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Creepy Classics TV Movie This Last Weekend: THE BLACK CAT (1934) Fan Comments: Every week, readers here are selecting a movie to view...then we all try to watch it together utilizing our DVD/video library. This past Saturday night, many of us watched THE BLACK CAT (1934). This was suggested by Kevin Slick of Colorado. Details about movie nights to come are HERE.
This is one of the strangest, and most unsavory in theme, of the entire classic horror Universal library. You have Boris Karloff, a wife stealer, who perserves the woman's body (she had an...untimely death) in glass like a trophy, he sleeps with the daughter he had with her (oh, my gosh!), and has devil worshipping going on in the basement. This is one messed up house...sounds like a reality show. It features some of the nuttiest lines too: "....even the phone...is dead." (That one from Karloff). From Lugosi we get "Supernatural perhaps....balogna...perhaps NOT!" And, both have a field day in some great acting. This might be one of Bela Lugosi's best displays of his acting ability on film. Lastly, from me, I've never understood one element in the story. Perhaps, you reading, can enlighten me. I don't get the motavation of Bela's servant switching alliance to Karloff at Lugosi's request. Why did Lugosi do this? The only thing I can think of is that it was part of the gambling deal with a chess game that Lugosi and Karloff had. I've seen this film maybe a dozen times over 40 years and have never quite understood that motavation...of course, I could just be thick as a brick. The servent reverts back his allegience to Bela for the finale. -Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA
To my mind, these Universals are excellent little gems of movie making.
By the
way, I did watch this with one of my cats, Garbo (not black but a tabby)
This is one of Universal's best-looking horror films...it's a pity that Edgar G. Ulmer didn't work on more of them (but let's not gossip).
It was good to visit this old friend of a movie after not seeing it for so long. Karloff is a devil worshipper who lives in a magnificent house built on top of a WW1 fort. The sets are awesome and so is this entire movie. The skinning alive of Karloff by Lugosi is still something very creepy even thought nothing is shown, it is all implied and works to great measure thanks to the brilliant direction of Edgar Ulmer. -Kevin Coon, Twin Falls, ID
Ron,
The Black Cat is a strange, beautiful, and poetic film. It is, I feel, one of the best films of the Universal horror cycle of the thirties because it put it's two best actors on a level playing field. Before I go, I'll leave you with this bit of wisdom dispensed early in the film by Dr. Vitus Werdegast, "It's better to be frightened, then to be crushed."
To answer your question about Lugosi's servant's change in loyalty Ron, I imagine he was planted as a secret weapon when the time arose for Lugosi to strike. Not a bad idea either, it did work out well in the end. That was one nasty looking stranglehold he had Karloff in. I love Boris' facial expression when he gets grabbed from behind. Also, I love when Bela says "you and your rotten cult" as he brings them all to a fitting end. This was a typical early 30's gem that has it's typical slow start that leads to a manic conclusion. The early 30's allowed elements into movies that really made them stand out. There were so many plots that would have suffered had certain moments and lines been censored. This movie is one of them. Let's hear it for those lenient censors, and for Mr. Slick for his fine choice. Until Saturday night...be well my fellow viewers. Michael Adams, Carteret, NJ
I too have wondered about Thamal, Lugosi's servant, taking orders from
Hi Ron, Universal capitalized on their two biggest horror stars by echoing their most famous incarnations. Karloff’s first scene is in shadow, and from the look of it, his head is flat, and his first step a lumbering one! One expects Frankenstein’s Monster to emerge! Lugosi, while not in evening clothes or cape, nonetheless exudes the subdued menace of the evil count; even though he is more or less the hero of the story. No doubt his years in a soul-killing prison have not done his mental state much good. Both move quickly past any luggage from their popular roles and take on the characters of Vitus and Hjalmar with the relish one would expect from two excellent actors in their prime. The tension between them is palpable; with Lugosi dominating his scenes with the righteous indignation of a man horribly wronged. My only issue with his character is the whole black cat phobia. Given it’s inclusion the only real reason to call the movie “The Black Cat” it nonetheless takes me, personally, out of the mood when he skewers it first with a knife, and then later falls through a window\glass partition at it’s re-appearance. David Manners proves why he was such a well paid leading man. His Peter Allison is 100% believable and a far cry from his wooden portrayal of Jonathan Harker in “Dracula”. Julie Bishop is charming as his adoring new wife. Their early scene in the train when they banter about the dreadful food served at the wedding is instantly endearing. Then later, when she is awoken by the scream of the dying cat, and under the influence of a narcotic, she exudes just a slight yet clearly present air of menace. I thought of one of Dracula’s brides as she glided across the floor towards Karloff. The rest of the cast is comprised of the usual good group of Universal extras (look quick and you’ll see Little Maria’s father as one of the Satan worshipers). Really not a bad apple among the bunch!
Above: On the set of THE BLACK CAT (1934). Hey Ron- Scary house-- wife sleeping down the hall by herself, but he sleeps next to Lugosi with the adjoining door left open for him!
I agree this is probably Lugosi and Karloff's best movie together. But there is one thing that has been bothering me about the DVD. When I first saw this movie as a kid back in the seventies, on Creature Feature NYC, Lugosi's servant throws a knife and kills one of the female Satanist during the devil worship scene. He does this to create a diversion so Lugosi can save the young couple. But on the DVD we just see him throw the knife and the next scene is of everyone standing over the body with no idea of what has just happen. Does anybody else remember that scene? Also I would to suggest a couple of movies for future Saturday night viewings. How about either Curse of the Demon or the Hideous Sun Demon. Both these movies were staples of Chiller Theater NYC back in the sixties and seventies. Love the web site.
Hey Ron and all Fellow Die-Hard Horror/Sci-Fi Synchmasters and Writers out there, you didn`t think that I fell asleep at the wheel when it came to writing my review/commentary about this ultimate Universal classic starring the two titans of terror: Boris Karloff (here billed as simply Karloff!) and Bela Lugosi (who easily equals Boris in acting accolades here!) DID YOU!!?? So sorry about the delay folks!....So, here goes!... Giving all due credit to the supporting cast in this film: "Dracula`s" (1931) and the "Mummy`s" (1932) David Manners, Jacqueline Wells (whose real name was Julie Bishop!) --{by the way folks, she starred in the classic western "Sands Of Iwo Jima" (1949) with John Wayne {and with the sci-fi/horror genre veterans John Agar, Forrest Tucker, Arthur Franz and Richard Jaeckel}, Lucille Lund (who appears unbilled as "Daisy" in the classic Three Stooges Curly short feature "Three Dumb Clucks" {1937} and the rest of the able cast THIS is DEFINITELY Boris`s and Bela`s show! (and boy, do they ever give one hellava performance in this battle of good vs. evil!
-Dan Brenneis- Monster Bash Staff Member and Lifetime FilmFan Extroadinairre.
Get THE BLACK CAT (1934), along with MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1932), BLACK FRIDAY (1940), THE RAVEN (1935), and THE INVISIBLE RAY (1937) on THE BELA LUGOSI COLLECTION at Creepy Classics!
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I was at the CineFest Convention in Syracuse, NY over this past weekend...and dutifully took my personal copy of THE BELA LUGOSI COLLECTION from Universal that features THE BLACK CAT (1934). I had it running at our Creepy Classics booth at 7:30PM on Saturday night. A few of my notations (I could probably write a book about the weirdness of this selection!): 
There's so much I enjoy about this film it's hard to know where to start. 
Karloff is
wonderful as the master of ceremonies in the "dark of the moon" gathering.
Bela Lugosi is terrific as a man who has a score to settle with his arch enemy played by Boris Karloff. David Manners and lovely Julie Bishop are the young couple caught in between them. 
The Black Cat is the first of the Karloff/Lugosi team-ups. It is the only time in their career where they were equal in character interest. After this film, one would occupy the dominate role while the other would take the subordinate. At the beginning of the film one is first struck with the names. Bela Lugosi is Dr. Vitus Werdegast and Boris Karloff as Hjalmar Poelzig. These are fantastic names. They have enough character and soul to stand up on their own. There is also the distinct pleasure of having the two actors pronounce each other's names. 
Well I guess I've sat in the shadows long enough without writing a comment or two on the Saturday Night Movie. The Black Cat was a fine choice from Kevin Slick, so why not start with this one. As always it was a delight to see the two kings of horror (they were equal in my book) share the screen. This is certainly a movie that would not have seen the light of day after 1935. The whole Karloff-Lugosi's wife and daughter thing is just sick beyond words. Karloff deserved worse than flaying just for that alone. Granted, he did have a killer hair cut and some real slick pj's, but his character was just so out of line. Lugosi definitely shines as the true hero of the movie. But next to Karloff's villain, I think Lugosi as Ygor could look like a hero. However, Bela's choice of vengeance definitely shows that he wasn't exactly a balanced man. 
In response to your question about why Lugosi’s servant is commanded to obey Karloff, the reasoning Lugosi gives the servant is that there are “innocents in the house” and until they are safe, both must play along. He later tells Joan Allison something similar, only now indicating he too must do Karloff’s will until “the time is right”. That time comes when the mysterious blond woman screams for apparently no reason during the satanic ceremony, giving Lugosi and his servant time to rescue Joan. No it still makes no sense seeing the servant was willing to dispatch Karloff early on and I fail to see how his demise would have adversely affected “the innocents”. But heck, then there would not have been much of a movie!
To answer, why Bela told his servant, to serve Boris Karloff. Bela was waiting for the right time, to catch all the people from the devil cult and Karloff's servants, and then do away with them. He had to wait, until the dark of the moon, for all the idiots to congregate into one place. Then he and his servant could stop the insanity by killing them all at one time in one convenient place. That is if he did not see any more black cats and blow it.
This is probably my fourth viewing of this classic. 
----Has Boris Karloff ever given a performance that reeked more of deranged and corrupt TOTAL EVIL than as Hgalmar Poelzig in this film during the span of the rest of his long cinematic career?....If anyone can find one, let me know,folks!......(The look he gives to the drowsy/sleeping Jean Alison speaks volumes about his cruel character and of his ultimate intentions for her future.......) That being said, Bela`s character (Dr. Vitus Werdegast) is not exactly a SHINING EXAMPLE of KINDNESS in this film either! Although we understand his bitterness and anger about his wife and daughter being kidnapped by Poelzig and about the cruelness and death of war, he sure does exhibit an EXTREME amount of CRUELNESS to his tormentor when he discovers that his wife was murdered and preserved in a glass case and then, later ....his daughter killed as well. The scene when Vitus and his assistant fight with, corral, and capture Poelzig and Vitus chains him up and then skins him alive!! (He says to Poelzig: "Did You Ever See An Animal Skinned?" "That`s What I`m Going To Do To You Now" "Bit By Bit" "Bit By Bit" ) is QUITE BRUTAL. AND VERY VIOLENT IN IT`S IMPLICATIONS (ESPECIALLY FOR THE TIME THIS FILM CAME OUT).
Due to the fact of this film being released by Universal in 1934 and because of the intense (and very unsettling) nature of the overall subject matter of this film {The discovery and demise of an Satan-Worshipping Devil Cult) and of several key scenes in this film being extremely graphic for it`s time, the film censors (particularly in Great Britain) had a MAJOR MELTDOWN when it came to this movie....AND with horror films in general being released to the general public overseas... Basically, this was "THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL`S BACK" so to speak- and for a long time. horror films were banned overseas- from the Universal era to director Michael Powell`s "Peeping Tom" (1960) to the nasty, gory slasher films of the late 1970`s and early 1980`s. Thus, not only is this an excellent and very important horror film from a story (and acting) standpoint BUT even more importantly, from an HISTORICAL standpoint!!! That being said folks, it should be noted that this film is not really based on EDGAR ALLAN POE!!!....anyone who has ever read "The Black Cat" KNOWS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!! ---The only thing used from his famous story is the title of this film!!!! And with that being said, I bid all of you "A GOOD E-V-E-N-I-N-G" (Until next week`s movie write-up that is!.....) 
