Directed by:
Edgar G. UlmerScreenplay:
Peter RuricCinematography:
John J. MescallComposer:
Heinz RoemheldCast:
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Julie Bishop, Egon Brecher, Harry Cording, Lucille Lund, Henry Armetta, Albert Conti, John Carradine, King Baggot (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Bela plays Dr. Vitus Verdegast, a mysterious traveler who returns to the art-deco mansion of his old military commander, the Satan-worshipping Poelzig (Karloff). The two horror stars wander through the hallways looking at dead girls floating in glass tanks. They also play chess for the lives of a newlywed couple stranded at the mansion (David Manners and Jacqueline Wells). Dr. Verdegast deals with a black cat that paralyzes him with fear, and Poelzing conducts a Satanic Mass in Latin. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
As a horror film, this film has already lost some of its charm, but there is still the great design of the house in which the story takes place and, above all, the electrifying Karloff-Lugosi duo in the role of hidden enemies. As Caligari has already written, the German Expressionism inspiration is more than obvious, and the film's charm has persisted for many years...
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Boris and Bela exchanged murderous glances and lines laden with an indeterminate Eastern European accent in this simple variation on Dracula (or Nosferatu). Despite the attempt at humour, including one unusually mature moment of genre self-reflection (a newly married couple parodying their host), The Black Cat is laughable rather than funny and charmingly naïve rather than having any kind of charm. 60%
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A period horror routine that, while it impresses with the meeting of two acting legends and stands out for what at the time were highly unusual futuristic themes, is flat and uninteresting to the point of shame. If it weren't for Karloff and especially Lugosi, who once again oozes charisma, it wouldn't be worth mentioning. 50%
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