Horrorfest 24: The Black Cat

When I was a kid, and I was into monster movies, I'd read books from the libraries about the history of the genre. So, I was exposed to all kinds of movies, but I only ended up seeing a fraction of them. I'd naturally want to watch DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, KING KONG -- the big ones. But, other titles, like THE BLACK CAT, just didn't have the same draw.

So, now I'm playing catch up, and I've finally seen THE BLACK CAT -- one of many Universal horror pairings of the two kings: Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

In this one, neither of them are playing classic monsters: Lugosi is a recently released prisoner of war who is traveling back to the place of his defeat to confront the man who betrayed him. This is Karloff, who, creepily enough, has built his sprawling estate on the very battle field where he vanquished his enemies and betrayed his allies.

Meanwhile, an innocent honeymooning couple is accidentally thrown into the mix, played by David Manners and Jacqueline Wells as a light-hearted couple very much in love. Karloff, who turns out to be a Satan worshipper who keeps preserved bodies of his victims in the catacombs of the house, sets his sights on the female half of the married couple. Lugosi, meanwhile, has to plan his revenge against Karloff while also attempting to protect the happy couple, which is difficult because Lugosi is at least as creepy as Karloff is and doesn't always come off as the hero he think he is.

On top of all of this, Karloff has married Lugosi's wife while he was in prison. She died, and then Karloff went on to raise and then marry Lugosi's daughter. Of course, he tells Lugosi his daughter is long dead, but she's really lurking around the house. Lugosi's already bent for revenge but he goes COMPLETELY mad when he realizes the depths of Karloff's betrayel.

The movie isn't expertly directed or shot, but the script is witty and the performances are great. Karloff and Lugosi both chew scenery with the best of them, and there is a climactic fight between the two of them that is a horror fan's dream come true.