the home of Poelzig, unaware that they are his prisoners, with Poelzig, who holds Black Masses in a devil's cult ceremony, intending on using Joan as his next subject and hold Peter in a dungeon below. Besides trying to learn the whereabouts of his wife and daughter, Vitus tries to set Joan free by playing a game of chess, or a "game of death," with Hjalmar. Tension builds up to a very suspenseful climax not to be missed.

What does this have to do with a black cat? Well, Vitus fears cats and finds himself being confronted with one in two separate scenes, compliments of Hjalmar, who has cats roaming about. Karloff and Lugosi are evenly matched here, and as bitter enemies, they must present themselves in a "gentlemanly manner" whenever confronted by the young guest or guests. Also presented in the cast are Lucille Lund as Karen Poelzig; the evil looking Harry Cording as Thalmar, Hjalmar's servant; and John Carradine as one of the members of the cult during the Black Mass sequence.

Although produced in Hollywood, "The Black Cat" looks very much like a European production with futuristic sets which features a digital clock, etc. Karloff, dressed in black garments with a feline haircut, is very creepy, especially using gestures with his evil eyes (which do everything but glow in the dark!); Lugosi, in a rare sympathetic role, is actually the stronger character, giving one of his best performances in his career, next to "Dracula" (1931). Fortunately, "The Black Cat" was released shortly before the Production Code took effect, otherwise the horror drama, with many scenes quite questionable then and now, would never have reached the theaters unless severely edited to a point of confusion. Chances are the movie itself was edited prior to release, but at 66 minutes, it's tight and fast-paced, never a dull moment. A big plus in this production is the underscoring montage of classical compositions by various composers, lavish sets and the teaming of two horror greats, Karloff and Lugosi.

Aside from Fright Nights on commercial television back in the 1960s and 70s, "The Black Cat" formerly played on the Sci-Fi Channel in the 1990s, and later on American Movie Classics from 2000 to 2001. To date, "The Black Cat" can be seen on Turner Classic Movies where it premiered on January 24, 2003, becoming one of this cable channel's most revived horror films. Probably by request. "The Black Cat" is also available on video cassette either as part of the double feature along with "The Raven" (1935), another Karloff and Lugosi thriller, or as a solo package. A gem for fans of this genre. (***)

unique, ingenious, and still worthy of discovery

[tayandbay · 7/10 · 27 February 2005]

Although it is certainly dated today, "The Black Cat" was sublimely ahead of it's time in 1934. Conseqently, it was derided by critics and enjoyed only middling success considering the star power involved. Many people, including some in Universal Studio's hierarchy, regarded the film as a nihilistic study in murder, Satan worship, sadism and even necrophilia.

Of course, what struck the masses as impudent seventy years ago seems audacious today. In many ways "The Black Cat" is a bold, striking piece of work that captures two of horror film's greatest players at the top of their game. Boris Karloff, with his new-wave hairstyle and snake-like eyes, personifies irredeemable evil. He fails to convince only when his character is forced into mock-congeniality. His most effective moments are not when he casts his sinister glare at Bela Lugosi or Jacqueline Wells, but when he plays the organ or stands outside amidst the windswept trees, enraptured by his thoughts of the Black Mass to come. Meanwhile, Lugosi, blessed with a sympathetic, almost heroic role, contributes one of his all-time best performances, an exquisitely measured portrait of a man determined to do right by the young couple he is forced by circumstance to protect, but doomed to die in the house of his most hated foe.

Fine camera-work and art direction, guided by Edgar G. Ulmer's helming, make this film striking to look at and brisk to sit through. The only real demerits are the obligatory romantic couple, peopled here by David Manners and the aforementioned Ms. Wells. Their acting and dialogue somehow strain credulity more than Boris and Bela's motivations ever could. Also, the weak comic relief provided by two quarrelsome policemen is brittle at best (although it's interesting to hear Lugosi speak in his native Hungarian in the scene), but both elements were, no doubt, concessions to the taste of 1930's audiences.

Like almost all of the early 30's horror films, "The Black Cat" is imperfect and antiquated. But, also like almost all of the early 30's horror films, it is unique, ingenious in it's way, and still worthy of discovery by a new generation.

Visually stunning

[pastier-1 · 9/10 · 20 March 2009]

I won't comment about the acting or plot -- there's plenty of that here already. What I'd rather do is call attention to the visuals -- the cinematography, lighting, costuming, and especially the set design.

Normally, horror films take place in ancient settings -- crude medieval fortresses and rustic castles that are dark, cluttered and gloomy. But this one is set in a perversely utopian sci-fi fantasy -- the clean lined, impeccably detailed, generously glazed modernistic and (usually) radiantly lit white-and-silver upper floor interiors of the house.

The lower floor is an expressionistic prison, also clean lined, but still dungeon-like with its windowless walls of exposed board-formed concrete. An elegant steel spiral staircase connects the two, and the angular expressionism reaches its culmination in the chamber used for the black mass.

Karloff's costumes recall Oskar Schemmer's Bauhaus-produced work -- angular, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted and elegant. Even the haircut of this man of the future in sharp and angular. His character is an engineer and architect and is given the name -- Poelzig -- of a famous expressionist German architect and film set designer of the time, who was a colleague of the director on an earlier film. The elegant futurism in carried down to the detail level, including a digital night-table clock and an abstract chess set. Much of the genius of this movie is that it breaks the horror-movie visual mold, and floods it with light, creating a fascinating tension between plot and setting.

Poe's story?! Nope. But it's still pretty good.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 27 May 2009]

Like so many Hollywood films supposedly based on a Poe story, this one's only similarity is the title! American-International and Roger Corman made a ton of "Poe inspired" films like this, but this time it'd Universal Pictures appropriating a title. It's also the first film to unite Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. They went on to make seven more films together and several of them are brilliant classics, such as THE RAVEN and THE BODY SNATCHER.

The film involves revenge. It seems that an insane and evil general (Karloff) is hated by a man (Lugosi) whose life was ruined by him. Together, they both plot and posture until a final bizarre showdown in Karloff's torture chamber. Interestingly enough, in THE RAVEN such a confrontation also occurs, but this time Lugosi is the evil guy.

This is a good film in many ways. The acting is great--Lugosi and Karloff are great (I particularly liked Karloff's cool hairdo). The atmosphere is chilling and weird and the ending is quite exciting and creepy. However, the middle portion and the section involving the satanic cult seemed like it wasn't fully hashed out--like the script still needed some work to make the film seem more credible. The worst part was that Karloff had a huge group of evil satanic minions and the next, they are gone and Lugosi seems to have won--sort of like a "scene missing here" card should have been inserted here! Plus, and it's a small complaint, I think the background music is a bit too ever-present and sometimes dominates the scenes a bit too much. Still, with an amazing creepy mood, it's not a bad film to watch provided you don't think too much about the convoluted plot.

Horror Buff's Dream

[mmcclelland · 10/10 · 31 October 2000]

The best of the collaborations between Karloff & Lugosi. The production values are high and Karloff's makeup is excellent. There is a lot going on it the script-- perhaps too much, as the script is a bit confusing and sometimes pointless. But the atmosphere is thick and the "aura" hangs over the movie like a dense mist. There is more horror implied than actually seen. This movie has black magic, a man skinned alive, treachery, phobia, and a chess game with lives at stake. Mostly, it has great performances by Karloff and Lugosi in their one and only film appearance as equals (without one dominating the other). Truly, this is one of the finest Universal horror classics and will deliver everything a fan of such fare could possibly want.

The first cinematic teaming of Karloff and Lugosi is a relentlessly eerie film is surprisingly morbid and perverse for its time.

[mwilson1976 · 6/10 · 13 May 2020]

The first cinematic teaming of horror greats Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi despite having little to do with the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name (though Poe's name is listed in the credits), is still a bizarre, haunting, and relentlessly eerie film that was surprisingly morbid and perverse for its time. Peter (David Manners) and Joan Allison (Julie Bishop,) a honeymooning couple in Budapest help a mysterious scientist Dr. Vitus Verdegast (Lugosi in a rare turn as a good guy) get revenge against the spectral Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff), an architect and the leader of a Satanic cult. With corpses preserved in glass cases, frightening Satanic rituals, and a climactic confrontation in which one of the characters is skinned alive, combined with the stark black-and-white photography by John Mescall that makes Poelzig's futuristic mountaintop mansion even more disturbing, The Black Cat is widely regarded as the masterpiece of director Edgar G. Ulmer and was the biggest box-office hit of the year for Universal Peter Ruric (better known as pulp writer "Paul Cain") wrote the screenplay, and the character of Hjalmar Poelzig was inspired by the life of occultist Aleister Crowley. It bears no relation to the 1941 The Black Cat, starring Basil Rathbone except for the presence of Lugosi in both pictures. The near continuous classical music soundtrack was compiled by Heinz Eric Roemheld. The movie was released in the UK under the title the House Of Doom.

Cum grano salis

[begob · 5/10 · 14 November 2015]

Innocent American honeymooners in eastern Europe accept the invitation of a grim, mysterious stranger, who introduces them to an even more grim and mysterious stranger. How will they survive?

Utterly daft melodrama that has the merit of Karloff and Lugosi trying to strangle each other after their game of chess goes wrong! Credit to the film makers for including the title of this review in the cod-Latin of a ridiculous satanic ritual during the climax, and for a nice gag at the end.

What interested me was the art deco design of the sets. But especially the music, which samples from 19th century romanticism and totally lifts a hair-raising bit of Beethoven. At that point I thought the story might take off, but no - it's just a crowd pleaser, with the theme of good hearted homelanders rescuing themselves from the clutches of nasty foreigners.

Overall, complete hokum - but strange to see people at that time (1934) feeling bitter about the recent violence, without anticipation of the horror to come.

Karloff & Lugosi together for the first time

[cdauten · 10 August 2002]

THE BLACK CAT (1934) Starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Julie Bishop Directed by Edgar Ulmer

The first film to feature both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, THE BLACK CAT was, and remains, innovative and strange. The opening credits claim the film was "suggested by" the Edgar Alan Poe story, but other than the title there is absolutely no connection.

Lugosi gets to play a good guy for a change and he handles it very well. In fact, I might venture to say that the role of Dr. Vitus Werdegast is Lugosi's finest performance, perhaps because it is so much of a departure from the role of Dracula. Karloff plays Hjalmar Poelzig, a Satanic architect with a really freaky hairdo. David Manners and Julie Bishop portray the Allisons, an American couple honeymooning in Hungary (doesn't everyone?).

The real star of this film, though, is the house. What an incredible set! The house, designed and built by Poelzig on the ruins of a WWI fort where thousands of soldiers are entombed, is an architectural marvel, even by today's standards. All glass and steel, the house consists of sharp angles that cast long, expressionistic shadows, which gives the film its extremely creepy atmosphere.

Werdegast (Lugosi) meets the Allisons on a train and later shares a cab with them. As they drive through a storm, he explains that he is going to visit an old friend after having spent 15 years as a prisoner of war. Not far from his friend's house the cab crashes, killing the driver and injuring Mrs. Allison. They carry her to Werdegast's friend's house. The friend, of course, is Poelzig (Karloff) and it soon becomes obvious that the term "friend" is applied very loosely. In fact, the men have become enemies due to the fact that Poelzig betrayed Werdegast during the war, which led to his long imprisonment. In the basement, Poelzig reunites Werdegast with his wife, now dead and whom Poelzig had married himself while Werdegast was in prison. The freaky architect has been keeping her preserved in some sort of suspended animation type thing. When Werdegast demands to know his daughter's whereabouts, Poelzig tells him that she, too, has died.

What follows is a bizarre tale of two men who are opposite sides of the coin. They engage in a chess match (literally and figuratively) with the soul of the injured Mrs. Allison up for grabs. THE BLACK CAT is incredibly creepy and has some real suspenseful moments. It also has some very disturbing scenes, especially for a film made in 1934. The scene of Karloff reciting the black mass in Latin is especially ominous. One cannot, however, help noticing some gaping holes in the plot. Dr. Werdegast is supposed to be Hungary's leading doctors, and yet he has just been released from 15 years of imprisonment. Huh? Also, there is a cruel scene where Lugosi's character kills a black cat (he has a phobia) and nobody seems to think anything about it...even though it appears to have been a pet in the household. These minor points do not take away from the overall viewing experience, though. THE BLACK CAT still looks great after all these years and it still has the ability to make you shudder.

Fast, visually edgy, and with Karloff and Lugosi both, both!

[secondtake · 7/10 · 6 March 2010]

The Black Cat (1934)

Edgar Ulmer was one of Universal Studio's hopes in 1934, when this movie was their biggest hit of the season (this is three years after the explosion of Dracula and Frankenstein). But he only made one other famous movie, the low budget Detour, which is pretty amazing stuff. The rest of the time he did fringe film, low budget grunt work. Which is a shame, because even here, at the start of his directing career, there is a wonderful flair for drama, set design, light, and effect.

It is this last that might ruin his long term vision--he puts effect over substance, and even over logic. So you have to watch this for all the great visual and narrative flourishes. Even the black cat of the title is more of a symbolic punctuation point than anything that matters. Women will be kidnapped, men tricked, old enemies battle with wits and electric shocks, and a cast of Satanic worshippers will gather by the end. This actually makes it sound wilder than it is, but that's the general idea. The hero and heroine are regular folk caught in the maelstrom of old Europe and its cryptic wickedness, not that far from the two earlier breakthrough films. This one has no hook, though, no monster or vampire, just some demented people.

At an hour, the movie is short, and even at that it moves fast. Watch for nice Art Deco touches. And most of all, see Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff square off head to head. It's not a masterpiece, but it's totally worth watching if you like the early Universal scary movies.

Art Moderne Horror

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 8 June 2012]

An American and his new wife are trapped by a storm somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains, as is a strange doctor, Bela Lugosi. They seek refuge in the nearby art deco mansion of Boris Karloff.

If Lugosi seems strange -- and did he ever NOT seem strange? -- this big house and everyone in it, including Karloff, his young wife, and the servants -- seem equally off kilter.

Instance: When the stranded guests arrive, the Master is summoned. He's in bed in a dark room and switches on the light next to the bed. Instead of the scene then being properly lighted, a light goes on OUTSIDE THE WINDOW and we see Karloff sitting up in silhouette. And he doesn't just sit up, the way you and and I do, struggling with the blankets for a second, then swinging our legs over the side of the bed. No. His body bends at a stiff angle, like a marionette, and his upper torso rises to the vertical. The whole is unnerving.

The plot is twisted in various ways, none of them supernatural. Karloff sold out his soldiers to the Russians in World War I and Lugosi wound up spending 15 years in prison. On top of that, Karloff married the wife Lugosi left behind and, when she died two years later, married his daughter. Lugosi only finds this out in increments and finally, with a bullet in him, he's able to shackle Karloff to a cross or something and begin skinning him alive with a handy scalpel before blowing the entire house and all its strange inhabitants to bits -- except for the American and his wife, who manage to escape.

The story is full of tension, which should account partly for its appeal across so many generations. And there are directorial touches that momentarily jar. (The American hangs his jacket up -- over the camera lens -- and there is a dissolve to another dark room.) The musical score is lifted almost entirely from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Bach, presumably because it was cheap. I mean, the tunes are in public domain and the arrangements already written. Two of the pieces are for the organ.

At heart, though, it's an inexpensive horror movie in the same genre as Universal's other horror movies -- "Frankenstein," et al. But the plot is pedestrian, there is no particular poetry in the dialog, and the acting is routine. The director was Edgar G. Ulmer, he of the distinctive "Detour." If his reputation had to depend on "The Black Cat" alone, I doubt his name would carry such cachet.

Revenge Melodrama Saved By The Set Design And The Stars

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 23 June 2013]

After seeing THE RAVEN from 1935 I quickly turned my attention to the previous year's film THE BLACK CAT that lined up Karloff and Lugosi for the very first time . I enjoyed THE RAVEN even though I had to forgive some obvious flaws and had vaguely good memories of this film as a child . Just before watching I learned this was Universal Studios most successful film from 1934 so it had all the makings of being a classic .After seeing it after a long gap spanning at least a couple of decades I'm in two minds about it

What does work is the design and the casting . Being set in Hungary and seen through the eyes of American newly weds Peter and Joan Allison we see Europe as an alien land that could almost be set on another planet . The set interiors of Poelzig's home are obviously Bauhaus inspired which wouldn't be common to an American audience and Poelzig's initial appearance is genuinely unsettling even watching it in 2013 . I'm not being flippant but it might even be more terrifying in 2013 since Karloff seems to resemble a more grotesque version of Gary Glitter , but even so there's a presence to Poelzig that is unearthly . The Great War would have been fresh in everyone's mind and an American / Anglo-Saxon audience wouldn't need reminding as to how untrustworthy or dangerous or even demonic Central Europeans could be . In that regard there's a subtext to the screenplay

That's about the only thing the screenplay does get it right . In terms of plotting and character motive it's very clumsy and under developed . Dr Werdegast arrives at Poelzig's home on a mission of revenge to find out his wife and daughter are dead but after finding this out there's nothing to stop him pulling out a gun and executing Peolzig but for some reason doesn't do so because as Werdegast confesses to Joan " He has me in his power " whatever that might mean and is never built upon . As it transpires Werdegast's daughter Karen isn't dead and is in fact now the wife of Poelzig but this seems added to the story as an afterthought and sadly leads nowhere

THE BLACK CAT is a film with a relatively well regarded reputation and one can understand where it's reputation comes from - one of grotesque imagery and a reputation that in some ways is deserved , but don't let anyone tell you it's a classic because it's let down greatly by its confused and ill thought out storytelling

Pure classic...

[MovieAddict2016 · 10/10 · 14 December 2003]

When Edgar G. Ulmer's "The Black Cat" was released in 1934, it was the first film to feature famed Universal horror actors Bela Lugosi ("Dracula") and Boris Karloff ("Frankenstein") in the same film together, which may explain part of its continually fueled cult popularity today.

The film is dark and forthright and disturbing, even by today's standards. The bad guy character is a Satan worshiper who murders women as sacrifices and keeps their preserved bodies locked up in a dungeon beneath his creepy Hungarian mansion, situated on the remains of a battlefield where men under his command once fought.

The key of the film, and what surges us forward with exceeding momentum, is an American couple honeymooning in Hungary. While traveling via train, a mysterious man named Dr. Vitus Verdegast (Lugosi) shares their compartment and tells them of an old friend he plans on meeting after some 15 years of being held captive in a prisoner of war camp.

The American couple is comprised of Peter Alison (David Manners), a pulp mystery writer, and his newly wed bride, Joan (Julie Bishop, credited as Jacqueline Wells). They feel uncomfortable around the pleasant yet strange man, and are eager to continue their tour of Hungary, when tragedy befalls Joan and Peter in an automobile accident and Verdegast and Peter are both forced to take her to the residence of Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff), the very man Verdegast is expecting to drop in on.

Joan is put to bed and given rest after the fright of the accident, and Poelzig greets them all with warm hospitality. However, it does not last for long, because it is soon revealed that Verdegast has come back after 15 years to claim his wife and daughter from the clutches of Poelzig. Poelzig informs him that his family has passed, but Verdegast believes that Poelzig murdered them both and seeks vengeance on the Satan worshiper, who plans on making Joan his next sacrifice.

There were lots of Universal horror films made during the 30s and 40s, some better than the others. "The Black Cat" is still considered one of the best to this very day, and it has not dated nearly as much as some of the other horror stories. It is still as disturbing as it was in 1934, with its villain not only creepy but literally evil, right down to Boris Karloff's eerie first appearance.

To be dreadfully honest, the film's only flaw is that it is often too quick to follow in chronological order. The film is only 66 minutes long, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it was even shorter. It flies by quickly. Good for repeated viewings, yes, but sometimes the cuts are too rapid and all over the place.

That's a single flaw. The rest is pieced together perfectly. It was one of Lugosi's few heroic roles, and as Verdegast we are never sure if he is a good guy or bad guy until the very end, when the two arch enemies have a climatic showdown, which is as poetic as justice can be.

Karloff, credited as simply that in the movie, is perfect as Poelzig, and this was one of Lugosi's highlights before he sunk deeper and deeper into drugs and alcohol and eventually died before Edward D. Wood, Jr.'s tragic film "Plan 9 from Outer Space" was released, which didn't stop Wood from using old footage of Lugosi filmed prior to the scriptwriting process for the film (often considered the worst ever made). Wood credited him in the title role, yet Lugosi didn't even technically star in the film at all.

The movie is visibly filmed with a low budget and many technical imperfections. But its director, Edgar G. Ulmer (1904-1972), was a man whose films were often flawed but nevertheless quite haunting. "Detour," often regarded as his finest moment, was shot in six days with a band of B-actors, yet it still remains a cult classic today, even finding a spot in Roger Ebert's Great Movies compilation.

Ulmer was a refugee from Hitler, and no, I am not related to him as far as I know. Ulmer was an assistant to F. Murnau Abraham on various films, and presented the German link between American cinema of the time and German cinema, which was much more exaggerated with its filming.

It's very evident in "The Black Cat," but I don't think I'd want it any other way. It was most assuredly a breakthrough in the art of fast-paced filmmaking, and even by today's standards it is incredibly short. "The Black Cat" is one of the quickest film experiences you will ever have, but also one of the most disturbing and enjoyable, too.

5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

The Black Cat (1934)

[fntstcplnt · 7/10 · 14 October 2019]

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. Starring Béla Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Julie Bishop, David Manners, Lucille Lund, Harry Cording, Egon Brecher, Henry Armetta, Albert Conti.

Traveling with American newlyweds Manners and Bishop, recently-freed POW (Lugosi) visits "old friend" Karloff at his Hungarian estate to learn what became of his wife, proceeds to make other startling discoveries. First pairing of Universal horror stars Karloff and Lugosi transports traditional Gothic horror trappings to the modern day; strange story deals with (among other things) post-war trauma, and the interior design of the mansion reflects minimalist and avant-garde styles. Although discretion keeps the grotesqueries subtle or implied, this Universal horror hit touches on several taboo subjects/practices, including flaying, necrophilia, and Satan worship (the first movie to explicitly do so). Plot is a bit messy and the honeymooners are forgettable, but the stars have good, ghoulish fun together; strong atmosphere and a surprise or two makes it a worthy viewing. Overbearing use of music throughout the entire film is a frustrating distraction, however. Per credits, "suggested" by the Edgar Allen Poe short story of the same name, though it bears no legitimate resemblance.

68/100

"It all sounds like a lot of superstitious baloney to me."

[bensonmum2 · 10/10 · 4 February 2005]

The Black Cat is, quite simply, a horror masterpiece. Almost everything about this film is perfect. I'm not going to go into detail on the story, because if you haven't seen it, you should.

The acting is some of the best you'll ever see in a horror film. Lugosi is at the top of his game. His portrayal of Ygor in Son of Frankenstein may be Lugosi's only better performance. Karloff is wonderfully creepy and mysterious (and has some of the most bizarre hair I've ever seen). Seeing the two work together in The Black Cat is a real pleasure. Although Karloff gets top billing, this is Lugosi's film and he makes the most of it. David Manners and the rest of the cast are more than adequate.

The futuristic house in which the film is set is a departure from the more Gothic, Victorian settings of most of the Universal films. And it works. Thanks to some terrific set design, lighting, and cinematography, the modern house exudes as much atmosphere as any old castle, dungeon, tower, etc.

The Black Cat contains some of the most unsettling scenes of any classic Universal horror film. It is, IMO, the darkest of any of these films. I just wonder how it was viewed by audiences in 1934. Two scenes that immediately come to mind are the black mass performed by Karloff and the torture scene at the end of the film. These scenes are not typical of the Universal classics. They have the power to stick with you long after the movie is over.

But what I really like is the way the story unfolds. At the beginning, you know nothing of what's really going on. Bit by bit, the story unfolds. Many of the plot points are revealed by Lugosi. In fact, if it weren't for Lugosi's monologues, I wonder if anyone would have any idea of what was taking place.

My All-Time Favorite

[westerfield · 10/10 · 12 June 2012]

This isn't the best film ever made - my vote goes to All About Eve - but it by far my favorite. The combination of favorite actors, wonderful music, excellent sets, good cinematography and excellent direction make it the best horror film ever made. Other reviewers are right: it doesn't make a lot of sense. I liken it to having a strange dream that is completely compelling at the time but upon awakening, seems unbelievable.

Many reviewers have described the plot so I'm not going to repeat it here. I want to take on some the interesting aspects that you may not have noticed. Much of the music is arranged for full orchestra that was originally for smaller pieces, piano quintets, concertos, etc. Heinz Reimheld is to be commended for seeing the possibilities in these thinner pieces. I've done my best to acquire original versions of all the works used. I find the chosen music and timing among the best in any film. Think of Karloff grabbing the statue during Shubert's Unfinished. In the recent restoration of The Magacian (1926)for Turner, the orchestration leaned heavily on The Black Cat music.

The coven is full of interesting actors besides John Carridine. Michael Mark (little Maria's father in Frankenstein) helps tie up the heroine. King Baggott was in films since about 1912 and did horror roles in early silents. And then there's John George, the hunchback dwarf who added interest to so many films: Prisoner of Zenda, The Bells, Don Juan, The Unknown, Mark of the Vampire, Bride of Frankenstein, Tower of London and Picture of Dorian Gray among many. You won't remember him because he's usually part of the scenery. But if you look for him he pops up in films like A Streetcar Named Desire, The Killing and Ocean's Eleven.

Some reviewers comment that the set is cheap. Nothing could be further from the truth. In "the phone is dead" scene you can see a fully furnished dining room in the background that went unused in the film. Details like these make the set completely believable.

Some of the scenes were re-shot after Uncle Carl saw the finished product and had a fit. You can read the details in Gregory William Mank's: Karloff and Lugosi, A Haunted Collaboration. I have the 1990 edition. Mank expanded the work in a 2009 edition. I don't know if he added more to what is known of The Black Cat. Used 1990 editions may be had for about $17.00 at Amazon. During the re-shoot a costuming error is obvious. David Manners' jacket shoulder is ripped in some scenes but not in others.

Now for some personal remarks. Early in our marriage my wife and I adopted a puppy. We named him Koolgar so that when people asked about the name I could quote Bela: "Have you ever heard of Koolgar? It is a prison below Amsk....' We live in a modern house with an intercom system. When my wife calls me to dinner she says over the intercom, "Docter Vertigast has arrived." And finally, I've toured the so-called "Black Cat House" in the Hollywood hills. It is the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Ennis-Brown House. It has been used in many other horror and adventure films besides House on Haunted Hill. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer the exterior was used for Angel's hideout. The interiors were used in Rocketeer. Last I heard tours are held one Saturday a month by reservation only.

Now, I'm not a nut case over this film. I've visited many obscure movie sites. And I've tried to identify music used in other films. It's that this film is just so right; a pleasure to watch over and over.

We Are the Monsters

[johcafra-150-658402 · 7/10 · 25 July 2021]

When I'd first viewed this as part of my effective introduction to the other Universal Studios horror classics, my initial reaction was pretty much along the lines of, "Whunh?" Talky, not in the least scary or even teasingly explicit, and where were the monsters?

A little further on I'd asked a sage who in hindsight resembled Bill D. Cat and loved the odd turn of phrase for his opinion on the movie. "Aah, yes," he answered, "a movie that desperately tries to show you what it isn't and not show you what it truly is." "Ooooookaaaaaay," was my then-youthful yet studied response.

Fast forward some decades and a relatively unimpeded view of a far cleaner print. I don't think I can spoil this movie for you even if I wanted to. But, perhaps with the benefit of hindsight, I'll offer the following for the uninitiated.

Bela Lugosi is outstanding. In the blink of an eye he transitions from "I vahnt you" to someone sympathetic, susceptible, and vulnerable. This takes chops (no pun intended), and here you see them all.

Boris Karloff plays a character who is, in the simplest meaning of the word, a sadist. I get the distinct impression he himself didn't like the role, but consummate professional and studio-contract player that he was, Karloff delivered the goods, sometimes like a cat.

The plot is incidental but keeps you involved and has just as much as it takes to disturb you but not compel you to know more. The production design is a cross between German Expressionism, American Art Deco and downright Dada. The musical score is indeed Name That (Classical) Tune with more than a little Schubert. And other reviews correctly point out that the Motion Picture Production ("Hays") Code was just then getting enforced across the board.

So, if you've not viewed this, or not viewed this in quite the while, have something vinous handy and keep the ambient lighting low but full-spectrum. Here there be monsters.

Nice house, shame about the plot.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 19 February 2017]

Newlyweds Peter and Joan Alison (David Manners and Julie Bishop) are travelling through Hungary in the company of Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi) when their bus crashes, leaving Joan with minor injuries. The travellers take refuge at the home of celebrated architect Hjalmar Poelzog (Boris Karloff, billed simply as Karloff), with whom Werdegast has a bitter feud. As Joan recuperates, Poelzig plans to use his pretty guest in a Satanic ritual, while Werdegast plots revenge against the man he holds responsible for the death of his wife and child.

Karloff and Lugosi might sound like the perfect pairing for any Universal horror fan, but for me the real star of this rather dreary potboiler is Poelzig's house, which is far more interesting than any of the dialogue heavy action that takes place within. Art Deco by way of Dr. Seuss, with a particularly impressive spiral staircase leading down to the architect's angular Satanic altar, it's a shame when the place is blown sky high in the film's less than thrilling climax.

Karloff and Lugosi go head to head

[sirarthurstreebgreebling II · 9 May 2002]

Made in 1934 by the then 30 year old Director Edgar Ulmer and with the stunning set design by Charles D. Hall the film paired Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi for the first time together on the screen. This was to cement the two icons together in a screen partnership that would last for several years.

Set in the modern house of Hjalmar Poelzig (no creepy old castle's here) whose home is one of the most stunning modern houses of our time this is a dark story about Devil worship. Poelzig has a room set aside for his evil black masses and has a penchant for the ladies, but only when they are being put to the devil's business. Into this walks a young couple who due to circumstances out of their control end up having to stay the night at his home. They arrive with Dr.Verdegast (Lugosi) who is returning after a absence of many years to settle some unfinished business with his old friend. This is the set up for an explosive encounter between the two into which the young honeymooning couple are thrown.

Truly a masterpiece it should be viewed over and over again.

Watch out for the finale Black Mass in which Karloff spout's authentic sounding incantation's to raise the Devil, he says Latin phrases "Cave Canium" (Beware of the Dog), "In Vito Veritas" (In Wine there if truth) and Cum Grano Salis (with a grain of salt). I could'nt put it better myself.