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xsBusiness - Black Cat
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $48.19
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Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Julie Bishop, Egon Brecher
Directed By: Edgar G. Ulmer
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302526196
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302526191
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Universal Studios
Release Date: 1997-09-16
Running Time: 65
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 1934-05-07
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Bela Lugosi is a sympathetic madman with a desire to use a scalpel to flay alive Boris Karloff
Comment: "I go to visit an old friend," says Dr. Vitus Werdegast to Peter and Joan Alison, the young newlyweds he meets on the train moving through a rain-swept night. Their destination is the small, picturesque village of Vizhegrad that had been the site of a horrendous battle during the Great War. They board a bus and the driver tells them, "All of this country was one of the greatest battlefields of the war. Tens of thousands of men died here. The ravine down there was piled twelve deep with dead and wounded men. The little river below was swollen red, a raging torrent of blood. And that high hill yonder where Engineer Poelzig now lives was the site of Fort Marmorus. He built his home on its very foundations. Marmorus, the greatest graveyard in the world." Then the bus swerves and crashes in the driving rain, leaving the driver dead and the young wife injured. Dr. Werdegast takes them to Hjalmar Poelzig's home...his "old friend." Just who are Dr. Vitus Werdegast and Hjalmar Poelzig?
Werdegast (Bela Lugosi), says Poelzig, "is one of Hungary's greatest psychiatrists," He was captured in the Great War and thrown into a dank prison to rot for 15 years. He lost his wife, his young daughter and, as we shall see, his sanity. Yet he will be deeply touched by the newlyweds.
Poelzig (Boris Karloff), says Werdegast, is "one of Austria's greatest architects." He designed the great monolith of a home that sits atop what was Fort Marmorus. Poelzig has a muscular body and a slab of a face, with cruel, mocking eyes and a widow's peak that would make Robert Taylor cry with envy. We also will learn that he is a traitor, a murderer, a seducer, a Satanist and a talented embalmer.
The Black Cat has nothing to do with Poe's story. It's about evil, madness, love and obsession. That this all takes place in a terrific art deco setting keeps us smiling...but down in the dungeon, where we meet the wives of Engineer Poelzig and watch how a keen scalpel can slowly flay the skin from a man's face...well, we don't turn away.
What makes this movie one of my favorites is the character of Dr. Werdegast and the performance of Bela Lugosi. Werdegast may go mad, but he's been driven mad by terrible injustice, by the loss of those he loved and by the final knowledge that their fate was worse than he ever believed. "Is she not beautiful?" says Poelzig to Werdegast, deep in the preserved caverns of Fort Marmorus. "I wanted to have her beauty, always. I loved her too, Vitus." Though Werdegast tips over the edge to exact a terrible revenge, he still responds to the love the two newlyweds have for each other. He realizes the evil in Poelzig, and he counters it to protect and finally save the young couple. A game of chess, if lost, may lead to death for Peter Alison and a much worse fate for Joan Alison. Lugosi is quite touching in those moments he shows tenderness to young Peter and Joan and in his determination to save them from the equally mad Poelzig. And Boris Karloff? He was a fine actor, and studying his style is time well spent. All this in just 65 minutes, and with art deco, too.
If I had to choose a few of Hollywood's more-or-less classic old horror movies to take with me to a deserted island, this and The Body Snatchers would be among them. Both have a sympathetic protagonist caught up in horror partly of his own making, with just enough cheese to keep the stories entertaining and not so much "human condition" redemption as to make them tiresome.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Comment: Half-camp, half-horror, all stylish imagination, this is a one-of-a-kind. It's about as wacked-out as any film of that era, even mocking itself in the very last scene about getting too carried away. Nonetheless, it's mandatory viewing for film buffs of any age. Lugosi, Karloff, and the ineffable David Manners are together at last. Scope out that first scene in the railway car. The newly-wed cuddling between Manners and Wells is about as sappy as a pair of over-ripe corn stalks and likely an in- joke among the movie-makers. Aside from the occasional silliness, there are moments of genuine horror as when Wells steps out zombie-like after the bus accident to the crashing accopaniment of a Schubert symphony. It's a startling moment.
The true stars are the set designer and art director. Most horror movies exploit old dark houses. Not this one. Karloff's mansion looks like a mix between Art Deco and Flash Gordon, with its spiral staircases, angular decor, and loony partitions. And let's not forget the preserved bodies of the lissome dead that Karloff uses as wall decor. Yes indeed, don't look for Century 21 to advertise this bargain anytime soon. Then too, there's Karloff's make-up that was apparently spooned on with a shovel, along with a futuristic hair-do that looks like it could stab you. And check out that weird satanic altar, all x's and o's, as if a tic-tac-toe board exploded. It's a real visual grabber.
In fact, there is something of a plot-- something about Lugosi trying to avenge his wife's murder at the hands of the mad architect Karloff who would also like to turn Wells into an embalmed addition to his wall decor. And to appease fans of Poe, a black cat occasionally wanders in and out, that's about as scary as a kitty looking for its milk. Also, for fans of deeper meanings I expect there's something symbolic about Karloff using a bloody battlefield as a home improvement site. But who cares. The movie's really a chance for stylish Europeans like Lugosi and director Ulmer to indulge their sense of the goofy macabre. Thank goodness, they succeed-- and in gloriously wacked-out fashion.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good movie made great by Karloff and Lugosi
Comment: The Black Cat is based off the Edgar Allen Poe story, but actually the Poe story really doesn't relate to the movie it seems it was just used for a marketing ploy. There is a black cat, but it serves no real purpose to the story. So if you're looking for a movie based on the Poe story you might feel letdown.
The plot is rather simple Bela Lugosi plays Dr. Vitus Werdegast who after 15-years returns to seek revenge on Herr Poelzig played by Boris Karloff. Meanwhile a married couple is also spending the night at Poelzig's place, but he has something sinister in store for them. I don't wanna give away any key plot points so I'll leave it that.
The Black Cat is a bit slow in some areas the first half of the movie develops the characters, but the scenes come across more as more filler scenes than anything. But when the action kicks in during the 2nd half it does work due to the build up. So despite it feeling like filler scenes it does also add when everything starts to happen. As much as I did enjoy The Black Cat there were some slight problems with the first half when it can be a little boring. But the movie is only 66-minutes so therefore it gets to the good stuff rather quickly.
The screenplay written by Edgar G. Ulmer & Peter Ruric is well done overall. Despite some flaws in the first half it wasn't poorly written by any means. Like I stated earlier I just feel some of the scenes seemed like fillers at times. But it was still a solid screenplay overall.
Edgar G. Ulmer also directs and is able to create an eerie feel with a good sense of dread and looming danger. Most of his scenes work well with a solid visual touch. The pacing is pretty good though there are some slow moments where the pacing might lack, but the 2nd half is where he gets it right and does a solid job at creating tension. The scenes with Karloff and Lugosi have some truly great tension.
What makes this movie so Iconic is it marked the first time Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi worked together. Apparently, they did a silent picture back in 1920 called The Last of the Mohicans, but both were un-credited. But The Black Cat is the first movie they starred in together. Both Lugosi and Karloff are the reason The Black Cat works well; any flaws that can be found the two more than make up for.
The interesting thing about the movie is that Bela Lugosi actually plays a good guy rather than a villain. Lugosi was excellent and in my opinion this is one of his finest performances. Though Lugosi still comes across as a bit creepy at times; the real star here though is Boris Karloff. Karloff was such a brilliant actor. He can play a good guy, he's great at playing sympathetic characters like the Frankenstein Monster, but when it comes down to playing a villain, Karloff is quite chilling.
The Black Cat also has one of my very favorite quotes in a movie, when talking to Lugosi's character Karloff says, "The phone is dead. Did you hear that, Vitus? Even the phone is dead." Just the way Karloff says that is really quite chilling.
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff really elevate this movie so much. Without them The Black Cat would have been a good movie, but these 2 make it great and the movie only really suffers when the focus isn't on them, which thankfully for the most part it is. David Manners plays Peter Alison and does give a solid performance though his character wasn't very interesting and Julie Bishop using the name Jacqueline Wells as Joan Alison has the typical female role. Manners and Wells do a good job, but weren't all that interesting.
The final act is excellent and even a little creepy. I love the scene when Karloff is tied up and Lugosi gets a knife and slices him up. We don't actually see this happening remember this is the 1930s. We get a great shot of their shadows as Lugosi's character does his thing. And a couple of minutes later off camera we just hear Karloff scream. Sometimes what you don't see works amazingly and here Edgar G. Ulmer shows us what we don't see sometimes is the better way to go.
The fact the movie stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi you know it's gonna be good. Like I said these 2 really elevate the movie. Both are such wonderful actors and work so well together it's almost impossible for the movie to be bad. The Black Cat rates as one of my favorite Boris Karloff roles. He has many to choose from, but here he's quite chilling. He's rather evil here; he's not sympathetic at all. He's quite cold and again evil. As much as I liked Lugosi in this movie, Karloff is the main reason I enjoyed this movie. Boris Karloff really steals the show and proves why he was the best horror actor of his generation. He's cold and cruel and makes for one hell of a chilling villain.
This movie can be found on DVD as part of the Bela Lugosi Collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: KARLOFF & LUGOSI AT THEIR BEST! THIS IS AVAILABLE ON DVD !
Comment: This is an early gem from the Universal studios starring non other than Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Like many older horror films the 'horror' is implied but, this film is really twisted for the time. The film drips with atmosphere and features some great sets. Karloff gives a very subtle performance and Lugosi kind of plays the good guy....well victim maybe. This film is available on a DVD set called the Bela Lugosi franchise collection. It's an essential purchase for old horror fans. The DVD transfer is very good.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bad Luck from a Black Cat?
Comment: The film begins at a busy train station. A young couple in a private compartment are bound to Vishgrad. An older gentleman joins them. The steam train travels through the night. The gentleman tells about his past. Their bus goes off the road, the driver is killed. They seek shelter at the nearby mansion. Mrs. Allison was injured, she is treated by Dr. Vitus Werdegast. Hjalmar Poelzig sold Mamrosh to the Russians, there were 10,000 casualties at this battle site. There is an atmosphere about this house. Peter Allison writes mystery novels. Dr. Wedergast is a psychiatrist with a phobia about cats. Could the sedative have affected Joan Allison? Is a black cat the embodiment of evil? Dr. Vitus suggests a switch of rooms with Peter Allison.
Next we see there are a number of women in glass cases! These preserved bodies tell you something about Poelzig. The film shows a digital clock, the high technology of that day. There is a secret about Dr. Vitus' daughter Karen. Poelzig reads a book about Satanism. Dr. Vitus and Poelzig play a game of chess for their battle over the fate of Joan. The gendarmerie dispute the beauty of the local towns for comic relief. Peter Allison wants to leave for Budapest or Vienna. But the car is out of commission, "even the phone is dead". When Peter decides to leave he finds someone has taken his automatic pistol! [Travelers then went armed for self-defense.] But the servant stops Peter from leaving, and he is imprisoned. Poelzig is a powerful madman who must be obeyed.
There is a gathering of people for an obscene ceremony. [Does this symbolize the powerful aristocracy?] Conflict continues between various persons. Peter escapes, finds Joan, and they both leave the mansion. Dr. Vitus throws the red switch in the basement. Will this destroy the building and everyone in it? Is this story too melodramatic and incredible? [I wonder if any future film would be based on this story of a young couple trapped in a mansion controlled by a powerful madman?]
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Editorial Reviews:
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Edgar Ulmer's baroque masterpiece is the pinnacle of expressionism of Hollywood, a beautiful melding of gothic antiquity and modernity in the shadow of World War I. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff square off in their finest film together as decades-old nemeses who meet for a fateful showdown on the very battlefield where Karloff's devilish dark priest sacrificed his own army and framed Lugosi's good doctor for the crime. Karloff plays the most evil character of his career, a mesmerizingly demonic architect (inspired by the notorious real-life Satanist Aleister Crowley) who stole Lugosi's wife and daughter and built his shrinelike home, a stunning piece of Bauhaus-inspired glass and steel architecture, on the graves of his victims. His intensity and hypnotic understatement is a revelation, a genuine monster in human guise far more insidious and evil than the creatures of Universal's more famous horror classics. Lugosi delivers his finest performance ever as a Van Helsing-like hero whose simmering hatred and rage finally boils over into madness and sadistic revenge. A pair of silly American honeymooners become but two more pawns in their game of vengeance. John Mescall, who shot the gorgeous Bride of Frankenstein, beautifully delivers eerie unease and sinister imagery, from the Caligari-like black church of slanting beams and slashing shadows to the tomb of glass-lined caskets displaying victims held in suspended animation. One of the finest horror films to emerge from Universal's golden age of horror. --Sean Axmaker
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