The Seventh Victim (1943)

A woman in search of her missing sister uncovers a Satanic cult in New York's Greenwich Village, and finds that they may have something to do with her sibling's random disappearance.

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Charles O'Neal, DeWitt Bodeen

Stars:

Kim Hunter, Tom Conway, Jean Brooks

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Conway	...	Dr. Louis Judd
Jean Brooks	...	Jacqueline Gibson
Isabel Jewell	...	Frances Fallon
Kim Hunter	...	Mary Gibson
Evelyn Brent	...	Natalie Cortez
Erford Gage	...	Jason Hoag
Ben Bard	...	Mr. Brun
Hugh Beaumont	...	Gregory Ward
Chef Milani	...	Mr. Giacomo Romari
Marguerita Sylva	...	Mrs. Bella Romari

Storyline

When her older sister Jacqueline disappears, Mary Gibson is forced to leave her private school and decides to travel to New York City to look for her. A bit naive and out of her depth, she is not quite sure how to go about finding her. Eventually she meets Gregory Ward, her sister's husband and a mysterious psychiatrist, Dr. Louis Judd who claims to know of Jacqueline's whereabouts. What she doesn't realize is that her sister became involved with devil worshipers who now want to eliminate her for having revealed their existence.

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Plot Keywords:

satanic cult | cult | city | new york city | urban setting | 

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Taglines:

ROBBED OF THE WILL TO LOVE! (original half-sheet poster-style A)

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Latin French

Release Date:

21 August 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

The 7th Victim

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The large painting in the "Dante" restaurant is an adaptation of Henry Holiday's 1883 canvas of Dante Alighieri meeting his muse Beatrice on the streets of Florence.

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Goofs

Despite stating multiple times throughout the film (and being the entire driving force of the film) that she has no money, Mary has enough money to stay in a hotel and travel throughout the city. Where did it come from?

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Quotes

Esther Redi, Jacqueline's Partner: Your sister had many friends, but they weren't my friends. I was only the manager of her plant.

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Crazy Credits

[title after starting credits] I runne to death, and death meets me as fast, and all my pleasures are like yesterday. Holy sonnet #VII Jonne Donne

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Connections

Referenced in Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks: The Body Snatcher (2015)

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Soundtracks

Oranges and Lemons
(uncredited)
Traditional English nursery rhyme
Performed by Kim Hunter and children's chorus
[Mary sings the song with her students]

User Reviews

Seven is a Lonely Number

A bleakly beautiful film set in an impossibly lonely Manhattan. It looks uncannily like an Edward Hopper painting translated to film. And it's look is timeless rather than dated. Another incredible Val Lewton film, and an amazing poetic achievement for a B-movie.