{"id":2277,"date":"2007-02-08T14:30:52","date_gmt":"2007-02-08T21:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2277"},"modified":"2020-12-13T16:08:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-13T23:08:21","slug":"black-cat-the-1934","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2277","title":{"rendered":"Black Cat, The (1934)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;The black cat is deathless &#8212; deathless as evil!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-57643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1-175x270.jpg 175w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Poster-1.jpg 415w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong>><br \/>\nWhile honeymooning in Prague, Americans Joan and Peter Allison (David Manners and Julie Bishop) meet strange Dr. Verdegast (Bela Lugosi), who brings them to the home of Satanic architect Hjamlar Poelzig (Boris Karloff). Eventually, the couple realizes that Verdegast and Poelzig are old rivals out to kill each other, and that their own lives are in grave danger as well.\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bela Lugosi Films<\/li>\n<li>Black Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Boris Karloff Films<\/li>\n<li>Cat-and-Mouse<\/li>\n<li>Edgar G. Ulmer Films<\/li>\n<li>Newlyweds<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Old Dark House<\/li>\n<li>Revenge<\/li>\n<li>Satanists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary notes, this &#8220;high-camp horror film&#8221; &#8212; based in name only on Edgar Allan Poe&#8217;s short story &#8212; features a &#8220;delightfully preposterous storyline&#8221;, &#8220;witty dialogue, fine performances, amusing characters, bizarre sets, inventive direction, and some of the most peculiar scenes in horror-movie history.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-1024x634.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"396\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-1024x634.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-128x79.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-768x476.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-1536x951.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2-436x270.png 436w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Chess2.png 1649w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At only 65 minutes long, the story moves quickly, yet is often incoherent &#8212; most likely as a result of Universal Studios cutting the film drastically. Nonetheless, the film is so oddly conceived and visually compelling that it&#8217;s hard not to watch even when you&#8217;re not quite sure what&#8217;s going on. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-1024x621.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"388\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-1024x621.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-768x466.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-1536x931.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still-445x270.png 445w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Still.png 1681w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While reviewers at the time of its release were dismissive, today <em>The Black Cat<\/em> is regarded as pulp director Edgar Ulmer&#8217;s masterpiece &#8212; and for all its fans (though I&#8217;ll admit I&#8217;m not one of them), it remains &#8220;morbid, tasteless, and lots of fun.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bela Lugosi &#8212; in what is considered by many to be his finest role &#8212; as Dr. Vitus Werdegast<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-1024x635.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"397\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57647\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-1024x635.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-128x79.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-768x476.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-1536x952.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2-435x270.png 435w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Lugosi2.png 1653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Boris Karloff&#8217;s firmly tongue-in-cheek performance as the lisping, strangely coiffed Hjalmar Poelzig (modeled after famed Satanist Aleister Crowley)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-1024x622.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"389\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-1024x622.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-768x466.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-1536x933.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2-445x270.png 445w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Karloff2.png 1675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Spooky, atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-1024x621.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"388\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-1024x621.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-1536x931.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography-446x270.png 446w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Cinematography.png 1675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Truly baroque set designs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-1024x625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57645\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-1024x625.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-768x469.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-1536x938.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets-442x270.png 442w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets.png 1665w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1673\" height=\"1023\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-57652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4.png 1673w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-1024x626.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-768x470.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-1536x939.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Black-Cat-Sets4-442x270.png 442w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1673px) 100vw, 1673px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Effective use of classical music in the score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This odd cult film remains B-level director Edgar Ulmer&#8217;s finest achievement. Discussed at length in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=5986\">Peary&#8217;s <em>Cult Movies 3<\/em> (1988)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0024894\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1934\/05\/19\/archives\/not-related-to-poe.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/horror\/black-cat-1934.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/67905.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horrorexpress.com\/moviereview\/the-black-cat\">Horror Express Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classic-horror.com\/reviews\/blackcat.shtml\">Classic Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/blac.html\">Classic Films Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The black cat is deathless &#8212; deathless as evil!&#8221; Synopsis:> While honeymooning in Prague, Americans Joan and Peter Allison (David Manners and Julie Bishop) meet strange Dr. Verdegast (Bela Lugosi), who brings them to the home of Satanic architect Hjamlar Poelzig (Boris Karloff). Eventually, the couple realizes that Verdegast and Poelzig are old rivals out to kill each other, and that their own lives are in grave danger as well. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Bela Lugosi Films Black Comedy&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2277\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2277"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57653,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2277\/revisions\/57653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}