Released - April, 1943 

Directed By - Jacques Tourneur

Starring – James Ellison (Wesley Rand), Frances Dee (Betsy Connell), Tom Conway (Paul Holland), Edith Barrett (Mrs. Rand).

Description – Canadian nurse Betsy Connell is hired by Carribbean sugar plantation owner Paul Holland to care for his wife Jessica.

Upon Betsy’s arrival she is taken to the Holland residence and during the trip is informed about the history of the island of Saint Sebastian and how the Holland family brought the slaves to the island.

That night at dinner, Betsy meets Paul’s half-brother Wesley Rand and learns that they both have the same mother, Mrs. Rand. Later that evening, while preparing for bed, Betsy hears the cries of a woman across the courtyard.

Her investigation leads her to a tower stairwell where she encounters Jessica Holland who approaches her almost ghost-like causing her to scream. Jessica’s zombie appearance is explained as a tropical fever.

During a visit to town learns that Wesley and Jessica had an affair and that Paul may be the cause of Jessica’s state-of-mind. Wesley believes Paul is trying to drive Jessica insane as a result of the affair.

The locals believe that Jessica has been cursed and is now one of the living walking dead. As some time passes, Betsy finds herself attracted to Paul and is more determined than ever to help cure Jessica.

When all conventional treatment fails, Alma, the maid, suggests that Betsy bring Jessica to see a Voodoo priest.

Voodoo and black magic follow in an attempt to cure Jessica. The locals feel that Jessica is evil and must be held accountable to their beliefs and practices regarding the undean.

Tension builds between the locals and the white settlers as a cure is hoped to be found before the bloodshed begins.

NOTABLE: Producer Val Lewton’s creativity is clearly evident here as this is one of those classic horror films he produced where he was given only the title of a film and had to create a story around it.

The motion picture had a “fun” disclaimer at the end of the credits that stated: “The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictional. Any similarity to actual persons, living, dead, or possessed, is purely coincidental.”

Personal Note: If you are not familiar with the classic horror films produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur, take note. They are some of the best ever make in the genre.

Modern zombie fans may be disappointed in the depiction of zombie’s in I Walked With A Zombie. They are not the flesh eating version so popular with today’s audiences. Rather, they are unfeeling, unthinking, and unresponsive traditional zombies.

This is one of the best with great atmosphere and a surprising and very satisfying conclusion.

The Val Lewton Horror Collection with Martin Scorsese Presents Val Lewton Documentary (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)

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Released – December, 1942 

Directed By - Jacques Tourneur

Starring – Simone Simon (Irena Dubrovna Reed), Kent Smith (Oliver Reed), Tom Conway (Dr. Louis Judd), Jane Randolph (Alice Moore), Jack Holt (The Commodore).

Description – While at the zoo Serbian-born fashion designer Irena Dubrovna meets marine engineer Oliver Reed who she invites to her apartment for tea. During their conversation, Irena tells Oliver a strange story of her heritage that involves witchcraft and devil worship.

Irena believes she is a descendant of a cursed people with a strange connection to a panther. While growing up her father had died mysteriously and her mother was called “the cat person.”

In spite of these stories, Oliver asks Irena to marry him and she accepts. While celebrating their engagement at a Serbian restaurant, a woman closely resembling a cat approaches and asks Irena is she is “her sister.” This fuels Irena’s fear of the cat curse.

After the marriage, Irena tries to avoid sleeping with her husband as the curse is said to manifest itself by her turning into a panther should she be aroused to passion.

Oliver pursuades Irena to see a psychiatrist and begins to confide his marital problems with his beautiful assistant Alice Moore.

Adding another woman to an already cursed relationship can only lead to tragedy.

NOTABLE: In 1993 this film was added for preservation to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Cat People cost RKO Radio Pictures just over $140,000 to make and earned over $4 million, reportedly saving the studio from financial ruin.

The film was such a box office hit that many critics who had originally posted bad reviews took the opportunity to view it again and issued positive follow-up.

Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People

The Val Lewton Horror Collection with Martin Scorsese Presents Val Lewton Documentary (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)

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Released – December, 1941 

Directed By - George Waggner

Starring – Claude Rains (Sir John Talbot), Warren William (Dr. Lloyd), Ralph Bellamy (Colonel Montford), Patric Knowles (Frank Andrews), Bela Lugosi (Bela), Maria Ouspenskaya (Maleva), Evelyn Ankers ( Gwen Conliffe), Lon Chaney, Jr. (Lawrence Talbot/The Wolf Man).

Description – Returning home to Wales, in an effort to reconcile with his father Sir John Talbot, Lawrence Talbot meets and becomes romantically interested in local antique shop owner Gwen Conliffe.

He buys a silver-headed walking stick from her that is decorated with a wolf. She tells him that it is actually a werewolf, a man who changes into a wolf during certain times of the year.

Later that evening, Lawrence rescue’s Gwen’s friend Jenny from a wolf attack. During this encounter he is bitten by the wolf, who it turns out is actually a werewolf and the son of a gypsy fortuneteller.

The curse of the werewolf has now been passed to him.

NOTABLE: This movie features outstanding makeup and atmospheric music.

The makeup for Lon Chaney took six hours to apply and another three to remove.

The silver-headed cane used in the movie is the only remaining prop, and is in the personal collection of genre film archivist Bob Burns.

Personal Comment: This is classic horror genre at it’s best, ranking right up there with all-time classic horror films Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll & Mister Hyde.

The Wolf Man (Universal Studios Classic Monster Collection)

The Wolf Man – The Legacy Collection (The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London)

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