The Curse of the Cat People

The title is very misleading for this is a film about a little girl's isolation and her need for an imaginary friend. The original "Cat People" picture provides just the backdrop for this moving story about lonely people, both young and old. There is a certain innocence and pathos that works very well alongside competent direction and acting. Definitely not a horror film, this is a gentle fantasy and a very good one at that.

Never mind the lurid title; this is a charming fantasy involving a little girl and a lonely retired actress. Julia Dean actually hadn't done a film for a quarter of a century, and is terrific in her comeback role of the secluded actress who is delighted to befriend the child. Recommended to all.

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.

Curse of the Cat People is an intriguing tale, beautifully filmed in a style that bears more resemblance to a Grimms fairytale than horror, with a mesmerizing performance from Ann Carter. This is her film and she is strong and convincing in the role. The exploration of the insecurity of the child coupled with a troubled relationship with her father is fascinating. I have not seen Cat People and, possibly, aspects of the history of the demise of Irena would be clearer having seen the original. The expectation of a "horror" film with the suggestive title is also misleading. If you are looking for horror you will need to look elswhere. This is ultimately a surprisingly sensitive and uniquely haunting film that would appeal on many levels.

Lewton's sequel to the almighty "Cat People" is a mesmerizing and elegant fantasy, but it is by no means a horror film. It's a touching drama and a perceptive social portrait that makes a great study on loneliness and creating an alternate dreamworld. In this case: a young girl that hasn't got much contact with her classmates because of her constant daydreaming and often alarms her parents due to her isolated position. Amy eventually finds true friendship in the supernatural form of Irena, the deceased first wife of her father. Although entirely different in purpose and message, "Curse of the Cat People" actually has a lot more in common with its predecessor than it looks. Three essential characters return and their personalities haven't changed. Irena (played by the goddess Simone Simon) is still a warm-hearted but frigid woman and Ollie is still a loving man incapable of handling the supernatural events around him. Basically, this sequel is quite a unique achievement in cinema as it forms a solid wholesome with the first, despite implementing an entirely different tone. There are some genuine moments of fear, but these are the result of a terrific sub-plot in which an elderly Mrs. Farren (Amy's neighbor) accuses her daughter Barbara of being an impostor and a replacement for her real daughter who died in an accident. The film is beautiful to look at, with a stunning photography and excellent sets. The end-sequence (involving an imaginary metamorphosis) is breath-taking and one of the most enchanting moments in cinema history. The acting performances are flawless and the crush I had on Simone Simon only got intenser! Robert Wise does a terrific directing job (his debut) along with the unknown Gunther Von Fritsch. Wise continued working for Val Lewton one year later with the effectively creepy "The Body Snatcher". I will probably always prefer the original "Cat People" – simply because that is one of the most impressive and intelligent stories ever – but this imaginative sequel is almost as brilliant. Highly recommended.