The Leopard Man (1943)

Wow, this is a REALLY bad movie!

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

"The Leopard Man" is a silly plot enlivened by the direction of the master Tourneur.The story is something to do with nightclub performers who hire a leopard for their show. The leopard gets loose, and people start dying, assuming that this is the work of the beast. But is it?The filmmakers don't really draw this mystery out and make it centre stage. For one thing, the leopard doesn't look big enough to hurt anyone, so you're not really encouraged to think it may be the murderer. The movie seems more interested in the goings on behind the scenes of the nightclub, which isn't very interesting, and will seem like a distraction to most viewers.Jacques Tourneur has a way with suspenseful scenes, which enlivens a mostly pretty boring movie with a silly story. When you finally find out who the killer is, it's not shown like it's supposed to be the surprise it obviously is. It's like Tourneur could work with individual scenes, but trying to glue all the parts of this movie together into a cohesive whole was either beyond him or not worth his time.

Publicist Dennis O'Keefe (Jerry) turns up with a leopard for his girlfriend Jean Brooks (Kiki) to use in her act and to draw attention away from her rival act Margo (Clo Clo) the castanet dancer. Bad news – the leopard escapes and a body count follows. Can the town stop the killings? This film has three memorable killing sequences that are super tense and will have you going "Oh no!" as well as many other scenes where there is killing potential and you just don't know what will happen. It's well shot, its short length keeps you interested and the cast do fine. You may guess how things will pan out but this doesn't affect the enjoyment of the story. I wouldn't say it's obvious although I did guess correct towards the end.What a bitch mother that Kate Drain Wilson (Senora Delgado) is. Imagine doing that to your daughter! Poor daughter Margaret Landry (Teresa Delgado) encounters a very real nightmare. As does the girl in the cemetery.So, get out your castanets and start clicking but don't go freaking out leopards with them. They just might remember who you are.

"The Leopard Man" is one of many so-called "B" movies that Hollywood churned out in between its "A" films. The difference between "A" and "B" films was usually the cast (level of stars), and the budget. The screenplay is another matter. There were as many "A" pictures that flopped as there were those that became hits -- mostly because of the plot and/or screenplay. So, likewise for the "B" films. It seems to me that the many good "B" films that the studios cranked out were the bread and butter of the studios. They kept actors, technicians, writers, directors, makeup, wardrobe and stage crews employed, as well as the studio bosses. Of course, there were a lot of stinkers in that category too. This movie is a good example of a bread-winning "B" film. It was made on a budget of $150,000. I don't know what the box office was, but it likely was a good moneymaker. The film has a nice plot, based on a novel, "Black Alibi" by Cornell Woolrich. The cast are all quite good. The story is a simple one, yet it has some great mystery about it – which the audience is led to suspect early on by two characters – Dennis O'Keefe as Jerry Manning and James Bell as Dr. Galbraith. Without showing any gore, "The Leopard Man" succeeds in keeping a viewer on the edge of her or his seat. That's done by excellent direction with a set and masterful camera work that reminds one of Alfred Hitchcock's style. It's a nice entertaining film. While the cast and technical work are all quite good, there is nothing spectacular or great that would make up for the lesser quality of the set and other things.

Jacque Tourneur directed this thriller about a Leopard that escapes from a nightclub after a jealous performer lets it loose to ruin the debut of a new act. The nightclub owner(played by Dennis O'Keefe) tries to find it, but it seems to be responsible for a series of brutal killings(including a young woman on her way home, the best sequence in the film) There is other evidence pointing to another guilty party, proving the Leopard's innocence. Can the leopard be found and saved in time, and is there a real "leopard man" on the prowl? Unusual film has some atmosphere but a muddled story that never makes much sense; the least of the nine horror films produced by Val Lewton.