Il giardino delle streghe

'The Curse Of The Cat People' isn't really a sequel to 'Cat People' despite several recurring characters. It also isn't strictly a horror movie, despite having some suspenseful moments. Like 'Cat People' the line between the real and the imaginary is blurred, and being a Val Lewton production it is extremely atmospheric. 'Cat People's director Jacques Tourneur is replaced by Gunther von Fritsch, who I confess to know absolutely nothing about, and Robert Wise, who among many other things, is beloved to genre fans for 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' and 'The Haunting'. I'm not as big a fan of the latter as most horror buffs, I actually think 'Curse Of The Cat People' is the better movie. Kent Smith and Jane Randolph reprise their 'Cat People' roles. They are now married and have a child (Amy, played by the talented child actor Ann Carter). Smith is still trying to get over the death of his first wife Irena (Simone Simon), a story we know from the earlier picture. Amy is a loner with a rich fantasy life and this increasingly troubles her father, who fears it's going to be Irena all over again, even though Amy isn't her child. Amy wishes for a friend and begins to see Irena. Like 'Cat People' this can be "read" in any way the viewer cares to. This movie is one of the best I've ever seen about childhood and fantasy. Ann Carter is just terrific, and I particularly enjoyed the subplot involving her eccentric neighbours played by Julia Dean and Elizabeth Russell. These scenes were creepy and very gothic reminding me of both 'Rebecca' and 'Great Expectations'. Russell also had a very memorable bit in 'Cat People'. Her scene towards the end of the movie with Amy is unforgettable. 'Curse Of The Cat People' is overshadowed by 'Cat People', but to me it is almost as great. I highly recommend both movies and other Lewton productions like 'I Walked With A Zombie' (directed by Tourneur) and 'The Body Snatcher' (directed by Wise). These are some of the most important and influential horror movies ever made.

The title is very misleading for this is a film about a little girl's isolation and her need for an imaginary friend. The original "Cat People" picture provides just the backdrop for this moving story about lonely people, both young and old. There is a certain innocence and pathos that works very well alongside competent direction and acting. Definitely not a horror film, this is a gentle fantasy and a very good one at that.

This film is so much more than it appears to be at first viewing. It is essentially an adult's view of a lonely child's fantasies and how those fantasies affect her relationships with the adults around her. The performances are uniformly excellent with Ann Carter as Amy, the lonely girl, a standout. Her angelic look is perfect for her character. Also excellent are Julia Dean as Mrs. Farren, the ex-stage actress living in her own fantasy world, and Elizabeth Russell as her daughter, Barbara. And to justify the title reference to "Cat People", Simone Simon appears as Amy's imaginary friend. This is a small film that deserves a much larger audience. Excellent in all respects.

In "Curse of the Cat People," the beautiful child, Ann Carter, who looked so much like Veronica Lake, plays Amy, the daughter of the now-married Oliver (Kent Smith) and Alice (Jane Randolph) from the film's predecessor, "The Cat People." This is a sweet film about a lonely young girl's fantasy life, showing her to be a highly imaginative and creative child. Unfortunately for Amy, she's the child of two complete duds. Her father, former husband of Irena, sees in his daughter an eerie mental and emotional resemblance to his late wife, and it makes him nervous. He gets even more nervous when Amy sees a photo of Irena and claims Irena is her "friend" who has been meeting her. He has burned all the photos of Irena except for one photo that shows him and Irena together, looking happy, though one wonders a) why he kept it since he told Irena he was in love with Alice and was thinking of having her, Irena, committed; and b) when exactly were they happy? They couldn't even consummate the marriage because she was afraid of turning into a vicious cat.

Irena's appearances are interesting but to my mind, it's left open as to whether Irena was actually talking to the child or not. We probably are supposed to think it's Amy's imagination, but I like to keep an open mind. After all, Amy gives her a pin and Irena puts it on her cloak - anyone ever find said pin? It is strange, though, that now she's singing in French instead of Serbian, and there is no sign of the cat stuff.

If you remember "The Cat People," there was a scene at the wedding celebration where the exotic, cat-eyed actress Elizabeth Russell greets Irena in Serbian as "sister." (Actually, Simone Simon dubbed the Serbian.) In "Curse of the Cat People," Russell plays Barbara, the daughter of an old actress whom Amy visits. It doesn't seem like Russell is playing the same character because her mother is not Serbian. Nice to see her, though, and at least in this film, she receives a credit.

"Curse of the Cat People" is a good film, but you'll be disappointed if you go in expecting another "Cat People." Take this lovely movie on its own merits, and feel sorry for Amy - with Oliver and Jane as parents, she's going to need all the help she can get.

Never mind the lurid title; this is a charming fantasy involving a little girl and a lonely retired actress. Julia Dean actually hadn't done a film for a quarter of a century, and is terrific in her comeback role of the secluded actress who is delighted to befriend the child. Recommended to all.