“We tossed away the horror formula right from the beginning.” — Val Lewton
When RKO hired writer and producer Val Lewton to head up their horror unit, he was given three rules:
Keep each film’s budget under $150,000.
Keep each film’s run time under 75 minutes.
Make each film based on a title given to him by RKO.
Lewton made eleven films with RKO, nine of them horror/thriller films. He worked closely with directors Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise, and Mark Robson to create horror films where the menace is often unseen and lurking in the shadows. He also worked with Boris Karloff in three films giving him roles where he could shine. I recently watched them and while I enjoyed some more than others, I enjoyed them all quite a bit.
In his book Danse Macabre, Stephen King says he thinks they don’t hold up because it’s obvious they were all filmed on sets. A lot of people probably feel the same way today but not me. The combination of story, direction, and acting, drew me in each time. They’re not typical horror films. They each feature complicated characters in complicated relationships and Lewton slips in a variety of themes such as loneliness, alienation, abuse of authority, and science vs. superstition.
Here are the nine films and my thoughts on them.
Cat People (1942)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
A young man falls in love with a woman who turns out to be obsessed with the idea that she is descended from a group of people who transform into black panthers when aroused. I remember really liking this when I first watched it years and years ago, but I forgot how good it was. Mysterious, moving, and beautifully shot. Themes of alienation, repressed desire, and fears of intimacy. It’s amazing what this film accomplishes with its limited budget and short run time.
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Val Newton was given the title I Walked with a Zombie and made a moody, gothic love story with noir lighting that touches upon colonialism and slavery. A haunting story with haunting visuals.
The Leopard Man (1943)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
After a leopard escapes from a nightclub in a small town in New Mexico, things go from bad to worse. There’s one scene that keeps upping the suspense until it just explodes. It’s so devastating. A plot point towards the middle is a little silly but then we get back to the tension and suspense. Excellent use of sounds and shadows.
Based on the book Black Alabi by Cornell Woolrich.
The Seventh Victim (1943)
Directed by Mark Robson
A woman searching for her missing sister discovers a cult of satan worshippers in Greenwich Village, New York. There’s a creepy scene that brought Psycho to mind and the scenes with the cult members have real Rosemary’s Baby vibes.
More of a nihilistic noir than horror, possibly one of the bleakest films I’ve ever seen. It has its moments, but it was a bit convoluted. I felt like something was missing. Sure enough I learned that four key scenes were cut from the film after it was changed from an A picture that allowed for a longer run time to a B picture. I appreciate what it was trying to do but things didn’t quite come together.
The Ghost Ship (1943)
Directed by Mark Robson
A young officer on his first voyage begins to suspect that his captain has an unhealthy obsession with authority and is mentally unbalanced. Making good use of shadows and the claustrophobic locations of a ship, this is a psychological thriller that slowly builds tension leading to a violent climax. A sign briefly seen in the captain’s cabin early on turns out to be well placed foreshadowing.
Who does not heed the rudder
Shall meet the rock
Some reviews complain about the lack of ghosts. Again, given the title Ghost Ship, Lewton does something unexpected and creative with it. Besides, the ghosts are right there in the dialogue.
“You’re just like the captain, Tom. Lonely, austere, bitter, without family or friends. Condemning yourself to a bloodless ghost-like existence. And in the end, it’ll be only a ghost ship you’ll command.”
The Curse of the Cat People (1943)
Directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise
This is a very unusual sequel that follows two characters from Cat People who are now married with a daughter named Amy. I wasn’t sure what to make of this at first but Amy with her active imagination and her difficulties with trying to make friends drew me in. There’s a scene that really spoke to me as it brought back a sad memory, where Amy feels helpless because an adult doesn’t believe her.
Once I realized that this was a dark fairy tale about childhood, loneliness, and imagination, I was all in. I believe that one of the strengths of this movie is that Lewton incorporated autobiographical details from his younger days. Not what I was expecting from the sequel to Cat People, but I loved it. I really admire Val Lewton for doing his own thing after the studio demanded a sequel.
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Directed by Robert Wise
An entertaining adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson short story. I read the story before watching and while I thought it was okay, I think the film improves upon it. The elements added to fill out the story may be a little corny, but I thought they worked rather well. It was great seeing Boris Karloff working with Bela Lugosi, despite Lugosi having a minor role. Excellent performance from Karloff.
Isle of the Dead (1945)
Directed by Mark Robson
A psychological thriller about a group quarantined on an island graveyard after someone falls ill. Is it the plague? Or a vorvolaka, an undead creature from Greek folklore? It covers a lot of ground for such a short feature: war, disease, burial, and science vs. superstition. Another great performance from Boris Karloff. The beginning has a leisurely pace, but it all leads up to a gripping finale.
Based on the painting by Arnold Bocklin titled Isle of the Dead.
Bedlam (1946)
Directed by Mark Robson
In 1761 London a young woman named Nell has a falling out with her benefactor Lord Mortimer. Afterwards he conspires to have her committed to an asylum. Boris Karloff gives a suitably creepy performance as the asylum overseer. As with most Val Lewton films, it covers a lot of ground. Besides the mistreatment of those in the asylum, it speaks on class, politics, hypocrisy, and tyrants.
“You have no idea, Nell, what a great responsibility it is to be rich.”
Based on a series of paintings by William Hogarth titled A Rake’s Progress.
In Conclusion
Unfortunately, Val Lewton's career was cut short. He passed away in 1951 at the age of 46 after having two heart attacks. But he left us with some films that while low budget tried something creative and different each time. In my opinion he succeeded. I highly recommend them.
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