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The Black Cat ()

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American honeymooners in Hungary become trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident.
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Photos and Videos

177 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Hjalmar Poelzig (as Karloff)
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Dr. Vitus Werdegast
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Peter Alison
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Joan Alison (as Jacqueline Wells)
Egon Brecher ...
The Majordomo
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Thamal
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Karen
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The Sergeant
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The Lieutenant
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Virginia Ainsworth ...
Cultist (uncredited)
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Train Steward (uncredited)
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Cultist (uncredited)
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Car Steward (uncredited)
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Cultist (uncredited)
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Cult Organist (uncredited)
André Cheron ...
Train Conductor (uncredited)
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Bus driver (uncredited)
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Bit Part (uncredited)
Anna Duncan ...
Maid (uncredited)
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Cultist (uncredited)
Rodney Hildebrand ...
Brakeman (uncredited)
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Cultist (uncredited)
Ula Love ...
Girl (uncredited)
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Cultist Binding Joan (uncredited)
Tony Marlow ...
Patrolman (uncredited)
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Train Porter (uncredited)
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Cultist Binding Joan (uncredited)
Albert Pollet ...
Waiter (uncredited)
Peggy Terry ...
Cultist (uncredited)
Harry Walker ...
Cultist (uncredited)
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Stationmaster (uncredited)

Directed by

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Edgar G. Ulmer

Written by

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Edgar Allan Poe ... (suggested by a story by)
 
Peter Ruric ... (screenplay)
 
Edgar G. Ulmer ... (story) &
Peter Ruric ... (story)
 
Tom Kilpatrick ... (contributing writer) (uncredited)

Produced by

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E.M. Asher ... supervising producer (uncredited)
Carl Laemmle Jr. ... producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Heinz Roemheld ... (uncredited)

Cinematography by

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John J. Mescall

Editing by

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Ray Curtiss

Editorial Department

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Greg Rodin ... 4K Digital Restoration: Universal Pictures

Art Direction by

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Charles D. Hall

Costume Design by

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Edgar G. Ulmer ... (uncredited)

Makeup Department

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Jack P. Pierce ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management

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M.F. Murphy ... production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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William J. Reiter ... assistant director (uncredited)
Sam Weisenthal ... assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Edgar G. Ulmer ... set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Gilbert Kurland ... sound supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Jack Cosgrove ... matte artist (uncredited)
John P. Fulton ... process photography (uncredited)
David S. Horsley ... camera effects (uncredited)
Russell Lawson ... matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Roman Freulich ... still photographer (uncredited)
King D. Gray ... second camera operator (uncredited)
John J. Martin ... assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Ed Ware ... costumer (uncredited)
Vera West ... costumer (uncredited)

Music Department

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Heinz Roemheld ... musical director
Larry Aicholtz ... music recordist (uncredited)
Hermann Krome ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland ... music supervisor (uncredited)
Abe Meyer ... music contractor (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld ... conductor (uncredited) / musical arrangements (uncredited)
William Schiller ... musical arrangement (uncredited) / orchestrator (uncredited)
Edgar G. Ulmer ... musical consultant (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Moree Herring ... script clerk (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Carl Laemmle ... presenter
Peter Ruric ... dialogue director (uncredited)
Shirley Ulmer ... assistant: Tom Kilpatrick (uncredited)
Peggy Vaughan ... supervising secretary (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Honeymooning in Hungary, Joan and Peter Allison share their train compartment with Dr. Vitus Verdegast, a courtly but tragic man who is returning to the remains of the town he defended before becoming a prisoner of war for fifteen years. When their hotel-bound bus crashes in a mountain storm and Joan is injured, the travellers seek refuge in the home, built fortress-like upon the site of a bloody battlefield, of famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig. There, cat-phobic Verdegast learns his wife's fate, grieves for his lost daughter, and must play a game of chess for Allison's life. Written by Sister Grimm

Plot Keywords
Taglines The most imaginative picture yet! (Newspaper ad cut). See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • The Vanishing Body (United States)
  • The House of Doom (United Kingdom)
  • Le Chat noir (France)
  • Die schwarze Katze (Germany)
  • Satanás (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 65 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $95,745 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia Among the unconventional elements of this film was the soundtrack. At a time (early 1930s) when movie music was usually limited to the titles and credits, Edgar G. Ulmer had an almost continuous background score throughout the entire film. See more »
Goofs Vitus identifies Kurgaal as being "near Omsk, by Lake Baikal." In reality Omsk and Lake Baikal are approximately 1000 miles apart and are nowhere near each other. See more »
Movie Connections Edited from Rome Express (1932). See more »
Soundtracks Tasso, Poem No. 2 R. 413 See more »
Quotes Hjalmar Poelzig: Did you hear that, Vitus? The phone is dead. Even the phone is dead.
See more »
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