Shadow of the Cat
| The Shadow of the Cat | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | John Gilling |
| Produced by | Jon Penington |
| Written by | George Baxt |
| Starring |
André Morell Barbara Shelley William Lucas Freda Jackson Conrad Phillips |
| Music by | Mikis Theodorakis |
| Cinematography | Arthur Grant |
| Edited by |
James Needs John Pomeroy |
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Production
company |
|
| Distributed by |
Rank Organisation (United Kingdom) Universal International (United States) |
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Release date
|
1 May 1961 |
|
Running time
|
79 mins |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤81,000 |
The Shadow of the Cat is a 1961 British horror film directed by John Gilling for Hammer Film Productions. It stars André Morell and Barbara Shelley. It was photographed in black-and-white by Arthur Grant.
The story is about Tabitha, the house cat of a wealthy lady, who witnesses the murder of her owner by her owner's husband and two servants. The cat becomes bent on revenge while the murderers try to kill her, the only witness.
Late at night in early 1900's England, wealthy and elderly Ella Venable (Catherine Lacey) is killed in the attic of her manor house by Andrew the butler (Andrew Crawford). The butler is joined by Ella's husband, Walter Venable (André Morell), and Clara the maid (Freda Jackson). Together they bury Ella's body on the grounds of the estate.
The only witness to the murder and burial is Ella's tabby cat, Tabitha. The cat understands what happened. The murderers realize the cat's comprehension and resolve to kill it.
Days later, Inspector Rowles (Alan Wheatley) and newspaper man Michael Latimer (Conrad Phillips) are called to the house to investigate what Walter maintains is Ella's "disappearance." Michael and the inspector are suspicious; they know that Walter married Ella for her money. Meanwhile, Walter, Andrew and Clara continue to agonize over the whereabouts of Tabitha.
Before he had her killed, Walter forced Ella to sign a will that left everything to him. However, her original will, which left Walter nothing, remains hidden in the attic. Walter needs to find and destroy this original to ensure the security of his inheritance. He looks for it that night.
The attic is structurally unsound and Walter falls through a rotten floorboard. Though not hurt, he stops his search and goes downstairs. There, he and Andrew see Tabitha and pursue her into the basement. The cat injures Andrew and gives Walter a heart attack.
Walter invites Ella's favorite niece, Elizabeth "Beth" Venable (Barbara Shelley), to stay at the house. He worries that she might question the illegitimate will and wants to "deal with her" in person.
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Wikipedia