| The Curse of the Cat People | |
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| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/The_Curse_of_the_Cat_People_%281943_poster%29.jpg/220px-The_Curse_of_the_Cat_People_%281943_poster%29.jpg
Theatrical release poster by William Rose | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by | Val Lewton |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Edited by | J.R. Whittredge |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $212,000 |
The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 American psychologicalsupernatural thriller filmdirected by Gunther von Fritschand Robert Wise, produced by Val Lewton, and starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph, and Ann Carter. Its tells a story about a young girl who befriends the ghost of her father's deceased first wife, a Serbian fashion designer who descended from a race of people who could transform into cats. The film, which marks Wise's first directing credit, is a sequel to Cat People (1942) and has many of the same central characters, but the plot is only tangentially related to its predecessor.
Plot[]
Following the death of his wife, Irena Dubrovna, engineer Oliver Reed has remarried to his former co-worker, Alice. The couple now have a six-year-old daughter, Amy, and reside in Tarrytown, New York. Oliver worries about Amy's extreme introversion and predilection to fantasy, as the behavior reminds him of Irena, whose madness drove her to death. At the urging of her parents, Amy attempts to make friends with the neighborhood children, who spurn her. While walking through the neighborhood, Amy pauses in front of a large house, which the other children claim is inhabited by a witch. An elderly woman's voice beckons Amy from a second-floor window, and she follows. From the window, the woman drops a handkerchief and a ring to the ground. Amy takes it, though the hankie is promptly snatched from her by Barbara Farren, the elderly woman's rejected daughter.
The Reeds' butler, Edward, tells Amy the ring appears to be a "wishing ring" and suggests she make a wish to it. In the garden, Amy wishes simply for a friend. Moments later, a wind encircles her, and she begins frolicking with what Oliver and Edward observe as an imaginary friend. The next day, Amy goes back to the house to return the ring. She is met inside by Barbara's eccentric elderly mother, a former stage actress named Julia. Julia tells Amy that her real daughter is dead, and that Barbara is a spy posing as her. Amy looks on as Julia dramatically reenacts the legend of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, but the story is cut short when Edward comes to retrieve Amy. After Amy leaves, Barbara chastises Julia for the way she treats her, but Julia continues to insist that Barbara is an imposter, and that her daughter died when she was six years old.
That night, Amy has a nightmare about the Headless Horseman. She is calmed, however, by the maternal presence of her friend—manifesting as a shadow—who sings a song to her. In the morning, Amy finds a photograph of Irena, whom she identifies as her mysterious new friend. Alice quickly hides the photograph. Amy wanders outside, where she is met by Irena's ghost. The two play together in the garden.
On Christmas Eve, Amy quietly slips outside during a family gathering to give Irena a gift in the garden. She subsequently visits the Farren house on Christmas Day, and gifts Julia a ring, which delights her. This enrages Barbara, whose gifts have been rejected by Julia, and Barbara vows to murder Amy should she ever return to the house. A short time later, Amy finds a photograph of Oliver and Irena together, and insists that she knows her. Oliver dismisses this as one of Amy's fantasies and punishes her. As Amy sobs in her bedroom, she is visited by Irena, who tells her that she must depart, explaining that she is interfering with Amy's relationship with her father. Amy begs Irena to stay, but Irena disappears, so Amy wanders outside to search for her. Shortly after, Oliver and Alice realize Amy has left the house.
Outside, Amy becomes caught in a blizzard as she wanders through country backroads. She eventually seeks shelter at the Farren home. Julia takes her in, but attempts to hide her upstairs, fearing Barbara will harm Amy out of jealousy. A panicked Julia suffers a heart attack while climbing the stairs and dies. Barbara appears and menacingly approaches Amy. Frightened, Amy invokes Irena, who superimposes herself over Barbara, and Amy embraces what she sees as her friend. This disarms Barbara, who returns the child's embrace. Moments later, Oliver and police arrive at the house. Oliver hugs Amy, and they return home. On the porch, Oliver agrees to accept his daughter's imaginary companions. Irena, watching them from the garden, disappears as Oliver and Amy enter the house.
Cast[]
- Simone Simon as the ghost of Irena Dubrovna Reed
- Kent Smith as Oliver Reed
- Jane Randolph as Alice Reed
- Ann Carter as Amy Reed
- Eve March as Miss Callahan
- Julia Dean as Julia Farren
- Elizabeth Russell as Barbara Farren
- Erford Gage as Police Captain
- Sir Lancelot as Edward