Cat People (1942)

A young Serbian woman (Simone Simon) falls in love with an engineer (Kent Smith) and they marry. But she refuses to consummate the marriage because she fears sexual stimulation will turn her into a murderous cat (no, not a pet cat, we're talking panthers and leopards here). One of the most innovative horror films of the 1940s, CAT PEOPLE not only touches on the Freudian implications of repressed sexuality but it eschews the usual horror trappings of the Universal horror classics. No monsters on the rampage except perhaps (to borrow from FORBIDDEN PLANET) the monsters of the Id. Everything is shown through suggestion and Nicholas Musuraca's superb B&W shadowy lensing. The most memorable set pieces are Jane Randolph's (as Simon's romantic rival) walk alone home with the feeling that someone is following her and later, her swim in a darkened pool area as she's being "watched". It's a superb piece of horror cinema and while I might personally prefer Val Lewton's (the producer) THE SEVENTH VICTIM or I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, there's no denying that this is a landmark film in the horror genre. Stylishly directed by Jacques Tourneur. With Tom Conway, Alan Napier, Theresa Harris and Elizabeth Russell in a memorable bit as Simon's sister under the skin.