Cat People
She knew strange, fierce pleasures that no other woman could ever feel!
1942 | 73m | English
Popularity: 1 (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 | jealousy, love triangle, 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 (Update) 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 | 1 | 0 |
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.