Things you never said before nor even dreamed of!
After a road accident in Hungary, the American honeymooners Joan and Peter and the enigmatic Dr. Werdegast find refuge in the house of the famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig, who shares a dark past with the doctor.
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Character
Grave, bleak, intimate and earnest.
- gravecomic
- warmbleak
- intimateepic
- earnestironic
- rawmeticulous
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“Is Boris Karloff the best thing in The Black Cat?”
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“Is this Edgar G. Ulmer's best work?”
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“Is it actually scary?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- John Chardon TMDB · Oct 20187/10
Weird and hypnotic creeper. The first, and arguably in terms of their dual performances, best teaming of Horror legends Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi is this almost bizarre Edgar G. Ulmer directed piece. Based around a story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat sees a young couple, Peter & Joan Allison (David Manners & Julie Bishop), who while on their honeymoon in Budapest meet the mysterious scientist Dr. Vitus Verdegast (Lugosi). When the bus taking them to the hotel crashes and Joan is injured, the trio wind up at the home of Verdegast's old acquaintance Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff). Where the troubled history between Verdegast and Poelzig comes to light and thus spells immense danger for the newly married Allison's. Excellently directed by Ulmer, The Black Cat still today has the ability to genuinely unnerve the viewer. Filled with an overwhelming sense of dread throughout, Ulmer and his on form leading men have crafted a superb study of character evil. Flanked by a magnificent set design and with a script that does Poe proud, the piece pot boils until its brutal and frenzied climax. Karloff and Lugosi are particularly impressive (check out the chess match sequences), lending the fi
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20227/10
This great pairing of Messrs. Karloff and Lugosi make for a fun, if not particularly scary, horror movie from Universal. An honeymoon couple are travelling through Hungary when their bus is involved in an accident near the castle of "Hjalmar Poelzig" (Karloff). Together with fellow traveller "Vitus Werdegast" (a slightly theatrical Lugosi) they seek refuge and find themselves caught up in a tale of retribution between the two men that results in a game of chess not seen since the "Seventh Seal". It doesn't hang about - only just over an hour of creepily shot, tautly directed drama that makes for a spookily engaging watch with quite a bit of jeopardy right to the end...
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Cast
- Boris KarloffHjalmar Poelzig
- Bela LugosiDr. Vitus Werdegast
- David MannersPeter Alison
- Julie BishopJoan Alison
- Egon BrecherThe Majordomo
- Harry CordingThamal
- Lucille LundKaren
- Henry ArmettaThe Sergeant
- Albert ContiThe Lieutenant
- John CarradineCult Organist
Crew
- Edgar G. UlmerDirector
- Peter RuricScreenplay
- Tom KilpatrickScreenplay
- John J. MescallDirector of Photography
- Ray CurtissEditor
- Carl Laemmle Jr.Producer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The Set-Up 194977% alikeBoth grave, earnest, intimate.
Psycho 196076% alikeBoth grave, bleak, earnest.
The Red House 194774% alikeBoth grave, intimate, earnest.
You Only Live Once 193774% alikeBoth grave, earnest, bleak.
Niagara 195373% alikeBoth grave, earnest, intimate.
Night of the Living Dead 196871% alikeBoth grave, bleak, intimate.
Shutter Island 201071% alikeBoth grave, bleak, intimate.
Demon Seed 197771% alikeBoth grave, intimate, bleak.
Kamaitachi no Yoru 199468% alikeGame · Both grave, intimate, bleak.
Inmost 201967% alikeGame · Both grave, earnest, bleak.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
