The Shadow of the Cat *** (1961, André Morell, Barbara Shelley, William Lucas, Freda Jackson, Conrad Phillips) – Classic Movie Review 10,762

A murderous moggy called Tabitha seems to be bumping off those who are benefiting from its rich elderly owner’s untimely death, in Hammer Films’ sinister 1961 British mystery horror thriller film The Shadow of the Cat.

Director John Gilling’s sinister 1961 British mystery horror thriller film The Shadow of the Cat is a Hammer Films movie, filmed at their Bray studios at Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England. It stars the splendid Barbara Shelley in her second cat-themed movie, following the 1957 Cat Girl. Also starring are André Morell, William Lucas, Freda Jackson, and Conrad Phillips. It is an essential murderous moggy movie.

A murderous moggy called Tabitha seems to be bumping off those who are benefiting from its rich elderly owner Ella Venable (Catherine Lacey)’s untimely death at the murderous hands of her villainous, grasping husband Walter Venable (André Morell), who talks his niece Beth (Barbara Shelley) into helping him kill the black cat, who has witnessed her mistress murdered by the butler Andrew (Andrew Crawford) and the maid Clara (Freda Jackson) under orders from the husband. In a clandestine burial in the woods, Ella’s body is buried in a shallow grave.

With the cat on the vengeance prowl, the killers try to get rid of Tabitha before Tabitha gets rid of them.

Where there’s a will there’s a way. And there are three wills in the story. Ella was forced to write a will leaving her fortune to Walter, who wrote a will leaving it all to his brother Edgar (Richard Warner). However, Ella left a prior will leaving everything to her niece Beth, which would negate the will written under duress.

A slender but amiable and satisfying story delivers some feline thrills from a pussy’s point of view through her cats-eye view, and it is imaginatively and suspensefully handled by Gilling. The able support from a striking human cast of second feature actors helps turn into a little winner. Arthur Grant’s black and white cinematography and Mikis Theodorakis’s score add distinction.

Also in the cast are William Lucas as Jacob, Conrad Phillips as Michael Latimer, Vanda Godsell as Louise, Richard Warner as Edgar, Freda Jackson as Clara, Alan Wheatley as Police Inspector Rowles, Andrew Crawford as Andrew the butler, Catherine Lacey as Ella Venable, Kynaston Reeves as the Grandfather, Henry Kendall as the Doctor and John Dearth as Constable Hamer.

The Shadow of the Cat is based on a screenplay by American author and screenwriter George Baxt.

The Shadow of the Cat is directed by John Gilling, runs 79 minutes, is made by BHP and Hammer Films, released by Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) and Universal Pictures (1961) (US), is written by George Baxt, is shot in black and white by Arthur Grant, is produced by Jon Penington, is scored by Mikis Theodorakis and is designed by Bernard Robinson.

The cat is played by Bunkie. The cat’s trainer is John Holmes.

[Spoiler alert] There is a body count of six. Tabitha despatches the original killers like this: While chasing Tabitha, butler Andrew falls from a log and drowns in the swamp. Tabitha leaps on maid Clara, causing her to fall down the stairs. The bedridden husband Walter has a heart attack when Tabitha crawls up the covers towards him.

Eye of the Cat (1969) is another essential murderous moggy movie.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,762

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