For many years CAT GIRL was nothing more than a title I had read about in David Pirie’s A HERITAGE OF HORROR along with the one usual final photograph of Barbara Shelley. Finally at the turn of this century I obtained a used VHS copy of the film and so finally got to see it. To my mind it was clearly a British version of CAT PEOPLE although a good deal more erotic than the 1940s allowed CAT PEOPLE to be.
Unfortunately the VHS tape I had didn’t do the visual aspects of the film justice and I found Robert Ayers as the psychiatrist dumbfoundedly patronizing. Barbara Shelley though was pure gold and her performance made up for many of the film’s shortcomings. On a second viewing, not that long ago, I found the film to be better than I remembered it and I began to appreciate more than just Shelley’s performance. Ernest Milton as Barbara’s uncle who “passes” the curse of animal transformation onto her is suitably flamboyant and has fun with the material. His secret room with all the stuffed animals in it is genuinely creepy and could easily be the stuff of nightmares.
When I saw on amazon.uk that the movie was finally coming out on DVD, I knew I had to have it. I bought myself a Region 2 player a long time ago so that I could see the original British versions of films I have long enjoyed (NIGHT OF THE EAGLE instead of BURN WITCH BURN for example) so the Regional aspect wouldn’t be an issue. Having now watched the Network DVD release, I am more impressed than ever with CAT GIRL and would put it right up there with CAT PEOPLE.
Both films are inexpensive B pictures that have strong central performances and both make effective use of light and shadow (I suspect to mask very cheap sets). This time around I enjoyed the supporting players a lot more and realize that Robert Ayres is supposed to be a patronizing twit who unfortunately does not receive the comeuppance he deserves as the psychiatrist does in the American film. The transfer is gorgeous and, if it’s not in the correct aspect ratio, it certainly didn’t matter on my TV. Along with CAT PEOPLE (Val Lewton’s films have always been a personal favorite), I look forward to revisiting CAT GIRL for many years to come. Thanks, Network!
The Capsule Critic 