The Curse of the Cat People (1944) User Reviews (120)

Charming and sweet movie, but don't look for any horror

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 31 January 2007]

In "Curse of the Cat People," the beautiful child, Ann Carter, who looked so much like Veronica Lake, plays Amy, the daughter of the now-married Oliver (Kent Smith) and Alice (Jane Randolph) from the film's predecessor, "The Cat People." This is a sweet film about a lonely young girl's fantasy life, showing her to be a highly imaginative and creative child. Unfortunately for Amy, she's the child of two complete duds. Her father, former husband of Irena, sees in his daughter an eerie mental and emotional resemblance to his late wife, and it makes him nervous. He gets even more nervous when Amy sees a photo of Irena and claims Irena is her "friend" who has been meeting her. He has burned all the photos of Irena except for one photo that shows him and Irena together, looking happy, though one wonders a) why he kept it since he told Irena he was in love with Alice and was thinking of having her, Irena, committed; and b) when exactly were they happy? They couldn't even consummate the marriage because she was afraid of turning into a vicious cat.

Irena's appearances are interesting but to my mind, it's left open as to whether Irena was actually talking to the child or not. We probably are supposed to think it's Amy's imagination, but I like to keep an open mind. After all, Amy gives her a pin and Irena puts it on her cloak - anyone ever find said pin? It is strange, though, that now she's singing in French instead of Serbian, and there is no sign of the cat stuff.

If you remember "The Cat People," there was a scene at the wedding celebration where the exotic, cat-eyed actress Elizabeth Russell greets Irena in Serbian as "sister." (Actually, Simone Simon dubbed the Serbian.) In "Curse of the Cat People," Russell plays Barbara, the daughter of an old actress whom Amy visits. It doesn't seem like Russell is playing the same character because her mother is not Serbian. Nice to see her, though, and at least in this film, she receives a credit.

"Curse of the Cat People" is a good film, but you'll be disappointed if you go in expecting another "Cat People." Take this lovely movie on its own merits, and feel sorry for Amy - with Oliver and Jane as parents, she's going to need all the help she can get.

Amy one of the most appealing child characters ever

[pocca · 7/10 · 13 July 2005]

In this sequel to "Cat People" Oliver and Alice, now married, have a young daughter called Amy, an imaginative child (well played by Ann Carter) who seems eerily more like Irena's daughter than Alice's. However, despite a creepy mansion with an eccentric old woman and her possibly murderous daughter, this really isn't a horror movie, not even in the understated sense of "Cat People." It is more of a character study of the sensitive, dreamy Amy and an eloquent plea on behalf of imaginative introverts everywhere. Amy is misunderstood by her devoted, but overly prosaic father—his heavy handed nagging of Amy to abandon her dream world and make real friends recalls his hearty, patronizing dismissal of Irena's legends of the Serbian cat people. Irena herself appears as a sort of guardian spirit to Amy that compensates for her unsympathetic father who grows more impatient and bullying as the film progresses. In fairness to Oliver, he is convinced that Irena's obsession with the cat people drove her insane and he is fearful that his daughter may come to the same fate. But—and this is another major difference from the first film—unlike the cat people legend Amy's runaway imagination is presented as essentially benign, even if it does occasionally led to misunderstandings with other children; in fact, it ultimately saves her from being strangled by old woman's resentful daughter. By the end of the movie, Amy and her father have reconciled, Oliver, if not entirely believing Amy's flights of fancy at least recognizing that he needs to be more of an understanding friend to his daughter.

All in all, a film that is probably particularly resonant with those of us who can recall being told to put the book down and go outside and play with the other kids.

Not horror, but a touching story of loneliness.

[Opio · 8/10 · 3 August 1999]

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.

'Curse Of The Cat People' is overshadowed by 'Cat People', but to me it is almost as great.

[Infofreak · 24 February 2004]

'The Curse Of The Cat People' isn't really a sequel to 'Cat People' despite several recurring characters. It also isn't strictly a horror movie, despite having some suspenseful moments. Like 'Cat People' the line between the real and the imaginary is blurred, and being a Val Lewton production it is extremely atmospheric. 'Cat People's director Jacques Tourneur is replaced by Gunther von Fritsch, who I confess to know absolutely nothing about, and Robert Wise, who among many other things, is beloved to genre fans for 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' and 'The Haunting'. I'm not as big a fan of the latter as most horror buffs, I actually think 'Curse Of The Cat People' is the better movie. Kent Smith and Jane Randolph reprise their 'Cat People' roles. They are now married and have a child (Amy, played by the talented child actor Ann Carter). Smith is still trying to get over the death of his first wife Irena (Simone Simon), a story we know from the earlier picture. Amy is a loner with a rich fantasy life and this increasingly troubles her father, who fears it's going to be Irena all over again, even though Amy isn't her child. Amy wishes for a friend and begins to see Irena. Like 'Cat People' this can be "read" in any way the viewer cares to. This movie is one of the best I've ever seen about childhood and fantasy. Ann Carter is just terrific, and I particularly enjoyed the subplot involving her eccentric neighbours played by Julia Dean and Elizabeth Russell. These scenes were creepy and very gothic reminding me of both 'Rebecca' and 'Great Expectations'. Russell also had a very memorable bit in 'Cat People'. Her scene towards the end of the movie with Amy is unforgettable. 'Curse Of The Cat People' is overshadowed by 'Cat People', but to me it is almost as great. I highly recommend both movies and other Lewton productions like 'I Walked With A Zombie' (directed by Tourneur) and 'The Body Snatcher' (directed by Wise). These are some of the most important and influential horror movies ever made.

Fine Sequel.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 21 October 2013]

Robert Wise directed this sequel to "Cat People", set several years later. Oliver Reed(played by Kent Smith) and Alice(played by Jane Randolph) are now married with a six-year old daughter named Amy(played by Ann Carter). Amy is a lonely child who has a hard time making friends, and seems to prefer living in her fantasy world, visited by the ghost of Irina(played by Simone Simon) Irina looks after Amy, but Oliver wants nothing to do with this, insisting that Amy must be socialized. Amy does befriend an elderly woman in her "haunted" house, though her daughter(played by Elizabeth Russell, though not as her cat lady character from the first) is resentful. Amy will later run away from home, becoming lost, though she is far from being alone... Unique and thoughtful sequel builds on the story from Part I, rather than repeating it, and result is most satisfying. (No third film was made however!)

Horror-movie buffs might be disappointed...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 6 May 2002]

...there are no (deadly) cats or curses in evidence, however this Val Lewton production, sort of a stepchild to his 1942 hit "Cat People", is a strange and haunting movie about an alienated little girl. Deceased cat woman Simone Simon appears as a ghost, visiting her now-remarried husband's young daughter and coming to her aid when the lonely child is in danger. Slim story from screenwriter DeWitt Bodeen, though Lewton provides beautiful visuals. The picture doesn't make a strong impression while you're watching it--mostly due to an unremarkable cast--but a day or two later, you may find yourself thinking it over and wanting to see it again. It has an eerie effect that is hard to shake off. *** from ****

ALMOST as brilliant as its predecessor

[Coventry · 9/10 · 25 March 2005]

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.

Sequels are often awful but...

[dbdumonteil · 7/10 · 23 March 2005]

...this one is thoroughly commendable.Jacques Tourneur's "cat people " was more psychological Freudian fantasy and horror whereas Robert Wise 's sequel mostly deals with Gothic horror.This Gothic horror he would take to its absolute peak with "the haunting" ,twenty years after.

For a relatively short movie (about 70 min),there are SIX almost equally important female characters:the girlie,her mother,her teacher,her "friend" ,the old (laughing)lady and her daughter.This is the continuing story of Oliver Reed (not the actor)and the Alice whom he married after first wife Irena's death.The three characters -you read well even Irena) appear in the sequel.There's a lot of Gothic elements :the old house where an old lady tells terrifying tales about "sleepy hollow" (precisely Tim Burton's "spleepy hollow"),the strange borders of dream and reality,of the living and the dead,a subject which will be used a lot of times ;even if we can see the '"friend" ,she recalls sometimes Victor's part in Amenabar's masterful "the others".

But like in Tourneur's version,there may be also a Freudian side :the father/daughter does not seem to be very satisfying at the beginning of the film.Would the child be Irena's psychic daughter?

like a brittle snowflake

[frosty-26 · 10/10 · 14 February 2000]

Possibly the most irrelevantly (and misleadingly) titled movie ever. People are going to expect an old horror movie, spend the whole time waiting for a panther attack, and be disappointed. I'd say if you're going to show this to a friend, fast forward past the title and pretend it's called something else. Actually, don't bother with a friend. This is a film that you can only really enjoy alone. It brings back half-remembered feelings of early childhood, things you can't even put into grown-up words or ways of thinking. Viewing it with another cynical adult might break the film's fragile little spell.

A fitting sequel

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 7/10 · 24 May 2015]

I really like Cat People (1942)and was curious for its sequel even though I knew beforehand that Curse would be no horror at all. Indeed this is more of a drama with fantasy elements. However not as good as its predecessor I think it's a wonderful movie in its own right. It was nice to see the 3 main characters from Cat People again. I think it was very nice to make Irena return as ghost. It makes sense, Irena was a cat person and cats are said to have nine lives. However here she really isn't a cat person more of a good fairy. Her scenes with little Alice are splendid. Kudos to very young Ann Carter to make the movie pretty much hers. Her befriending an old lady from which she got a gift eventually provides us with a dramatic back story that unfortunately doesn't get elaborated on enough. That's a pity because it could have made the movie even better.

Il Est Ne Le Divin Infant, Chantons Tous Son Avenement

[ShootingShark · 5/10 · 3 February 2012]

Amy is a shy six-year old girl, withdrawing into a fantasy world of fairy-tales and imaginary friends. Her father Oliver is concerned, and when Amy starts talking about Irena, his first wife, who killed herself, he is alarmed for Amy's safety and sanity.

This sequel to the classic 1942 RKO chiller Cat People is the polar opposite - where that picture is a moody, gloomy, tragic adult exploration of sexuality and psychosis, this by contrast is a bright, sweet, child-like and happy fable. It may have some menacing Gothic moments but it's really about Amy's imagination and how she sees the world (much of it is shot from waist height, emphasising her point of view), while the snowy Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow small town setting adds tremendous atmosphere. The plot doesn't really have much to do with the original movie except insomuch as we see what's happened to Oliver and Alice, and there are inconsistencies (Irena's ghost sings a French carol, when it should be a Serbian one), but it's a lovely little tale by itself, and I genuinely prefer sequels which aren't simply a rehash of the preceding film. The cast are all great (Smith, Randolph, Simone and Russell were all in the original), with Carter giving a naturalistic child performance which suits the material just right. Best of all is Nicholas Musuraca's photography, with its gorgeous shading and texturing; the use of changes in light and tone which prefigure Irena's ghostly appearances are all beautifully done. All in all, this is a slight little old movie, and not as interesting and influential as its predecessor, but it's still enchanting and mysterious, and a very pleasant way to spend an hour.

Much more than it appears to be

[detourer · 9/10 · 6 November 2002]

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.

Ann Carter Dominates as Imaginative Child

[robert-temple-1 · 7/10 · 3 March 2008]

This film is all about Ann Carter, the twelve year-old actress who dominates the film with her dreamy, wide-eyed performance, as a girl so enmeshed in her own dreams and visions ('the curse') that she appears to be in a state of somnambulistic trance throughout the whole film. For any connoisseur of child acting, this is a classic, and ranks with the best of the Margaret O'Brien and Hayley Mills performances. Ostensibly, this film is meant to be a sequel to 'Cat People'. Ann plays the daughter of the 'cat woman's' former husband and his girl friend, now his wife. Played by Kent Smith and Jane Randolph as before, they have now moved on and are living happily in Tarrytown, New York, where the headless horseman of American myth once rode. Whether this is meant to be a subtle attack on David Rockefeller, the headless 'master of the universe' who lives there and rides just as invisibly into every important show in town with his head under his arm, is not clear. Kent Smith's character is as obtuse and thick as ever, showing even more insensitivity towards his own daughter than he did to his former wife. Simone Simon is degraded and humiliated, after her spectacularly brilliant performance in 'Cat People', by being dragged in, clad in a ridiculous costume resembling a dress from the mediaeval period, as a wan and smiling ghost. And to add further insult to injury, she tends to be seen only in distant long shots, presumably because ghosts don't photograph well close up. The film is so ridiculous in so many ways that it is a wonder we can watch it, but watch it we do, because we loved 'Cat People' (or we wouldn't be watching this) and we can't take our eyes off the amazing child actress in her hypnotized state as she openly dreams her way through this mediocre film, thereby raising its tone to something of importance. Elizabeth Russell, who sent the shivers down so many spines when she merely said her single line in 'Cat People' (in Serbian, no less): 'My sister?', is back in force here, as the perversely ignored daughter of a dotty old gal, who is slowly going mad through loneliness, and who is tempted to kill Ann Carter. Now, who would ever do a thing like that? She thinks better of it, but not before we get rather worried. This is a must-see for Val Lewton fans, to say the least. But poor Simone Simon!

Only, and I Mean ONLY, the Presence of Simone Simon Makes This Movie Worth Watching

[evanston_dad · 2/10 · 13 November 2006]

Did I see a different movie from the other reviewers here at IMDb? Is there no one else out there (except for my wife, who watched this with me) who thinks this movie sucks? I can't imagine how anyone who has seen the first marvelously creepy "Cat People" can be anything but bored into a stupor by this crappy follow up.

The movie doesn't even make any sense. The screenwriters made absolutely no effort to craft a plot with any coherence, or really one that has anything to do with the first film. Oh sure, the same actors are in this one, playing the same people, but there's no consistency in the characterization between the two films. There also happens to be absolutely nothing to do with cat people, which given the title and its predecessor, would seem to be a bit of an oversight on the part of the filmmakers.

Absolutely the only thing that makes this film worth watching is the presence of Simone Simon, who gets far too little screen time -- she doesn't even make her first appearance until around the 35 minute mark, and this is only a 70 minute film! But I clung to every second of her appearance like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. Unfortunately, my efforts didn't succeed in saving either me or this terribly dismal film.

Grade: D-

Intriguing and haunting

[JOHN_REID · 8 March 2003]

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.

A world apart from the original

[dfle3 · 7/10 · 30 May 2008]

Obviously the original movie "The Cat People" must have had enough commercial success to warrant a sequel (I've reviewed the original movie at this site). If you are expecting "more of the same" you will be bitterly disappointed. However, this continuation of the original is, in its own way, just as interesting.

To recap, in the original, strange immigrant Irena Dubrovna (played by Simone Simon) married all-American Oliver Reed (played by Kent Smith). Irena, raised in a country where superstition was rife, believed herself to be capable of turning into a big cat and devouring any man who showed affection towards her. Well (look away if this news to you), she died at the end of the movie.

"Curse of the Cat People" starts a few years after Irena's death. Oliver has settled down and married his co-worker from the first movie, Alice Reed (played by Jane Randolph). Alice was more vivacious in the first movie though]. They have a six year old daughter, Amy Reed (played by Ann Carter).

Whereas the first movie very much toyed with your perceptions and used what I assume would be "classical" framing devices for characters, this sequel is a different beast. I would view it as a fairytale. In fact, even though I don't have kids, I think that this movie MAY appeal to children around Amy Reed's age, because of its themes of a child's loneliness, not fitting in, not being believed and fantasy vs truth. There's nothing REALLY disturbing in this movie for kids, by today's standards, at least.

The 'fairytale' aspect to this movie is that Amy has a very active imagination and her parents worry that she doesn't spend time with real people...children her own age. As a viewer, there is much weirdness in this film, such that you wonder where truth ends and fantasy begins. Irena does return for the sequel...but, is she real or imagined? Hmmm (arches eyebrows).

There is also an intriguing side-story concerning another mother daughter relationship.

Some of the same themes as "Cat People", but an entirely different approach

[FlamRatamacues · 7/10 · 16 October 2008]

In my review of "Cat People", I said that it's a film that you have to appreciate on its own terms, and the same is true of its sequel. If you're wanting a rehash of the first film, then you will be disappointed. While the first film was dark and creepy, this film mostly replaces those primal fears with awe and childlike wonder (though there are certainly some creepy elements as well). Both films are essentially psychological studies told through fantasy, but they play out very differently.

This film relies heavily on the talents of the child star, and Ann Carter delivers as the little girl Amy. She wants friends, she wants to please her parents, she wants to use her imagination, and she wants to enjoy her life. All of these desires are very normal for childhood, and most of us spend our lives looking for these desires to be met.

The first film focused on Irena and her fears about herself. She desperately wanted friendship and affection, yet feared that if she became too passionate about anything, her inner self would be manifested as a vicious beast. And this fear ultimately led to her demise.

In "The Curse of the Cat People", Amy desperately wants friendship as well, but instead of withholding her affections (as Irena did), she reaches out to people--her parents, her peers, and the Farrens. Sadly, these gestures of goodwill are often misunderstood or rejected, and she is practically forced into her own fantasy world. (The only exception is Mrs. Farren, but she practically lived in a fantasy world herself, so she provided no help.) While Irena's life became darker and darker as she withdrew into herself, Amy's life in most aspects becomes brighter (literally--with beautiful sets that really capture a sense of awe and wonder). However, the film never settles for easy answers. Amy is generally happier in her fantasy world than in the real world, but she never seems fully satisfied with it either.

I listened to part of the commentary track on the DVD, and the film historian noted that Val Lewton "double cast" himself in the film. On the one hand, his childhood was very much a fantasy world like Amy's. On the other hand, Mr. Lewton also saw himself as Amy's father Oliver Reed (played by Kent Smith), who strongly discourages Amy's imagination. The film never wholeheartedly endorses either character. In never quite sympathizes with a life of pure imagination, but it is also reluctant to embrace an imagination-less life.

At the end of the film these two views finally seem to reach a happy co-existence.

For those who have criticized the Farren mother-daughter characters in the film, they really represent the whole meaning of the story. Mrs. Farren, a former stage actress who is constantly imagining and living in someone else's story, represents the dangers of living completely in a fantasy world--to the point that she rejects her own daughter. With her we see that fantasy has its dark side, and we could well imagine Amy growing up to become like her if she forever stayed in her own fantasy world. On the other hand, the daughter Barbara Farren (the mysterious Cat Woman in the first film) represents cold reality. She is constantly trying to pull her mother out of her fantasy world, never giving an inch, and she feels rejected because her mother doesn't recognize her. Her life is not any happier.

When Mrs. Farren dies, in a sense the last part of Amy's fantasy world dies as well. But she also uses the fantasy world--seeing Irena in place of Barbara Farren--to bring peace to Barbara. Ultimately, this brings friendship to them both.

The father-daughter relationship between Amy and Oliver ends similarly. She and her father agree to be friends, and he meets her halfway by "seeing" Irena with her. Perhaps the message of this movie is that we all need an equal balance of fantasy and reality. We need the maturity that faces life as it really is, but we also need the joy of our childhood dreams to carry us through.

If you're willing to explore these issues--coping with rejection, the balance between reality and imagination, fear of the unknown, and the desire to dream--all from a child's perspective, "The Curse of the Cat People" will give you plenty to think about. But if you want to see another film just like "Cat People", watch "Cat People" again.

One enchanting film

[mjshannon · 10/10 · 25 May 2000]

One of my all time favorite films which captures the innocence and free imagination of youth set against the pragmatism of adulthood(as portrayed by the young girl and her father respectively). Only the little girls schoolteacher is supportive of the girls rich imagination, as even the old woman she befriends is caught up in irrational personal demons that have none of the simple beauty and longing that the girl carries in her soul. The direction, by the great director Robert Wise and Gunther Von Fritsch is perfect, the musical score haunting and expressive of the girl's altering state of mind and the screenplay by Dewitt Bodeen, gentle, observed and haunting. Bodeen also wrote the screenplay for the film The Enchanted Cottage which has a similar feeling about it and also focuses on the power and healing of a rich imagination and love.Enchantment is the perfect word to describe the whole essence of Curse and the magical moments when Simone Simon(as the spirit of the little girls mother) appears to her. These two movies would actually make a perfect double feature. An absolutely captivating film that is enchanting and does indeed call to mind glimpses of the open minded acceptance and wonder of a childs mind.There is even one scene towards the end that IS frightening and shows how a childs accepting attitude can sometimes put them in harm's way. This scene, however, turns its attention to the enchantment that the rest of the movie shares. Simone Simon is also flawless and equally mysterious, alluring and sympathetic at the same time. Some of the images in this film will stay with you. A must see.

Intelligent tale of childhood imagination

[faraaj-1 · 7/10 · 8 April 2007]

The Curse of the Cat People is a misleading title. It implies that this is a horror film and a sequel of Val Lewton's classic horror The Cat People (which by the way is one of the greatest films of all time). The title was certainly used to exploit the success of Cat People and the female lead of Cat People - Simone Simon - does make an appearance in Curse sort of reprising her role of the dead Irena (as an angel). Be that as it may, the real reason for Cat People's continued popularity is the great atmosphere and not the chills. There is plenty of atmosphere in Curse of the Cat People as well and if you view Curse keeping in mind that its not a horror movie, there is very little reason to rail at the title.

On its own merits, Curse is a very intelligent look at the world of children's imagination versus the real world of adults. The late Irena's husband Oliver is the same stupid dolt who just can't communicate with or understand his daughter. A parallel plot has a crippled and deluded lady living in what is rumored to be a haunted house who has her own communication breakdown and denies the very existence of her grown daughter Barbara. The two plots converge in the last 10 wonderfully timed minutes of the film when Amy is lost in a snowstorm and ends up at the last place she should be.

Apart from Simone, Lewton staple, the West Indian actor Sir Lancelot, who was seen earlier in films like the brilliant I Walked with a Zombie and the under-rated Ghost Ship plays the cook for the Reed household. The director is one Robert Wise (I), who went on to direct a genuine horror movie in The Haunting (possibly the scariest film ever), classic sci-fi like The Day the Earth Stood Still (Klaatu Barada Nikto!), musicals like West-Side Story and The Sound of Music. Eventually there were Presidentships of the DGA and AMPAS as well. I guess, the Curse provided a pretty auspicious start to a distinguished career.

My Friend

[Prof_Lostiswitz · 10/10 · 23 April 2002]

This is the only movie I have ever seen that deals honestly with the experience of childhood. Every other movie shows us a grown-up view, Curse of the Cat People lets us see directly through a child's eyes and think exactly what she is thinking; her experience becomes ours. Ann Carter is a brilliant actress. (I lent the tape to a kid that age and she watched it for weeks.) It is timeless, just as childhood is; nothing has changed over 60 years.

Repeated viewing has made me see that it IS related to Cat People in an important way: it shows that Irena is genuinely the kind and loving person she had always wanted to be – after she had killed herself believing herself to be a vicious evil monster. She befriends Amy at a time when the girl feels isolated, and later intervenes to save her life; but salvation cuts both ways, as this relationship gives Irena a real pleasure in life…I mean afterlife…or whatever it is. Amy saves Irena quite as much as vice-versa.And you get the impression that Amy is spiritually Irena's daughter, whatever the genetics might be. Simone Simon is so gorgeous, you wonder why she didn't become a major star and go in the history books.

Even the stupid title begins to make some sense- Alice got her husband through duplicity, and he always treated Irena like an unthinking clod. The result is that Oliver and Alice have a limited relationship without true intimacy, and this leaves them unable to understand and sympathize with their sensitive daughter. Perhaps this is the real "curse of the cat people".

Oliver Reed is just as dumb as a father as he was as a husband in Cat People; but the story depends on his insensitivity; it wouldn't work any other way. 'Sir Lancelot' plays the black servant with lively intelligence, an unusually dignified portrayal of black people by 1940's standards. Val Lewton's sympathies were always on the side of children, ethnic minorities, artists and such.

And he could pack so much into a 60 minute movie! The guy was a genius.

N.B. Lewton chose a rookie to direct this one: Robert Wise. This ghost-story is the first movie he ever made, and it is quite as good as Sound of Music, Star Trek 1 or his other pictures. And you can see where he learned the ideas that would go into The Haunting.

Not a Horror Movie, but a Haunting Fairy-Tale from a Child's Perspective

[romanorum1 · 7/10 · 4 August 2014]

"The Curse of the Cat People" features neither a curse nor cat people, but is a follow-up to 1942's well-done "Cat People." It stars four of the characters from the earlier film. Oliver ("Ollie" = Kent Smith) and Alice (Jane Randolph) Reed are still married and now have a daughter Amy (Ann Carter), who is about to turn age six. The small Tarrytown, NY household includes the agreeable and protective Jamaican domestic servant Edward (the nicely cast Sir Lancelot). As the town itself is rather devoid of inhabitants, the setting does remind one of loneliness in a large, empty world. Tarrytown, of course, was the setting of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

The film is a psychological exploration of what goes on in a lonely (and unaccepted) child's mind, i.e., her imaginary friend, which – by the way – is not all that uncommon. Only Amy's schoolteacher (Miss Callahan = Eve March) is truly supportive and sympathetic to the dreamy child's plight. Being shunned by her childhood playmates drives Amy's imagination to her grown up "friend" Irena (Simone Simon), Ollie's first wife. Ollie is so cognizant of what happened to the ill-fated Irena in "Cat People" that he uncomprehendingly believes that Amy's thinking of the fantasy world is unhealthy. Alice too is mostly in Ollie's corner, but, like Ollie, is still a loving parent.

Adding to the story are the two inhabitants (Julia Dean and Elizabeth Russell) of the creepy green mansion, thought to be "haunted" by children. Russell (as Barbara Farren) looked feline during the wedding banquet scene in the Serbian restaurant in "Cat People." The older woman, former stage actress Julia Farren (Dean) gives Amy a ring and seems to favor Amy over Barbara, her supposed own grown up daughter. But, then again, Julia, apparently deranged, believes that Barbara is an impostor and is just her housekeeper. Now through the "wishing" ring Amy produces Irena. The ghostly Irena here is more French than Slavic-Serbian though, and even sings the popular French Catholic Christmas Carol, "Il est né, le divin En-fant" ("He Is Born, the Heavenly Child"). Irena, who truly wanted to be a decent person in "Cat People" but thought she was cursed, here is the creator of the seasonal changes of the enchanted wonderland (great visuals). And, in the end, when the chips are down, intervenes at just the right time.

As I wrote in my 2011 review of "Cat People," suspense and terror are best created the artistic and eerie way – using shadow and sound and imagination rather than the unsubtle way – with its shock effects of blood and gore. We cringe when the child initially enters the spooky-looking house alone. And the finale is haunting. The crew (Robert Wise, Val Lewton, DeWitt Bodeen, Nicholas Musuraca, Albert D'Agostino, and others) have done a fine job with this bow-budgeted flick. And Ann Carter was a beautiful child.

Not a bad film, but a slap in the face to fans of the original CAT PEOPLE

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 16 January 2007]

Uggghhh!!! This might rank as one of the most inappropriate sequels in film history. The original CAT PEOPLE was a moody horror film that was exceptional and super-popular at the box office. This sequel, while retaining most of the original characters, completely re-wrote what had occurred in the first film AND created a very insipid and "inspiring" family film!! This is just wrong and another similar example is if you compare the original WILLARD to its horrid sequel, BEN--where the rats no longer ate people but befriended an annoying little boy who was lonely!! Ugggghhhh!!! In this film, you learn that Irena had NOT turned into a panther and killed people in the first film (even though that IS what happened). Instead, she was mentally ill and she THOUGHT she'd done this before taking her own life (I swear, it did NOT end this way)! To make things worse, while she DOES return, it's not to kill anyone or exact some sort of revenge, but to help a lonely little girl who is Irena's husband's daughter from a new marriage! How schmaltzy and dull! While the acting and production values are good, this is NOT a Val Lewton horror film--more like a "horrible" film in that it is so unlike the original and basically expects the fans of the first film to have amnesia and watch a family movie instead. YUCK!!!

UPDATE: I watched a documentary about Val Lewton (the producer of this film) and according to "Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows(2007)" Lewton did NOT intend for this to be a sequel to "The Cat People". Instead, it was intended as a moody film featuring some of the same people...but not the same characters. As such, it's a MUCH better film....and I'd give it a 6.

Wow! This is really good...

[Space_Mafune · 9/10 · 19 April 2003]

but then that should really be no surprise considering who's involved here..Val Lewton, Robert Wise and returning star Simone Simon here in a much different albeit the same role as in CAT PEOPLE. Ann Carter as Amy is absolutely phenomenal in this film as well.

This celebration of the strength of a child's imagination is a joy to watch as it is in essence her imagination which gives her strength and courage and in the end will even her tormented and worried father , still terribly haunted by the events in CAT PEOPLE, need it?

While this is in part a sequel to CAT PEOPLE, it's relation to that film is mild at best. No this is a journey into the fantastic through the eyes of one very imaginative yet very lonely child. Beautiful and moving.

The New Legend of Sleepy Hollow

[BaronBl00d · 7/10 · 16 June 2006]

While I will not say this is in any way superior or even close to the brilliance shown in Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People is definitely a fine, different, almost magical film in its own right. It has virtually nothing to do with the original film other than have the same words in its title, the same characters - Kent Smith and Jane Randolph and Simone Simon as some kind of angelic ghost. The story concerns the child of Smith and Randolph - now married and moved to Tarry Town, Washington Irving's setting for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Here we get to know and understand the troubles of their daughter Amy. She dreams and has no friends. Amy is played by Ann Carter to perfection for a girl of this young age. She creates a sense of melancholy for her character that resonates throughout as she is alone and soon befriended by the spirit of Irena - no longer a dark force but one of kindness and goodness(?). Well, beyond that the story isn't about much else but rather how the little girl acts and reacts to her childhood fears and loneliness and with her parents. No cat people here. No murder. No chases(in the classical sense at least). What about the suggestion employed so wonderfully in the original? It isn't here either, but is replaced by an almost fantastical, magical quality, turning ordinary scenes into visions of fantasy. The scenes in the woods with Amy playing with Irena are very effective as is the whole snow scene near the film's end. The acting is solid with Julia Dean as a weird elderly woman living with her daughter standing out. The Curse of the Cat People is said to be Val Lewton's creation in many ways. A retrospective of his childhood fears and memories. Lewton employs the usual Lewton standards, and directors Robert Wise and Gunther von Fritsch are very capable behind the camera lens. The absence of Jacques Tourneur; however, at least for me, is clearly evident. But this really was not meant to be his kind of film. This is definitely something unique and personal for Lewton and tells an emotional tale of one young girl's journey into finding out some things about life. Is it a horror movie? A fantasy? What is more horrifying than being alone and friendless and ridiculed by those around you at the tender age of six?

Robert, but definitely not Wise

[LCShackley · 2/10 · 10 September 2007]

This mess of a movie doesn't seem to know what it's trying to do. It's billed as "horror" but I don't think it would scare anyone older than a six-year-old. It seems to be geared to the audience that would like "Heidi," with a cloying child heroine who lives in dreamland. There are too many plots mixed in to a small space, and none of them is played out satisfactorily.

A good script would have come to the point a lot sooner, not wait until halfway through the movie to reveal who the girl's "friend" is. Rather than a scary movie, CURSE seems more like a feature to be shown in a class on 1940s parenting skills. The subplot with the strange old lady and her "Frau Blucher"-style daughter could have been something interesting, but it also turns into a weeper about bad parent/child relations. And what's with the second wife? Is she jealous or not? There's another lost plot possibility, a rivalry with the "friend."

The "friend" could have been a sinister presence, a real threat, which might have added some suspense. But no...this snooze-fest drones on and on, making 75 minutes seem more like three hours. I confess I have never seen the original CAT PEOPLE, but judging by other comments here, I don't know if that would help. Someone was trying to make a buck with a sequel but couldn't figure out what to do with the characters. Even novice Robert Wise's direction couldn't save a lousy script.