The Curse Of The Cat People (1944) ***1/2 [CP Double Feature Pt. 2]

The Curse Of The Cat People (1944), the sequel to 1942's Cat People (my review here), doesn't actually have a single cat in it. It really doesn't have a whole lot to do with its predecessor, which mostly works in its favor to set it apart from the first film. RKO studios wanted to cash in on the success of CP, and insisted on the Curse title, even though producer Val Lewton wanted to change it to Amy And Her Friend (which despite befitting the subject matter better is not a good title).

TCOTCP marked two directorial debuts—Gunther von Fritsch (who had only previously directed shorts), who, when he fell behind schedule, was replaced by Robert Wise (who had edited Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons (my review here) the year previous), assigned by the studio to take over. Wise went on to have a prolific and versatile career as a director, creating many classic films and his work here is great right from the get-go.

Simone Simon is top billed in TCOTCP, based on her indelible lead role in the previous film, but she has very little screen-time, which is okay because when she is on screen, she's as unforgettable as she was in CP. Kent Smith returns as Oliver Reed and while his role is fleshed out more than in the first film, he's just as bland here. Jane Randolph also returns as Alice, now Ollie's wife—unfortunately lacking the zesty energy that she possessed in the first film. 

The real highlight though is Ann Carter as Ollie and Alice's daughter Amy, who (*SPOILERS* if you haven't seen the first film) befriends the ghost of Ollie's previous deceased wife Irena (Simon) *END SPOILERS*. Carter, only seven years old at the time of filming, does an amazing job of portraying the alienation and loneliness of this little girl's character. TCOTCP benefits as well from Nicholas Musuraca returning as cinematographer. His work here is decidedly different from CP, which again is a strength. Both his images and the subject matter present the light to the previous film's dark. 

While there is undoubtedly a "ghee whiz" hokeyness to much of COTCP and it's not quite the classic that Cat People is, the film is anchored by Ann Carter's bittersweetness, as well as Simon's angelic performance. TCOTCP is a completely different beast than its predecessor and the decision not to mimic the film that preceded it was an inspired one. The Curse Of The Cat People is a psychologically complex follow-up that eschews the horror angle to present a touching fantasy about overcoming childhood trauma.

You can find my Robert Wise Feature Films Ranked list here.

You can find my Val Lewton RKO Feature Films Ranked list here.