Black Cat -1941-

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NOT THE KARLOFF/LUGOSI CLASSIC! THIS IS AVAILABLE ON DVD!
I never saw this film growing up and I'm sure it was because of the confusion with the earlier classic Universal film with the same title starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi(1934). 'The Black Cat' listed here is a murder/mystery/comedy from 1941. The film stars Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi in a fun supporting character. I did like this fun film full of secret passages and things that go bump in the night. This is available on DVD on a 2 disc set called Universal Horror and it is a limited release only sold at Best Buy. The DVD transfers for all 5 of the films are very good. I rate this film 3 1/2 stars.

"Her hats are full of bats for spending all her dough on cats."
An old woman is close to dying, so her greedy family turns up to get their share of the will. They all think she's crazy because of her intense love for her cats; there are hundreds scattered around her large estate. She even has a cremation area and a graveyard for them and intends for her urn to be placed among them when she dies. Suddenly, she is murdered, and it seems that she isn't the only one on the hitlist. And a mysterious black cat seems to bring death with him as he goes. A stellar cast including Basil Rathbone, Alan Ladd, and Gladys Cooper bring this film to life. There are creepy moments as well as humorous moments in this film, and they blend nicely to make an entertaining film. There are times when things are very predictable; two stellar examples of this are the stereotypically mysterious characters of Abigail (Gale Sondergaard) and the gardener (Bela Lugosi). However, this movie might surprise you too, because the ending is not what most would expect it to be. The sets are quite good and provide a beautiful and dreamy atmosphere for a suspense film. You might be wondering what is just around the corner, but when you get to see, you'll be in awe of its beauty. The misty outdoors scenes are reminicent of soft focus from the silent era, and the gothic sets are no less enjoyable. One can't help but get a little annoyed despite laughing at the antics of Hugh Herbert as he destroys the furniture to make it more antique.

Murder Mystery with Comedy
The doctor told her relatives that Mrs. Henrietta Winslow is still alive. An antique dealer shows up to buy the furniture. Mrs. Winslow fosters and cares for dozens of cats. She reads her will to her heirs. [The dollar figures are long out of date.] The conversations of the heirs are played for laughs. But the film turns serious when someone tries to poison Mrs. Winslow and kills a cat (Henrietta really looks quite healthy). Later Mrs. Winslow is killed; the coroner says it was an accident (but the viewers know better). Mr. Penny the antique dealer provides comic relief (a stereotype?). Then the heirs are surprised to learn of the rest of the will. The cats will come first! Abigail Doone, the housekeeper, is the Administrator of the estate as long as she lives. There is conflict between the heirs. The housekeeper has a strange accident. Or was she pushed? The telephone line is cut. They send Eduardo the gardener for the police. But the bridge was washed out so they are isolated. [The film alternates between mystery and comedy; no singing and dancing.] This old house has secret passages to bypass the doors. Then there is another death - a murder that is disguised as a suicide. This death will allow the heirs to collect the money more quickly. Soon we learn who the murderer is - a shocking surprise to Elaine. The search for Elaine causes someone to be quite burned up. [One importance of this film is to see the actors from other films of that era, some will become more famous.]

This is one of the best "Old Dark House" type films
This movie is a lot of fun. It is often confused with the classic Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff film. I hope it will soon be put on DVD.

Hey! Lighten up, it's a B movie and it's fun to watch.
OK, so it's not perfect, but it is entertaining. And, Hugh Herbert is not "some 5th rate comedian" he's a hoot! The overall appearance, photography, lighting, setting are all worth a look. To me, it's a campy take on the classic Hollywood "who dunit." There's shadows, lightening & thunder, cats, scheming relatives all in glorious black & white. The cast is delightful and includes a very young Alan Ladd. I recommend it!