EYE OF THE CAT HERALD

Good stars, good acting, but a tepid plot makes EYE OF THE CAT (1969) a run-of the-mill "thriller". Michael Sarrazin, Gayle Hunnicutt and Eleanor Parker save this from turning into cat food. 

BEWARE THE EYE OF THE CAT!

Cats have been a source of mystery and wonder since the times of ancient Egypt. Their mythical and mysterious nature has also been a source of a number of horror films over the years. One in particular startled audiences back in 1969. Titled, EYE OF THE CAT, the Universal horror/thriller starred Michael Sarrazin and Gayle Hunnicutt and Eleanor Parker. The screenplay was written by Joseph Stefano, whose name genre fans will recognize as the writer who adapted Robert Bloch's novel, PSYCHO to the screen, as well as being the creative force behind the original OUTER LIMITS TV series. Ray Berwick was the wrangler for the multitude of felines that run amok in the movie. He is also notable as the trainer for the birds in Alfred Hitchcock's eponymous film.

Michael Sarrazin plays the lead. In a few more years he would play the monster in the 1973 British TV movie, FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY. Gayle Hunnicutt supplies the eye-candy. She is also memorable for her role in the Richard Matheson-scripted LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973). A still-lovely 47 years-old at the time of filming EYE, Eleanor Parker gives the best performance in the film as the dying mother who Sarrazin and Hunnicutt have designs on her departing her mortal coil early for an inheritance. She also played opposite Charlton Heston in the thriller, THE NAKED JUNGLE (1954), an adaptation of the 1937 short story "Leiningen Versus the Ants" by Carl Stephenson.

All this talent couldn't save it from being roundly panned by critics (see the Kevin Thomas Review from the L.A. Times below. One also has to remember that many movies in the late 1960's and into the 1970's teemed with social comment and any film like EYE OF THE CAT was looked down the noses of critics for being "trite".

If you're so inclined, here's the entire movie for your guilty viewing pleasure (both the video and audio quality are excellent):

For a short take, here's the trailer from Scream Factory's Blu-ray release: