Cat People

Cat People was the first production from the unit set up by RKO to make low-cost, high-return horror movies. Producer Val Lewton was handed the title and ordered to come up with a film to fit. He and director Jacques Tourneur created an innovative picture about a Serbian emigree in New York (Simone Simon) who’s convinced she’s suffering from a hereditary curse that will transform her into a panther if her passions are aroused.