Wise Gets Going with Cat People in a False Sequel The Curse of the Cat People (1944) | Blu-ray Review

An oddity amongst oddities from the annals of producer Val Lewton, 1944’s The Curse of the Cat People is an early example of Hollywood’s blatant capitalization on branding to market cinema as product despite lack of logic. A supposed sequel to the 1942 success Cat People (read review), which was helmed by Jacques Tourneur, returning cast members and characters were grafted onto a psychological drama which concerned a child driven to near insanity after experiencing ghostly visitations.

Famously, it was a film once used in psychology classes (a piece of trivia which has graced each iteration of contemporary re-releasing, including this new Blu-ray transfer from Shout Factory) for its particular nuances—and yet, it’s the nagging forced relationship with the earlier title which detracts from the subtlety accomplished here by directors Gunther von Fritsch, a documentary filmmaker, and cinematographer Robert Wise, both making their directorial debuts (Wise came on board to finish production when Fritsch ran over budget and over schedule, an anomaly for anything associated with Val Lewton).

Perhaps the greatest distraction of The Curse of the Cat People is how it utilizes the perspective of Cat People’s most ineffectual elements, namely the resoundingly milquetoast characterizations of naval architect Kent Smith and wife number two played by Jane Randolph, who have been raising troubled pre-teen Amy (Ann Carter) within the parameters of white, suburban blandness which somehow came to be prized as the ultimate American ideal. But when Amy begins to see the ghost of Irena (Simone Simon), the dead first wife of Smith’s “Ollie” Reed (supposedly the result of the child being spurned by her peers), home-life for the otherwise perfect family becomes overshadowed by the possibility of Irena’s spirit possessing their innocent child.

Featuring neither curses nor the enigmatic cat people conjured effectually in the first film, the ethnic heritage of Irena changes from Serbian to French this time around (synching with French star Simon, who would headline Wise’s Guy de Maupassant adaptation Mademoiselle Fifi the same year), but only allows her to appear as a diminutive apparition providing solace for the young girl. The Curse of the Cat People’s strongest bits convey the power of suggestibility, while Ollie Reed’s bizarre past experiences with Irena seep into their daughter’s psychological development. The film also brings back Elizabeth Russell, who had a memorable interaction with Simon in the previous film, now caring for the aging recluse and former actress played by Julia Dean, whose role smacks of Ethel Barrymore.

Disc Review:

Shout Factory presents the title in 1.33:1 for its Blu-ray debut with DTS-HD Master Audio. Picture and sound quality are improved from the film’s initial DVD transfer, presented as a double bill with its predecessor. Author and historian Steve Haberman and historian Greg Mank provide audio commentary tracks, and the disc also includes audio interview excerpts with Simone Simon.

Film Review: ★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
Disc Review: ★★★/☆☆☆☆☆