Cat People
She knew strange, fierce pleasures that no other woman could ever feel!
1942 | 73m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Jacques Tourneur |
|---|---|
| Writer: | DeWitt Bodeen |
| Staring: |
| A Serbian émigré in Manhattan believes that, because of an ancient curse, any physical intimacy with the man she loves will turn her into a feline predator. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 05, 1942 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Jacques Tourneur |
| Writer: | DeWitt Bodeen |
| Genres: | Romance, Horror, Mystery |
| Keywords | love triangle, jealousy, cat, zoo, transformation, canary, swimming pool, film noir, curse, black and white, val lewton, folklore, fear of intimacy, unconsummated marriage, turned into animal, animal transformation, cats, sex transformation |
| Production Companies | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $4,000,000
Budget: $134,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Simone Simon | Irena Dubrovna Reed |
| Kent Smith | Oliver Reed |
| Tom Conway | Dr. Louis Judd |
| Jane Randolph | Alice Moore |
| Jack Holt | The Commodore |
| Henrietta Burnside | Sue Ellen (uncredited) |
| Alec Craig | Zookeeper (uncredited) |
| Eddie Dew | Street Policeman (uncredited) |
| Elizabeth Dunne | Mrs. Plunkett (uncredited) |
| Dot Farley | Mrs. Agnew (uncredited) |
| Mary Halsey | Blondie (uncredited) |
| Theresa Harris | Minnie (uncredited) |
| Charles Jordan | Bus Driver (uncredited) |
| Donald Kerr | Taxi Driver (uncredited) |
| Connie Leon | Neighbor Calling the Police (uncredited) |
| Murdock MacQuarrie | Sheep Caretaker (uncredited) |
| Alan Napier | Doc Carver (uncredited) |
| John Piffle | Cafe Proprietor (uncredited) |
| Betty Roadman | Mrs. Hansen (uncredited) |
| Elizabeth Russell | The Cat Woman (uncredited) |
| Stephen Soldi | Organ Grinder (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| John L. Cass | Sound Recordist |
| DeWitt Bodeen | Writer |
| A. Roland Fields | Set Decoration |
| Darrell Silvera | Set Decoration |
| Doran Cox | Assistant Director |
| Walter E. Keller | Art Direction |
| Edward Donahue | Second Unit Director |
| Mel Berns | Makeup Artist |
| Linwood G. Dunn | Visual Effects |
| Lila Finn | Stunt Double |
| Linda Finn | Stunt Double |
| Paul Stader | Stunt Double |
| Frank Redman | Second Unit Director of Photography |
| Leonid Raab | Orchestrator |
| Jacques Tourneur | Director |
| Roy Webb | Original Music Composer |
| Nicholas Musuraca | Director of Photography |
| Mark Robson | Editor |
| Albert S. D'Agostino | Art Direction |
| Renié | Costume Design |
| C. Bakaleinikoff | Music Director |
| Vernon L. Walker | Special Effects |
| Eugene Joseff | Other |
| John Leipold | Orchestrator |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Val Lewton | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 14 | 23 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 | 18 | 30 | 12 |
| 2024 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 10 |
| 2024 | 7 | 16 | 25 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 24 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 14 | 25 | 8 |
| 2024 | 10 | 16 | 31 | 7 |
| 2024 | 11 | 13 | 30 | 7 |
| 2024 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 7 |
| 2025 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 9 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 965 | 965 |
Simone Simon ("Irina Dubrovna") comes to work in New York where she falls in love with Kent Smith ("Oliver Reed"). Their relationship soon becomes strained after she struggles with intimacy - you see she believes that should she ever even kiss someone she loved, she would turn into a violent feline ... and claw him to death. She confides in her now husband and somewhat sceptical, he sends her to a psychiatrist, the debonaire Tom Conway ("Dr. Judd"). Our story tracks her determination to get past this obsession in the face of her growing suspicion that "Oliver" is seeking solace elsewhere - and that they are planning on having her committed - in a tense and eerie way. The dialogue is quite stilted and the theatricality of the performances rob the film of much of it's pace - but it is still a good horror thriller.