THE BLACK CAT (1941)

 

My brain has been filled with thoughts of Universal Pictures' classic monsters lately, as reflected in my two previous blog posts. After reconnecting with horror film culture at the Monster Bash Conference in June, I signed up for a non-credit class all about the Universal monster movies slated to begin in September. And now my friend Brian Schuck, creator of the excellent blog Films From Beyond the Time Barrier, has challenged me to write an article based on one of the following choices:

1. Favorite Universal horror movies not featuring Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, or the Mummy.

2. Favorite moments from Universal horror movies.

I sincerely thank Brian for this intriguing challenge! Not just because it's a good idea, but it may help me get over the writer's block (Or should I call it blogger's block?) that's been holding me down for several months.

I decided to reconnect with one of the most lovable B-movies from the Universal catalogue: THE BLACK CAT (1941), directed by Albert S. Rogell. This 70-minute horror-comedy features an impressive cast of actors, including Basil Rathbone, whose film career began in 1921. Rathbone had been in Universal's SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and was finding fame in the Sherlock Holmes film series. Also featured is Academy Award winner Gale Sondergaard (ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936), Best Supporting Actress). The most prestigious name of all is Gladys Cooper, the English stage actress whose career began in 1905 when she was a teenager. Miss Cooper moved to Hollywood in 1940 and began a second career as a character actress in a variety of films at different studios. 

For horror fans, the most important name in the cast is Bela Lugosi, the legendary star of DRACULA (1931) as well as several other classic horror films from Universal and other studios. Mr. Lugosi had co-starred with fellow horror legend Boris Karloff in an earlier film called THE BLACK CAT (1934), also loosely based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe. However, no similarity exists between the two films, and Lugosi's participation in the 1941 production is, sadly, minimal. Since his triumph as Dracula ten years earlier, the actor's career had taken a rather uneven, difficult trajectory. Universal hadn't treated him very well over the years, in spite of some excellent performances, including his role as Igor in 1939's SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. Nevertheless, his name had marquee value, which is no doubt why he was hired for this second adaptation of Poe's story.

Horror legend Bela Lugosi adds name value to the film.

The plot is similar to many of the "old dark house" movies that were popular in those years. A group of people, most of them family members, are gathered in a creepy old mansion on a stormy night for the reading of a will. Domestic quarrels, romantic conflicts, and the exposure of family secrets eventually lead to murder. As the body count begins to pile up, a non-family member tries to solve the mystery. And that's pretty much all there is to the story. But it isn't the details of the plot that matter. It's the pleasure of seeing the interaction of all these talented players amid the very atmospheric sets and creative cinematography. The characters may be somewhat stereotypical, but they're all well written and well played. The owner of the estate is played by elderly Cecelia Loftus, another stage veteran who had been in a small number of films going all the way back to 1913. Loftus' character, Henrietta Winslow, is a wealthy, cantankerous old widow who has more devotion to her large collection of cats than she does for her various family members. Henrietta has a special crematorium for the cats on her property. This creepy location is one of the coolest things about the movie. 

For many viewers, one of the biggest drawbacks of this film is the overemphasis on comedy, much of it of the slapstick variety. The comedy is provided by vaudeville and screen veteran Hugh Herbert, with able assistance by Broderick Crawford. Crawford's purpose in the film is to act as Herbert's foil and also assume the role of outsider/hero who solves the mystery. Since all of the other actors play their parts with deadly seriousness, the constant barrage of comedy makes for an interesting, but slightly off-putting situation. Certainly, the film could have worked as a straight drama. Most of the horror movies from that era had comedy relief included to lighten the impact that the dark stories and actions might have on audiences. Many of us who love these old films tend to bemoan this so-called "relief". In spite of the funny bits, the film provides some good action sequences as well as a surprisingly dark climax. 

The regal English stage legend Gladys Cooper brings much dramatic quality to THE BLACK CAT.

There are many good reasons to appreciate this film. One of them is the cinematography by Stanley Cortez, an extremely talented, creative artist who would go on to photograph prestigious films like THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1943), FLESH AND FANTASY (1943), and THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955). Popular Universal contract star Anne Gwynne adds her own special kind of beauty and energy to the cast. And one of the supporting roles is ably played by Alan Ladd, a hard-working actor coming to the end of a long apprenticeship in films. One year later, Ladd would find major stardom in Paramount's THIS GUN FOR HIRE. When THE BLACK CAT was re-released after Ladd's big success, his name was moved up on the film's cast list. 

And Bela Lugosi? Some of his diehard fans might say his talents are wasted in this movie. He most certainly deserved much more substantial roles in good films during these years. And he deserved more respect than he was generally given by Universal. Still, he does his usual competent, professional work in the role of Eduardo. He doesn't get anything "horrific" to do, other than peering through windows and trying to look as mysterious as possible. But he holds his own in the story and, hey, it's Bela Lugosi, right? He's always worth watching, no matter the role or the prestige of the film.

While THE BLACK CAT may not wind up being included on most fans' lists of horror classics from the Golden Age, its impressive look and enjoyable roster of stars will guarantee 70 minutes of pure pleasure. In glorious Black & White!

Thanks again to my friend Brian Schuck for issuing the challenge that encouraged me to write the above article. Be sure to visit Brians's blog: FILMS FROM BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER.

Films From Beyond the Time Barrier