The Leopard Man Blu-ray Review

In a New Mexico nightclub, singer Kiki Walker is presented with a large black leopard as a publicity stunt by her manager Jerry Manning. The idea is to upstage rival performer Clo-Clo by making a grand entrance into the club during her act. Clo-Clo is unimpressed and scares the animal away, leaving Jerry and Kiki holding the bag for a wild animal on the loose. Police search the area with no luck and soon the leopard is prowling the streets looking for something to eat. A young girl is attacked outside her apartment door and another woman dies in a cemetery. Jerry and Kiki begin to suspect the leopard may not be responsible for the killings. The town is on edge as the deaths continue to mount and the killer remains at large.

Legendary producer Val Lewton (The Body Snatcher) teams with acclaimed director Jacques Tourneur (Cat People) to create The Leopard Man, a hair-raising murder mystery that inspired countless filmmakers for decades to come. The picture serves as a precursor to Italy’s giallo films, laying the groundwork for that subgenre to follow some twenty years later. Written by Ardel Wray (I Walked with a Zombie), based on the novel Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich, the script plays with narrative structure and is quick to detour from the principal characters. We follow potential victims as they are placed in dangerous environments, leaving audiences on edge with each new introduction. Tourneur is a master at generating suspense and doesn’t shy away from some of the tougher story points but rather he creates standout moments that drip with atmosphere.

The Leopard Man is a misnomer, as there is no crazy hybrid creature on display. Instead, this is one of the first films to address the idea of a serial killer and it is amazing to see how many elements introduced here continue to appear in movies today. All of the victims are women, each of whom is alone at the time of their death, stalked by an unseen monster. When the police prove inefficient, our heroes take it upon themselves to solve the mystery. The first death is particularly tough and beautifully staged with mounting tension as we hear the girl’s pleas for help before she is murdered. This scene is quite jarring, especially by 1943 standards. One of the themes of the picture deals with the idea of fate and how we are helpless to control it. The metaphor is a bit thick, but adds a palpable sense of dread to the material.

Dennis O’Keefe (Lady of Vengeance) stars as the opportunistic talent manager Jerry Manning, the man responsible for the leopard’s appearance. He plays it tough, but feels guilty for his actions and joins the police in search of the animal. O’Keefe is your typical 1940s protagonist who seems to have his life together and does the right thing in a crisis, but is deeply flawed by his poor choices. The beautiful Margo (Lost Horizon) co-stars as Clo-Clo, the doomed night club performer obsessed with her fate. She frequents a fortune teller who never seems satisfied by what the cards are telling her and goes out of her way to avoid any negative influence. Margo has a tremendous screen presence and makes the role feel larger than it is. Leading lady Jean Brooks (The Seventh Victim) receives third billing, but does a fine job as entertainer Kiki Walker. She has a few standout moments, but is largely relegated to sidekick or woman in need of saving.

This film broke new ground in terms of narrative structure and editing style. The unconventional approach to storytelling keeps things fresh and exciting, as the audience is never too sure who the protagonist really is. The stylistic lighting design captures the tone of a film noir and makes great use of the shadows. Producer Val Lewton was known for his production design and mastery of story selection. The Leopard Man, while viewed as something of a lesser effort, remains a popular and influential title within the horror genre. The plot moves at a brisk pace and delivers a number of quality scares that still pack a punch today. I can easily recommend picking this title up for your collection.