The Black Cat (1934 film)
| The Black Cat | |
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original 1934 theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Edgar G. Ulmer |
| Produced by | E. M. Asher (uncredited) |
| Screenplay by | Peter Ruric |
| Story by | Edgar G. Ulmer Peter Ruric |
| Starring |
Boris Karloff Béla Lugosi |
| Music by | Heinz Eric Roemheld |
| Cinematography | John J. Mescall (camera) |
| Edited by | Ray Curtiss |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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65 or 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $95,745.31 |
| Box office | $236,000 |
The Black Cat is a 1934 American horror film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starring Béla Lugosi and Boris Karloff. The picture was the first of eight movies (six of which were produced by Universal) to pair the two iconic actors. It became Universal Pictures' biggest box office hit of the year, and was also notable for being one of the first movies with an almost continuous music score. Lugosi also appeared in the 1941 film with the same title.
Newlyweds Peter and Joan Alison, on their honeymoon in Hungary, learn that due to a mixup, they must share a train compartment with Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Béla Lugosi), a Hungarian psychiatrist. Eighteen years before, Werdegast went to war, never seeing his wife again. He has spent the last 15 years in an infamous prison camp in Siberia. On the train, the doctor explains that he is traveling to see an old friend, Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff), an Austrian architect.
Later, the doctor, Peter, and Joan, share a bus, which crashes on a desolate, rain-swept road. Joan is injured, and the doctor and Peter take her to Poelzig's home, built upon the ruins of Fort Marmorus, which Poelzig commanded during the war. Werdegast treats Joan's injury, administering the tranquilizing drug hyoscine, causing her to behave erratically. While Peter puts her to bed, Werdegast accuses Poelzig of betraying the fort during the war to the Russians, resulting in the death of thousands of Austro-Hungarian soldiers. He also accuses Poelzig of stealing his wife Karen while he was in prison. Early on in the movie, Werdegast kills Poelzig's black cat, and Poelzig explains that Werdegast has a strong fear of the animals. Poelzig carries a second black cat around the house with him while he oversees his "collection" of dead women on display in glass cases - including Karen.
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Wikipedia