THE CATMAN OF PARIS [1946]

 ONE OF THE FEW FORTIES HORROR MOVIES I HAD NEVER SEEN UNTIL IMPRINT RELEASED IT'S FINE BLU RAY THIS YEAR. 

Here's a movie I saw in countless monster magazines and horror movie books but had never been able to see until this year.  This Republic pictures B-horror was made at the same time as their wonderful VALLEY OF THE ZOMBIES and apparently became Republic's very first horror double feature show.  I absolutely love VALLEY OF THE ZOMBIES, so I wonder if THE CATMAN will measure up.

There are a buncha strange murders happening in the Paris of 1896; people are getting clawed to death and a bestial catman is being blamed.  The gendarmerie have their paws full!  Controversial author Charles Regnier (Carl Esmond) has just returned to Paris suffering from recurring blackouts.  Could he be the notorious catman?!?!?  That's about all you need for the plot because that's about all there is to it.  What we have here is one of those 1940's horror films which is waaaaaaaaaaaay light on the horror and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay heavy on the period clothing and drawing room conversation. 

THE CATMAN OF PARIS owes quite a lot to RKO's earlier hit film CAT PEOPLE as well as reminding me a lot of films like HANGOVER SQUARE.  There are occasional glimpses of horror sprinkled throughout the film but mostly it's people talking in sumptuous sets wearing sumptuous costumes.  Usually I have absolutely no time for such things but THE CATMAN OF PARIS is oddly endearing and I wasn't really bored at any point despite nothing much happening.  There is a mystery element as to who the Catman actually is and Regnier is constantly being pushed forward to the audience as the obvious catman and I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say that it's probably NOT him.  I think the brisk 65 minute running time helps this film a lot as there really isn't time to get bogged down in boredom. 

The print used by Imprint for their new blu is absolutely stunning and camerawork by Reggie Lanning is full of noirish chiaroscuro shadows and some 40's horror nighttime atmosphere.  There are murders committed by the Catman here and there but the big payoff is the final 10-15 minutes of the film which really makes it all worthwhile as we get to see full on Catman action just in time!  Carl Esmond is rather stiff as Carl Esmond but the cast is full of familiar faces like Lenore Aubert (ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN), Douglas Dumbrille (THE CAT CREEPS), John Dehner (THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY), Gerald Mohr (THE ANGRY RED PLANET) and mouth-popping Fritz Feld.  The Catman's makeup (I suppose by makeup supervisor Bob Mark) is really nice too.  Director Lesley Selander I suppose gives the sometimes turgid, sluggish script all he can but he doesn't really have the spectacular talent to raise the film above it's shortcomings.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching THE CATMAN OF PARIS as it looked just pretty enough and kept things moving just often enough to keep my interest.