The Cat Creeps

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source: The Cat Creeps

source: The Cat Creeps

Director: ERLE C. KENTON. Screenplay allegedly by Edward Dein, Jerry Warner. Allegedly based on an "original story" by Gerald Geraghty. Photography: George Robinson. Film editor: Russell Schoengarth. Art directors: Jack Otterson, Abraham Grossman. Set decorators: Russell A. Gausman and T.F. Offenbecker. Music director: Paul Sawtell. Costumes designed by Vera West. Make-up: Jack P. Pierce. Hair styles: Carmen Dirigo. Sound recording: Bernard B. Brown, William Hedgcock. Associate producer: Will Cowan. Producer: Howard Welsch. Copyright 11 April 1946 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 17 May 1946. U.S. release: 17 May 1946. U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 18 August 1947 (sic). Australian release: 21 November 1946. 5,197 feet. 58 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A reporter believes a long-buried suicide victim was actually murdered. NOTES: Gerald Geraghty's "original story" previously formed the basis of George Waggner's finely tuned, fast-paced "Horror Island" (1941), a much superior movie in every respect. COMMENT: A pallid, indifferently directed re-make with only one claim to fame-namely, it will certainly spoil your enjoyment of the far more exciting and suspenseful original if you're unlucky enough to sit through this one first. Every department (including acting, script, sets and photography) manages to score lower on any scale of artistry or entertainment. Admittedly, on its own inferior level (solely thanks to its resiliently punchy plot) it still packs a sufficient wallop to raise a few tense moments.

1946's "The Cat Creeps," no relation to the lost 1930 remake of "The Cat and the Canary," was truly the last gasp of Universal's Golden Era of horror films, and like its companion feature "She-Wolf of London" was already dated when released. An elderly woman claims that her pet, 'the cat that creeps,' can prove that a 15 year old suicide case was actually murder, with a politician, his daughter, her reporter boyfriend, and the rest show up on Gilligan's Island to solve the mystery (it's that bad). The murder victim is supposed to have hidden 200,000 dollars somewhere, and the creeping cat induces chuckles rather than chills. Clocking in at under an hour, the whole thing just seems endless, a sadly wasted solid cast rushing hither and yon (make that yawn), with Fred Brady quite lacking in the central role that Noah Beery Jr. was far better suited for (he's just the sidekick). Lois Collier, a regular fixture at Universal, made only one additional film for the studio, her screen career over by 1951 (the underused Rose Hobart by 1949). The one character that brings in a little supernatural atmosphere is played by unknown Iris Clive, who totaled only five other features, all Westerns. Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater aired this SHOCK! title an amazing seven times in 13 years, the same number as "She-Wolf," a conspicuous pair of Universal cheats, somehow appropriate for a last gasp lacking even in breath.

Reporter is assigned to investigate the ravings of a woman who says she can prove that the current DA and senatorial candidate was involved in a "suicide many years before. According to the woman it was murder. Complicating matters is the fact the reporter is boyfriend of the DA's daughter. The reporter, his photographer friend, the girl, the DA and several other people all end up on the island where the "mad" woman lives in a creepy mansion. Murder, mayhem and the search for two hundred thousand dollars ensue. Well written with some witty dialog, this film falters thanks to Fred Brady as the smart mouthed reporter. Looking like Donald O'Connor, but with little of his charm. While the character as written is an interesting guy, suspicious of everyone and everything, he plays he role so low key as to be almost on the ground. He reads his lines as if he's trying to be in a more serious movie and it upsets the whole tone of the some what tongue in cheek movie since he seems to be in a different movie than everyone else. The film also suffers from being too short at 50 odd minutes for its complicated plot. There are a couple of odd twists that would have made more sense if they had actually set them up instead of spring them on us at the required moment. Not a bad movie, its actually quite enjoyable, especially if you take it completely on its own terms. However if you're not forgiving you'll end up like me, which is liking the movie but wishing it was better. Worth a bag of popcorn if you can ever catch it as part of an all day marathon of old mysteries. 6 out 10 (should probably be 7 out of 10 but I'm disappointed).

This is probably one of the lowest budgeted films on that old "Low-budget-list" that film-buffs mentally keep track of. It's a spooky-house murder mystery, with some sturdy studio character actors. The victim dies early in the film, (twice, no less). A strange woman appears to tell the group that's spending the night in this house, that the dead woman's spirit lives on in her cat --a black cat, of course. The strange woman hints that the cat, or rather the spirit in the cat, will reveal the killer. The story is ludicrous, with dialog to match, but everyone chases one another around the place, and there's enough shootin' and spookin' going on to make this film delightful late-night fare. Like "The Cat and the Canary", this story takes place in a gloomy old home that can only be reached by boat. Also like "Canary", all the action takes place during the course of one night, with the killer revealed by sunrise. However, the similarity between the two films ends there. This film is short and it's fast. It's dumb and it's fun. I enjoy this sort of nonsense, and have watched my copy of "The Cat Creeps" several times over the years.-- Because I love ALL spooky-house B-movie murder-mysteries, anyway, I couldn't bring myself to rate this film any lower than 7.

This weak murder mystery B-movie stars Frederick Brady as newshound Terry Nichols, who is assigned to a story concerning his father-in-law-to-be, Walter Elliot (Jonathan Hale), who is presently running for senate. Fifteen years earlier, Elliot was cleared as a suspect in a murder case, but new evidence, uncovered by elderly recluse Cora Williams, has come to light that could ruin his political career. To clear his name once and for all, Walter travels to the island home of Cora, accompanied by his daughter Gay (Lois Collier), Terry and photographer Pidge (Noah Beery Jr.), attorney Tom McGalvey (Douglass Dumbrille) and private detective Ken Grady (Paul Kelly). Soon after arriving, Cora is murdered, just the first in a series of killings. Terry attempts to uncover the identity of the murderer, with a little help from a black cat that might now be host to the spirit of Cora. This one uses many of the familiar genre tropes - a creepy old house, mysterious figures lurking in the shadows, and numerous red herrings - but the plot is far too convoluted for its own good (and the very short run time) and it all becomes rather repetitive (characters seem to be forever running upstairs to the same room, so much so that Pidge even comments on it!). Prolific director Erle C. Kenton, who helmed several superior Universal horrors, fails to generate much in the way of suspense or atmosphere, and his unexceptional cast does little to help matters. Oh, and one thing really confused me: the plot involves a hidden stash of $200,000 that everyone is keen to get their hands on, but I am sure that it is said that the $1000 notes were out of circulation, which would surely make the cash worthless. 3/10.

THE CAT CREEPS over the years has gotten a bum rap that it did not deserve. It has an all too familiar plot, sure, but it also has a darn good cast of character actors who are fun to watch, particularly Noah Beery, Jr. And exactly what is he up to when he peeks out of a room, rope in one hand and the "mystery women" in the background??? It has its moments, all about the search for missing loot in a creepy old house, this time on a deserted island. One by one the cast of characters are bumped off, one falling head first on to a pitch fork, all the while a black cat slinks around in the background. Its a good Universal time killer, pardon the pun, the kind of second bill stuff the studio churned out in the 40s and its worth a second look, if not for sentimental reasons, for all us big kids who saw it on the Late Late Show a long time ago.

This is really bottom-of-the-barrel stuff from Universal and, unbelievable as it may seem, I'm of the opinion that it's even worse than the ultra-maligned SHE-WOLF OF London (1946)! For one thing, here we get an annoying fast-talking reporter hero (Fred Brady) and a predictable villain (Douglass Dumbrille), whereas fine character actor Paul Kelly is wasted in a thankless role - though Noah Beery Jr. does provide some amusement as a wisecracking photographer. The plot itself is quite confusing (particularly the belated introduction of a foreign-sounding mystic, who's actually no more than a red herring!); besides, it has nothing whatsoever to do with THE CAT CREEPS (1930) - which was actually a remake of THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927) - but does look forward to John Gilling's minor but obviously superior Hammer outing, THE SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961), which I watched (on the big screen!) only a few months ago while in Hollywood. The film also proved to be director Kenton's last, and undoubtedly least, horror film; he had previously made some enjoyable programmers for the same studio - THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942), HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) and HOUSE OF Dracula (1945) - and, during the previous decade, helmed one of the more notable outings in the genre, Paramount's ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1933)!