Val Lewtonis one of the most notable names in the early days of effective low budget cinematichorror. Born as Vladimir Ivanovich Leventonin in Yalta, 1904 and died in 1951, Lewton worked in a variety of creative mediums. He was an American novelist, screenwriter, and one of the most influential producers in Hollywood’s history.
Lewton began working under RKO Studios as a horror executive, and was given guidelines for his films to follow. They were to be under $150,000 and under an hour and a half. What resulted was a group of nine motion pictures that continue to affect the industry nearly a century later.
9The Curse of the Cat People
The Curse of the Cat Peopleis the 1944 sequel toCat Peoplefrom 1942. The story follows a creative child named Amy Reed (Ann Carter), who explores the fantastical world around her. Her acquisition of a strange ring in the home of an elderly actress causes unnatural occurrences. All Amy wanted was a friend, and the film explores a friendship that is much more supernatural. Ann Carter was just 11 years old at the time of the film’s release. She discussed her brilliant performance and its inspirations withThe Evening Classin 2008, saying:
Probably the most important [influence] was my mother who worked with me. We had a routine. When I would leave the studio, we’d go home and eat dinner, have a bath and go to bed quite early, as early as possible. We would learn the lines for the next day; but, more importantly, we would talk about the whole scene and the script so that I would know exactly what was going on. Some of it was scary for me and I needed to know exactly what the story was and what was going on. After all, there were quite a lot of people [on the set].
8Isle of the Dead
Val Lewton’sIsle of the Deadwas released in 1945 and starsclassic Universal Monsters iconBoris Karloff as General Nikolas Pherides. The general, among many others, is trapped on a Greek island plagued with madness. In addition, a vampiric creature called the Vorvolaka preys upon the stranded survivors. This film, in addition to many others in Lewton’s catalog, enhances internal fears and manifests them through creatures or supernatural entities.
7The Ghost Ship
It’s all about authority, and whose authority holds the most water.The Ghost Shipfrom 1943 is a thriller about officers aboard a vessel where unfortunate circumstances seem to occur. All these incidents, both violent and unsettling, connect to Captain Will Stone (Richard Dix). His psychological state comes into question by 3rd Officer Tom Merriam (Russell Wade).
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The film is a slow burn, but discusses themes of loneliness and power over one’s life.The limited locations(mostly aboard the vast ship) make this film a claustrophobic exploration into a deteriorating mind with unforgiving authority. The film also showed a glimpse of blood, which was quite rare for the time.
6The Seventh Victim
Another thrilling flick released by Val Lewton in 1943 wasThe Seventh Victim.Mark Robson directed this horror film which stars Kim Hunter as Mary Gibson. Mary’s sister Jacqueline has gone missing, but Mary soon finds that the occult might have something to do with her disappearance. The filmexplores satanic elements and cultsnot seen in this era of motion pictures. It also evokes a moody atmosphere like that in the hit seriesThe Twilight Zone.
5The Leopard Man
1943 was a fantastic year for Val Lewton. Another film this year he produced was the thrilling picture entitledThe Leopard Man.This classic horror flick with early noir sensibilities encapsulates what old Hollywood was all about. Thequasi-creature feature filmwas directed by Jacques Tourneur and stars Dennis O’Keele and Margo.
Similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece from 1963,The Birds,this film explores the idea of animalistic terror. That terror answers the question… what if? What if a leopard is unleashed and causes havoc upon the innocent, and what if it is much more than an actual leopard? The film was a milestone for Lewton and is often noted as one of his best produced horror films of this era.
4I Walked with a Zombie
Another 1943 smash hit in Val Lewton’s production career wasI Walked with a Zombie.In another collaboration between Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur, we see a very unexpected film if it is judged by its title. Thezombie of the filmis not like the ones audiences have seen in George Romero’sNight of the Living Dead.
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The plot of the picture centers on nurse Betsy Connell (Francis Dee), who seeks to help the wife of a plantation owner named Jessica (Christine Gordon), who is suffering from a deteriorating mind caused by an aggressive illness. While the title is misleading, the actual film is filled with elegant set design and a style of suspense later seen in Hitchcock’s filmography.
Boris Karloff’s next appearance in Val Lewton productionBedlam,is as Master George Sims of Mary’s of Bethlehem Asylum. The story follows a lord’s protégé in the 1700s, who tries to help theschizophrenic and mentally illpatients in the institution. Karloff’s character speaks of the mentally ill as if they are inhuman and makes him a cruel antagonist. While the film is not necessarily a horror film, it explores the horrors of what one human will do to another. Its portrayal of the mentally ill is disturbing, but its protagonist (played by Anna Lee) sees humanity in those deemed inhuman, and like other Lewton productions, the film is surprisingly ahead of its time.
2The Body Snatcher
Director Robert Wise crafted a true gothic masterpiece inThe Body Snatcher.The film was based on the short story byscience fiction legendRobert Louis Stevenson and the screenplay was actually co-written by Val Lewton under the name Carlos Keith. The film is also the eighth collaboration between stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Karloff delivers an incredible performance as John Gray or The Body Snatcher. He explores the psyche behind his sinister character who provides dead bodies to doctors in exchange for money. However, the darkness behind his character’s eyes is much deeper.
1Cat People
Cat Peopleis often referred to as Val Lewton’s masterpiece. The film was the first to be released by Lewton in 1942. Director Jacques Tourneur helmed the quintessential B horror film that is still as enjoyable over 80 years later. The film stars Simone Simon and Kent Smith as a newly married couple. Simon’s character named Irene Dubrovna is apprehensive to consummate their marriage based on preconceived fears inbred by her home-grown fairy tales.
People potentially turninginto giant catssounds ridiculous, but clever manipulation of shot compositions along with a highly suspenseful score allow the audiences to take this film seriously. The film features highly suggestive themes involving sexuality that pushed the line in what was acceptable on the screen in Hollywood’s Golden Age.
