The Catman Of Paris (1946)

Set in 1896 Paris, a writer (Carl Esmond) recently returned from the Orient, has developed a mysterious illness that leaves him with lapses of memory. At the same time, the city is being terrorized by the "Catman", who roams the streets at night leaving a trail of clawed and mangled bodies in his wake. Directed by Lesley Selander (FLIGHT TO MARS), this low budget entry in the horror sweepstakes by Republic studios is reminiscent of the horror stuff Universal was grinding out in the late 1930s and 1940s. Low budget it may be but it's a handsome looking movie with strong production (art direction, costumes) values. It doesn't have much of a reputation among horror buffs but it's no better or worse than a lot of the low budget horror shlock churned out in the 1940s. Still, one wishes Val Lewton's RKO unit had gotten their hands on this and imbued it with the mood and atmosphere of the classic Lewton films. The film could have used better actors too though I thought Adele Mara as Esmond's jilted fiancee gave a strong performance. With Douglass Dumbrille, Lenore Aubert, Gerald Mohr, John Dehner and Fritz Feld.