FILM · 1942 · USA
Cat People
- Directed by
- Jacques Tourneur
- Runtime
- 73 min
- Studio
- RKO Radio Pictures
100 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A Serbian émigré in Manhattan believes that, because of an ancient curse, any physical intimacy with the man she loves will turn her into a feline predator.
100 Interesting Facts About Cat People
Interesting Facts (26)
- #001
The horror technique of slowly building tension toward a startling shock that turns out to be completely harmless and benign became known as the "Lewton bus" after a famous scene in this film, created by producer Val Lewton. The technique is also called a "cat scare," because the off-screen sounds usually turn out to be a startled, harmless cat.
- #002
The film stayed in theaters for so long that critics who had initially panned it were able to see it again, and most rewrote their reviews from a more favorable perspective.
- #003
RKO executives were reportedly skeptical of the finished film, believing it was too subtle and possibly not explicit enough to compete with Universal's horror output.
- #004
The film's box office returns were so large that the releases of the next two Lewton films, I Walked with a Zombie (1943) and The Leopard Man (1943), were delayed.
- #005
The opening title sequence ends with a quotation attributed to "Dr. Louis Judd," the name of the psychiatrist in the film.
- #006
Val Lewton came very close to being fired after only three days of shooting. Lou L. Ostrow, head of RKO's B unit, had watched the first three days of rushes and was unhappy with what he saw. Ostrow wanted Lewton removed, but was ultimately overruled by RKO chief Charles Koerner, who was pleased with Lewton's work and wanted him to continue.
- #007
Supervisor Lou L. Ostrow was so displeased with the film's style that after four days of shooting he wanted to replace director Jacques Tourneur. Producer Val Lewton persuaded studio head Charles Koerner to reinstate Tourneur, and when Ostrow insisted that the panther appear in the drawing-room scene, Lewton had Tourneur use low lighting so that the panther stayed in shadow.
- #008
Toward the end of shooting, two crews were filming day and night to speed the film's completion. At night one unit filmed the animals for the Central Park scene, while during the day the other unit worked with the actors.
- #009
Val Lewton reportedly called Simone Simon for this film after seeing her performance in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941).
- #010
Cat People is the first film Molina recounts to Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985).
- #011
The Central Park Zoo set had previously been used in numerous RKO productions, including the Fred Astaire–Ginger Rogers musicals.
- #012
Tom Conway would later reprise the role of Dr. Louis Judd in The Seventh Victim (1943).
- #013
The staircase seen in the film was borrowed from The Magnificent Ambersons (1942).
- #014
The black leopard Dynamite also appeared in another film by the same producer and directors: The Leopard Man (1943).
- #015
As Irina leaves the museum, she passes a statue of an Egyptian god. It is Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead.
- #016
Cat People appears on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.
- #017
The restaurant where the celebration takes place is Belgrade, today the capital of Serbia. At the time the film was made, Belgrade was under Nazi occupation.
- #018
The painting hanging above the mantel in Irina's apartment is a copy of Francisco Goya's late-18th-century portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga (sometimes called "The Red Boy"). It depicts a small child holding a pet magpie on a string, with three cats watching the bird very closely, giving an otherwise charming work a rather ominous look. It is also somewhat poignant that the boy portrayed died long before reaching adulthood. Note: the painting now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; when the film was made it was still in private hands, though already in the United States.
- #019
The historical figure referred to here as King John of Serbia was probably Jovan Nenad, who ruled the region until the Ottoman occupation.
- #020
The reference to the doctor's cane head not being silver is a nod to other monster legends in which silver is used to ward off the creature. Most notably, in The Wolf Man (1941), Larry Talbot kills the werewolf Bela, a gypsy, with his silver-headed cane, and silver bullets (blessed by a priest) were used to shoot a werewolf. A silver cross (in reality any cross) was traditionally used to repel vampires, who cast no reflection in a mirror backed with silver.
- #021
The black leopard seen early in the film is actually a spotted cat with a melanistic variation that darkens its coloring; on close inspection the spots are in fact visible. Both leopards and jaguars have this genetic variation and usually live in tropical forest habitats in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
- #022
Cat People is part of spine number 833 of the Criterion Collection.
- #023
Cat People was Henrietta Burnside's last film.
- #024
The original trade reviews were published on Friday, November 13, 1942.
- #025
Cat People's first television presentation was on Friday, March 2, 1956, on WGTH (Channel 18) in Hartford, CT, followed by WHBQ (Channel 13) in Memphis on Monday, March 26, 1956; KHJ (Channel 9) in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 2, 1956; WOR (Channel 9) in New York City on Saturday, September 1, 1956; WFBG (Channel 10) in Altoona on Saturday, September 15, 1956; KUTV (Channel 2) in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 20, 1956; and WFIL (Channel 6) in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 30, 1956. This created a situation that, while not unique at the time, was unusual, since the 1956 reissue was still in wide theatrical distribution throughout the year.
- #026
If the frequently heard music theme sounds familiar but you cannot quite place it, it sounds like a variation on "Rain, Rain, Go Away."
Production Story (37)
- #027
Because of the incredibly tight budget, the sets from Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) were reused.
- #028
Val Lewton initially wanted to adapt Algernon Blackwood's short story "Ancient Sorceries." However, because the story is set in a 19th-century French village, the costume and set costs would have exceeded the budget, so an original story set in modern times was used instead. Some elements of Blackwood's short story inspired Irina's past in Serbia.
- #029
Film historians Edmund Bansak, Chris Fujiwara and Joel Siegel estimate the film's domestic gross at over $4 million, which would be an extraordinary profit of nearly 30 times its $135,000 budget. Historian Gregory Mank gives a more modest gross of $1 million (nearly 10 times its budget) from both domestic and foreign markets. Mank notes, however, that this was still an excellent result and far more than anything else RKO released at the time.
- #030
The film stayed in theaters for so long that critics who had initially torn it apart got a chance to see it again, and many of them rewrote their reviews in a more favorable tone.
- #031
RKO executives were said to have doubts about the finished film; they felt it was too thin and not explicit enough to compete with Universal's horror brand.
- #032
The film was such a big box-office success that Val Lewton's next two films (I Walked with a Zombie and The Leopard Man) had to be postponed.
- #033
Val Lewton came close to being fired on only the third day of shooting. Lou L. Ostrow, head of RKO's B unit, was not at all pleased with what he saw after viewing the first three days of footage. Ostrow wanted Lewton sent away, but RKO boss Charles Koerner vetoed the decision because he was satisfied with Lewton's work.
- #034
Production supervisor Lou L. Ostrow was so uncomfortable with the film's style that after four days of shooting he wanted to replace director Jacques Tourneur. Producer Val Lewton persuaded studio president Charles Koerner to keep Tourneur in the job; when Ostrow insisted that the panther be shown in the drawing-room scene, Lewton had Tourneur use low lighting, leaving the panther in shadow.
- #035
RKO allocated Val Lewton a budget of only $150,000 for the film, which forced a creative production process. Shooting many scenes that required special effects in shadow created an effect believed to heighten the film's tension. When studio executives insisted on more shots of the panther, Lewton managed to protect both the budget and the tension by limiting the number of scenes in which the panther is visible and instructing the cinematographer to 'keep the panther in shadow.'
- #036
Val Lewton initially wanted to adapt Algernon Blackwood's short story 'Ancient Sorceries.' But because the story is set in a 19th-century French village, costume and set costs would have exceeded the budget, so an original story set in the present day was used instead. Even so, some elements of Blackwood's story served as inspiration for Irina's past in Serbia.
- #037
Film historians Edmund Bansak, Chris Fujiwara and Joel Siegel estimate that the film's domestic gross exceeded $4 million. That amounts to an extraordinary profit of nearly 30 times its $135,000 budget. Historian Gregory Mank, however, states that the combined domestic and foreign gross was $1 million (about 10 times the budget); but Mank stresses that even this was an excellent result, far beyond that of other productions RKO released at the time.
- #038
The film's first commercial reviews were published on Friday, November 13, 1942.
- #039
The film's first television broadcast took place on Friday, March 2, 1956, on WGTH (Channel 18) in Hartford, CT. It was followed by WHBQ (Channel 13) in Memphis on March 26, 1956; KHJ (Channel 9) in Los Angeles on June 2, 1956; WOR (Channel 9) in New York on September 1, 1956; WFBG (Channel 10) in Altoona on September 15, 1956; KUTV (Channel 2) in Salt Lake City on October 20, 1956; and WFIL (Channel 6) in Philadelphia on October 30, 1956. This created an unusual situation for the time, since the 1956 re-release was in wide distribution in theaters throughout the year.
- #040
Thanks to a famous scene created by producer Val Lewton in this film, the horror technique of slowly building tension and then releasing it with a sudden shock that reveals something completely harmless became known as the "Lewton bus." The method is also called "the cat scare," because the off-screen sounds often turn out to be a startled cat.
- #041
Because of the extremely limited budget, the sets from Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) were reused.
- #042
Toward the end of shooting, two crews worked in day and night shifts to finish the film as quickly as possible. The night crew shot the animals for the Central Park scenes, while the day crew worked with the actors.
- #043
The Central Park Zoo set had previously been used in many RKO productions, including the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals.
- #044
The black sequined dress that gives the Cat Woman her eerie yet subtle air was designed by the costumer Renié. Renié later won an Oscar for Cleopatra (1963), which depicts a culture that worships cats (and other gods).
- #045
The black leopard seen at the beginning of the film is actually a spotted cat darkened by a melanistic variation. Its spots can be made out on close inspection. This genetic variation occurs in both leopards and jaguars, and such animals usually live in the tropical forests of Asia, Africa and the Americas.
- #046
When the uncredited "Cat Woman" played by Elizabeth Russell addresses Irina in Serbian and says "my sister," Russell's lines were dubbed by Simone Simon.
- #047
Val Lewton is said to have wanted Simone Simon for this film specifically after seeing her performance in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941).
- #048
In choosing Simone Simon for the role of Irena Dubrovna, producer Val Lewton said, "I want a girl like Simone Simon, with a small cat face, cute, soft, huggable and not at all dangerous," and, comparing his decision to the casting of Kathleen Burke, who played the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls (1932), he noted that looking for a savage, feline appearance would be a disaster.
- #049
In her scene, Elizabeth Russell strongly resembles Julie Newmar, the original cat woman associated with the TV series Batman (1966); interestingly, Russell's role is billed as "Cat Woman," which raises the question of whether the Batman producers drew on this lady when casting their own similar roles.
- #050
This is Henrietta Burnside's last film.
- #051
The film stayed in theaters so long that critics who had initially torn it apart got a chance to see it again, and many rewrote their reviews in a more favorable tone.
- #052
RKO executives were said to have doubts about the completed film; they thought it was too subtle and not explicit enough to compete with Universal's horror brand.
- #053
Production executive Lou L. Ostrow was so uncomfortable with the film's style that after four days of shooting he wanted to replace director Jacques Tourneur. Producer Val Lewton persuaded studio president Charles Koerner and kept Tourneur in the job; when Ostrow insisted that the panther be shown in the drawing-room scene, Lewton had Tourneur use low lighting, leaving the panther in shadow.
- #054
RKO allotted Val Lewton a budget of only $150,000 for the film, which forced a creative production process. Shooting many scenes that required special effects in shadows created an effect thought to heighten the film's tension. When studio executives insisted on more shots of the panther, Lewton managed to protect both the budget and the tension by limiting the number of scenes in which the panther is visible and instructing the cinematographer to "keep the panther in shadow."
- #055
Val Lewton initially wanted to adapt Algernon Blackwood's short story "Ancient Sorceries." However, because the story is set in a 19th-century French village, the costume and set costs would have exceeded the budget, so an original story set in the present day was used instead. Even so, some elements of Blackwood's story became an inspiration for Irina's past in Serbia.
- #056
Film historians Edmund Bansak, Chris Fujiwara and Joel Siegel estimate the film's domestic gross exceeded $4 million. That represents an extraordinary profit of nearly 30 times its $135,000 budget. Historian Gregory Mank, however, states that the combined domestic and foreign gross was $1 million (about 10 times the budget); but Mank stresses that even this was an excellent result, far beyond the other productions RKO released at the time.
- #057
The film's first television broadcast took place on Friday, March 2, 1956, on WGTH (Channel 18) in Hartford, CT. It was followed by WHBQ (Channel 13) in Memphis on March 26, 1956; KHJ (Channel 9) in Los Angeles on June 2, 1956; WOR (Channel 9) in New York on September 1, 1956; WFBG (Channel 10) in Altoona on September 15, 1956; KUTV (Channel 2) in Salt Lake City on October 20, 1956; and WFIL (Channel 6) in Philadelphia on October 30, 1956. This created an unusual situation for the period, since the 1956 re-release was in wide theatrical distribution throughout the year.
- #058
The opening credits end with a quotation attributed to "Dr. Louis Judd," the name of the psychiatrist in the film.
- #059
The restaurant where the celebration takes place is called Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which was under Nazi occupation at the time.
- #060
It appears on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of 400 nominees for the 100 best American films.
- #061
The painting hanging above the mantelpiece in Irina's apartment is a copy of Francisco Goya's late-18th-century portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga, also known as the 'Red Boy.' The painting depicts a small child with a magpie on a string and three cats fixated on the bird, which lends the charming work an eerie air. It is also a poignant detail that the child portrayed died before reaching adulthood. The painting is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; at the time the film was made, it was in a private collection in the United States.
- #062
This film is release number 833 in the Criterion Collection.
- #063
When Alice sees Oliver at Sally Lunn's, she asks why he is so late; getting no answer, she assumes he has argued with Irena and makes a "stormy weather" joke. This is a reference to a popular melancholy song of the period.
Behind the Scenes (7)
- #064
Thanks to a famous scene created by producer Val Lewton in this film, the horror technique of slowly building tension and then releasing it with a sudden shock that reveals something completely harmless became known as the "Lewton bus." Because off-screen sounds often turn out to be a startled cat, the method is also called a "cat scare."
- #065
Due to an extremely limited budget, sets from Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) were reused.
- #066
Toward the end of shooting, two crews worked in day and night shifts to finish the film as quickly as possible. The night crew filmed animals for the Central Park scenes, while the day crew worked with the actors.
- #067
The Central Park Zoo set had been used in many RKO productions, including Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals.
- #068
The black leopard Dynamite also appeared in The Leopard Man (1943), another film by the same producer and directors.
- #069
The black sequined dress that gives Cat Woman an eerie yet subtle air was designed by costumer Renié. Renié later won an Oscar for Cleopatra (1963), which depicts a culture that worships cats (and other gods).
- #070
The black leopard seen at the beginning of the film is actually a spotted cat darkened by a melanistic variation. Its spots can be made out on close inspection. This genetic variation occurs in both leopards and jaguars, and they generally live in the tropical forests of Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Characters & Cast (12)
- #071
Simone Simon was chosen for the role of Irena Dubrovna by producer Val Lewton, who commented: "I want to have a little cat-faced, cute, soft and cuddly and apparently not at all dangerous girl like Simone Simon." He compared his decision to Kathleen Burke's casting as the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls (1932), noting that any attempt to achieve a feral, cat-like look in the cast would have been a disaster.
- #072
Jennifer Jones was considered for the role of Alice.
- #073
Several actors who appear in studio records and cast call sheets did not appear in the film: George Ford (Whistling Cop), Leda Nicova (Sick Woman) and Bud Geary (Mounted Policeman).
- #074
As for the Julie Newmar/TV Batman note, Alan Napier, who played Alfred on Batman, is in the cast.
- #075
When Elizabeth Russell's uncredited "Cat Woman" addresses Irina in Serbian and calls her "my sister," Russell's lines were dubbed by Simone Simon.
- #076
It is said that Val Lewton specifically wanted Simone Simon for this film after seeing her performance in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941).
- #077
In casting Simone Simon as Irena Dubrovna, producer Val Lewton said, "I want a girl like Simone Simon, with a little cat face, cute, soft, huggable and not at all dangerous-looking," and, comparing his decision to the casting of Kathleen Burke, who played the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls (1932), he stated that seeking a wild, feline look would be a disaster.
- #078
In her scene, Elizabeth Russell strongly resembles Julie Newmar, the original catwoman associated with the TV series Batman (1966); interestingly, Russell's role is credited as "Cat Woman," which raises the question of whether the Batman producers drew inspiration from this lady when casting their own similar roles.
- #079
Although a July 1942 news item stated that Carl Brisson was in the cast, his presence in the released film has not been confirmed.
- #080
Several actors named in studio records and casting lists do not appear in the film; these are listed (along with the characters they played) as George Ford (Whistling Cop), Leda Nicova (Patient) and Bud Geary (Mounted Policeman).
- #081
It is Henrietta Burnside's last film.
- #082
As for the Julie Newmar / TV Batman note, Alan Napier, who played Alfred on Batman, is also in the cast of this film.
Deeper Meaning (14)
- #083
The opening credits end with a quote attributed to "Dr. Louis Judd," the name of the psychiatrist in the film.
- #084
"Cat People" is the first film Molina tells Valentin about in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985).
- #085
The film appears on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.
- #086
As Irina leaves the museum, she passes a statue of an Egyptian god; this is Anubis, the god of death.
- #087
The restaurant where the celebration takes place is named Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which was under Nazi occupation at the time.
- #088
It appears on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of 400 films nominated for the 100 best American films.
- #089
The historical figure referred to in the film as King John of Serbia is most likely Jovan Nenad, who ruled the region until the Ottoman occupation.
- #090
The painting hanging above the mantelpiece in Irina's apartment is a copy of Francisco Goya's late 18th-century portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga, also known as the "Red Boy." The painting depicts a small child with a magpie tied to a string and three cats fixated on the bird, which lends the charming work an eerie air. It is also a poignant detail that the child portrayed died before reaching adulthood. The painting is now in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art; at the time the film was made, it was in a private collection in the United States.
- #091
It is included in the list "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.
- #092
The emphasis on the doctor's cane head not being silver is a nod to other monster legends in which silver repels creatures; for example, in The Wolf Man (1941), Larry Talbot kills the werewolf with his silver-headed cane. Vampires, meanwhile, could not see their reflections in silver-backed mirrors and were repelled by silver crosses.
- #093
This film is number 833 in the Criterion Collection.
- #094
If the frequently heard musical theme sounds familiar, it resembles a variation of the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away."
- #095
When Alice sees Oliver at Sally Lunn's, she asks why he is so late; getting no answer, she assumes he argued with Irena and makes a "stormy weather" joke. This is a reference to a popular melancholy song of the period.
- #096
Alice names a cat in the office John Paul Jones; the name belongs to Led Zeppelin's legendary bassist. However, John Paul Jones was also an admiral in the American Revolutionary War; that Alice works at a shipping company and that the film was made four years before the bassist's birth suggest the cat's name may have been inspired by the historical figure.
Career & Awards (4)
- #097
The black sequined dress that gives the Cat Woman her chilling presence was designed by the couturier Renié. She would go on to win an Oscar for Cleopatra (1963), which is set in a culture that worships cats (and other gods).
- #098
Cat People was included on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of 400 films nominated for the 100 Best American Films.
- #099
Cat People was included on the American Film Institute's 2001 list of 400 films nominated for the 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Films.
- #100
Cat People was included on the American Film Institute's 2005 list of 250 films nominated for AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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