Cat Girl

This early role for Barbara Shelley (in fact, her first in Britain after working in Italy), was made when she was 24 years old, and it's certainly safe to say that she made a stunning debut in 1957's "Cat Girl." While blondes and brunettes get most of the attention (I'll always cherish Yutte Stensgaard), the lovely auburn-haired actress with the deep voice always exuded intelligence as well as vulnerability (one such example being 1960's "Village of the Damned," in which her screen time was much less than her character's husband, George Sanders). She is the sole reason for viewing this drab update of "Cat People," and is seen to great advantage throughout (it would be difficult to fathom if her beauty ever found a better showcase). Her character apparently sleeps in the nude, and we are exposed to her luscious bare back when she is awakened (also exposed 8 years later in 1965's "Rasputin-The Mad Monk"). The ravishing gown she wears during most of the film is a stunning strapless wonder (I don't see what held that dress up, but I'd sure like to). All in all, proof positive that Barbara Shelley, in a poorly written role that would defeat most actresses, rises above her material and makes the film consistently watchable, a real test of star power, which she would find soon enough at Hammer studios for the duration of the 1960s.