The Leopard Man (1943)

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (novel)
Ardel Wray (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

8 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Women Alone the Victims of Strange, Savage Killer!

Plot:

At the encouragement of her manager, a nightclub performer in New Mexico (Kiki Walker) takes a leashed leopard into the club as a publicity gimmick...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Guilt | Curator | Gunfire | Pretty Girl

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dennis O'Keefe	...	Jerry Manning
Margo	...	Clo-Clo
Jean Brooks	...	Kiki Walker
Isabel Jewell	...	Maria - Fortune Teller
James Bell	...	Dr. Galbraith
Margaret Landry	...	Teresa Delgado
Abner Biberman	...	Charlie How-Come
Tuulikki Paananen	...	Consuelo Contreras (as Tula Parma)
Ben Bard	...	Chief Roblos
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Agresti	...	Mexican Police Officer (uncredited)
Robert Anderson	...	Dwight Brunton (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Waiter (uncredited)
David Cota	...	Boy Singer (uncredited)
Sidney D'Albrook	...	Waiter Serving Helene and Dwight (uncredited)
Rosita Delva	...	Young Lover (uncredited)
Jacqueline deWit	...	Helene (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Dynamite	...	The Leopard (uncredited)
John Eberts	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Fely Franquelli	...	Rosita (uncredited)
Eliso Gamboa	...	Señor Delgado (uncredited)
William Halligan	...	Brunton (uncredited)
Ariel Heath	...	Eloise (uncredited)
Rose Higgins	...	Indian Weaver (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst	...	Cemetery Gatekeeper (uncredited)
Robert Karnes	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Kate Drain Lawson	...	Señora Delgado (uncredited)
Dora Leyva	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jacques Lory	...	Philippe (uncredited)
Charles Lung	...	Manuel - Grocer (uncredited)
Mary MacLaren	...	Nun (uncredited)
Richard Martin	...	Raoul Belmonte (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Señora Calderon (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Señora Contreras (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Bob O'Connor	...	Mexican Police Officer (uncredited)
Tom Orosco	...	Window Cleaner (uncredited)
Juan Ortiz	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Man Blowing Smoke (uncredited)
Rene Pedrini	...	Frightened Waiter (uncredited)
John Piffle	...	Flower Vendor (uncredited)
Jose Portugal	...	Young Lover (uncredited)
Betty Roadman	...	Clo-Clo's Mother (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Bobby Spindola	...	Pedro Delgado (uncredited)
Marguerita Sylva	...	Marta (uncredited)
John Tettener	...	Minister (uncredited)
Rosa Rita Varella	...	Clo-Clo's Sister (uncredited)
Russell Wade	...	Man in Car (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Tourneur

Writing credits
Cornell Woolrich		(novel "Black Alibi")
Ardel Wray		(screenplay)
Edward Dein		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Val Lewton	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
Robert De Grasse		(director of photography) (as Robert de Grasse)

Film Editing by
Mark Robson

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Walter E. Keller

Set Decoration by
A. Roland Fields		(as Al Fields)
Darrell Silvera

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Dorfman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John C. Grubb	....	sound recordist (as J.C. Grubb)
Terry Kellum	....	sound (uncredited)
James G. Stewart	....	sound (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Lou L. Ostrow	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Hill (video)
• Fox Hills Video (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Media Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS) (as Nostalgia Merchant)
• R&B Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• R&B Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #9179)

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The black leopard was named Dynamite. It was the same cat that Val Lewton used for Cat People (1942).

Goofs:

Continuity: The smoke from Jerry's cigarette during the conversation with Galbraith in the nightclub during Clo-Clo's dance.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kiki Walker: It may sound like music to her. I can do better with my teeth in a cold shower.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Great Film From Val Lewton's Factory Of Horror

Though not as highly praised as either "Cat People" or "I Walked With A Zombie," I think this is one of Val Lewton's finest productions. It is about an escaped leopard that may or may not be killing people on the streets of a small New Mexico town. It contains some of the best-staged, scariest murder-set-pieces found in Lewton's (and horror's) canon. The great combination of light and shadows create some brilliant cinematic moments. The structure of the narrative is very unusual too. The way the story defies the audiences' expectations anticipates "Psycho" by almost two decades. It is essentially a series of stories that interweave over the course of a few days. When we feel comfortable enough with a character, the story moves to a smaller character that soon becomes the focal point of the film. This occurs repeatedly and the viewer is puzzled by the change. It is also a movie that plays with symbols brilliantly. The 100-dollar bill, the meeting of illicit lovers at a graveyard, the girl who is forced to fulfill a parent's ridiculous craving; all these elements anticipate acts of violence against women. And there is a sense that the actual cat is an instrument of fate that strikes down those people who ignore the warnings. The mystery is easy to solve, but trust me, it is a fascinating movie that gets better and better with each viewing. Robert De Grasse's cinematography is excellent. Roy Webb's music is spooky. Mark Robson's editing is top notch.