The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

The young, friendless daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed befriends her father's dead first wife and an aging, reclusive actress.

Directors:

Gunther von Fritsch (as Gunther V. Fritsch), Robert Wise

Writer:

DeWitt Bodeen (screenplay)

Stars:

Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Simone Simon	...	Ghost of Irena
Kent Smith	...	Oliver 'Ollie' Reed
Jane Randolph	...	Alice Reed
Ann Carter	...	Amy Reed
Eve March	...	Miss Callahan
Julia Dean	...	Mrs. Julia Farren
Elizabeth Russell	...	Barbara Farren
Erford Gage	...	Police Captain
Sir Lancelot	...	Edward

Storyline

This mostly unrelated sequel to Cat People (1942) has Amy, the young daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed. Amy is a very imaginative child who has trouble differentiating fantasy from reality, and has no friends her own age as a result. She makes an imaginary friend though, her father's dead first wife Irena. At about the same time, she befriends Julia Farren, an aging reclusive actress who is alienated from her own daughter Barbara.

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Plot Keywords:

imaginary friend | sequel | child in peril | child's point of view | ghost | 

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Taglines:

Sensation return of the KILLER-CAT WOMAN! (original poster)

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Val Lewton was known for his thrift as a movie producer, Curse of the Cat People ran 40% over budget in the end.

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Goofs

The photograph Amy finds in the drawer is seen in close-up to be a portrait of Irena. In long shots, however, it looks more like a wedding picture with one person in white and another in black standing side-by-side.

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Quotes

Mrs. Julia Farren: Those days... those beautiful, shining, golden days!

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in TJ and the All Night Theatre: Isle of the Dead + Cat People + the Curse of the Cat People (1978)

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Soundtracks

Il est né, le divin Enfant
Sung by Simone Simon

User Reviews

Much more than it appears to be

This film is so much more than it appears to be at first viewing. It is essentially an adult's view of a lonely child's fantasies and how those fantasies affect her relationships with the adults around her. The performances are uniformly excellent with Ann Carter as Amy, the lonely girl, a standout. Her angelic look is perfect for her character. Also excellent are Julia Dean as Mrs. Farren, the ex-stage actress living in her own fantasy world, and Elizabeth Russell as her daughter, Barbara. And to justify the title reference to "Cat People", Simone Simon appears as Amy's imaginary friend. This is a small film that deserves a much larger audience. Excellent in all respects.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amy and Her Friend

Filming Locations:

900 West Adams Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1