Underplayed Gems

The Black Cat (1941)

The Black Cat poster
Directed by
Albert S. Rogell
Genre
comedy horror, mystery film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 10m
Rated
NR
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 43 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

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The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A greedy family gathers at a wealthy woman's estate waiting for her to die so they can inherit her money. When she is found murdered, the relatives become suspects in the investigation.

whimsicalspookylightheartedcreepyplayfulgothicgentle

What happens

The Black Cat is a 1941 American comedy horror and mystery film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Basil Rathbone. The film was a stylistic hybrid, inspired by comedy "Old Dark House" films of the era as well as the 1843 short story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Basil Rathbone as Montague Hartley, the head of a greedy family who await the death of Henrietta Winslow (played by Cecilia Loftus) so that they can inherit her fortune. When she is found murdered, an investigation begins into who might be the culprit. Alongside Rathbone and Loftus, the film's cast includes Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, and Bela Lugosi. Initially set to start filming in January 1941, the film was delayed twice with the script being re-written by comedy writers Robert Lees and Frederic I. Rinaldo and having some last minute cast changes. It officially began filming on February 17 and finished filming on March 10. It was released to indifferent reviews from The Hollywood Reporter, The Film Daily and The New York Daily News. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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