The Worst Film Ever

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

An escaped leopard terrorizes a small town in New Mexico. However, stage performer Kiki Walker (a spirited and appealing portrayal by the fetching Jean Brooks) and her dashing manager Jerry Manning (a fine and likable performance by Dennis O'Keefe) suspect that something else might be responsible for the killings that have been occurring.Director Jacques Turner relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, milks plenty of nerve-rattling tension during the murder set pieces (the first one involving a little girl looked outside of her house is positively harrowing), and nicely captures the sleepy atmosphere of the poor Mexican hamlet. Cinematographer Robert De Grasse's masterful use of light and shadow further enhances the overall spooky mood. The solid acting by the capable cast qualifies as another significant asset: Brooks and O'Keefe make for personable leads, with sound support from Margo as bitchy and ambitious dancer Clo-Clo, Isabell Jewell as cynical fortune teller Maria, James Bell as friendly museum curator Dr. Galbraith, Margaret Landry as doomed teenager Teresa Delgado, and Abner Biberman as the leopard's easygoing owner Charlie How-Come. The tight 66 minute running time ensures that this picture never gets dull or overstays its welcome. Well worth seeing.

The Leopard Man is a Tourneur/Lewton collaboration from RKO, adapted from the book Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich (the most prolifically adapted crime writer of his time). It was made on a budget of $150,000 and is thus quite short- running only 66 minutes. It's notable for being one of the first serial killer films.Everything starts when a show producer rents a leopard from a local sideshow act in order to boost the entertainment value of his production. When one of his performers walks on stage with the cat on a leash...it gets spooked by the crowed and runs off.With the cat on the loose, the whole town goes into a panic and is afraid to leave their homes. One adolescent girl, however, is sent by her mother to fetch a bag of cornmeal. Unfortunately, fate crosses her path with the leopard- who gets spooked by a train and attacks her. A short while later, a young woman goes to rendezvous with her lover in the local cemetery, only to be attacked and killed by what seems to have been a leopard as well.The producer isn't so certain this time around though. Things just don't add up. So he goes to speak with the cat's owner- who concurs with his speculation. They think a man is responsible for this...and that the leopard is being framed. However, the local museum curator- Galbraith- fashions himself an expert, and remains adamant the leopard is to blame (convincing the police). Despite the protests put forth by the producer and owner of the cat.Ironically, it's the murder of the leopard that helps them conclude and confront the killer for who he really is.There's an odd sense of moralism spun into this film- but i couldn't tell if this was included for indoctrination purposes; or whether the filmmakers were subtly trying to undermine something they were forced to include. A couple examples being: the warning from the young girls mother, before she wanders off to the cemetery (and get's killed for it). And the producers admission that he has met some sketchy individuals in and around night clubs and bars.Other than that, with it's short runtime it manages to keep you engaged in the mystery throughout- making it an entertaining little picture.It's not terribly scary or anything, but there are some moments of tension. The best part about this film are it's transitions from plot element to plot element. It has a really nice flow.I suppose it's also pertinent to note the misleading trailer- which made it seem like the killer was going to be some sort of leopard-man hybrid. It's not. While not the most memorable film or anything, it's entertaining enough.6 out of 10

Jacque Tourneur directed this thriller about a Leopard that escapes from a nightclub after a jealous performer lets it loose to ruin the debut of a new act. The nightclub owner(played by Dennis O'Keefe) tries to find it, but it seems to be responsible for a series of brutal killings(including a young woman on her way home, the best sequence in the film) There is other evidence pointing to another guilty party, proving the Leopard's innocence. Can the leopard be found and saved in time, and is there a real "leopard man" on the prowl? Unusual film has some atmosphere but a muddled story that never makes much sense; the least of the nine horror films produced by Val Lewton.

A seemingly tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic throughout a sleepy new Mexico town.Mike Mayo says this film is "cut from the same highly stylized cloth and it isn't derivative of" Cat People. He further says the social criticism is "naive" and the film is "more mystery than true horror". I shall address these in reverse order.Yes, the film is more mystery than horror. I fully agree with that. There are some creepy moments and the one woman's finger instruments sound like a rattlesnake, which I found a bit disturbing. But really, the plot revolves around a murder and who or what committed it.Is the social criticism naive? Mayo points out how the film speaks of the poor all suffering together. I guess I would just say I did not think there was a driving critical undertone. Maybe I missed it or was not looking at it that way... but if it was naive, I think that does little to detract from the overall film.And how can I disagree with the first point? Val Lewton was a genius and Tourneur was probably his greatest director. Could one have excelled without the other? Probably. But they make quite the team when working together.Chris Fujiwara is far more praising in his critique of "Leopard Man", and I will not address his points here. But for an excellent deconstruction of the film, I do recommend his book on Tourneur.