The Shadow of the Cat (1961)

You can't go wrong with this one. An obvious Hammer Film Productions horror film directed by John Gilling. In the early 1900's, a wealthy, elderly Ella Venable (Catherine Lacey) is murdered in the attic of her manor house. The body is disposed of on the estate grounds. There is a witness to the killing and the burial; that witness is Ella's cat Tabitha.A police inspector and a newspaper man are summoned to the house to get clues on Ella's reported disappearance. There are some suspicions, since it is well known that Ella's husband Walter (Andre Morell) made her sign a will leaving him her fortune. But suspicion also lies in the maid (Freda Jackson) and the butler, of course, played by Andrew Crawford. Tabitha knows and has full comprehension of the dirty deed and she plans on her own revenge.The atmosphere, color, pacing...everything creepy is here for you to enjoy. Rounding out the cast: Barbara Shelley, Conrad Phillips, Richard Warner, William Lucas and Vanda Godsell.

"Shadow of the Cat" is a modest and often overlooked Hammer horror production, but simultaneously also an underrated and genuinely creepy gem that is guaranteed to deliver a compelling plot, a moody gothic atmosphere, competent performances from a bunch of Hammer regulars and more than a handful of silly but nevertheless sinister murders committed by (or at least initiated by) a vindictive cat named Tabitha! Moments after her beloved heiress Ella Venable read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" to her, Tabitha the Cat witnesses how poor Ella gets murdered by her husband Walter and two household staff members. The faithful housecat promptly makes it clear that she will avenge her heiress and terrifies the culprits so badly that they must call in the help of more vicious family members. While six (!) people are desperately trying to annihilate the evasive cat, the good-hearted niece Beth begins to suspect that aunt Ella's disappearance and the sudden fear for the otherwise friendly animal might have something to do with a missing testament. Sure, it requires a large dose of "suspension of disbelief" to accept how unnaturally petrified these people are of a simple cat, but George Baxt's screenplay is clever and John Gilling's direction is professional enough for the film to remain suspenseful. Gilling made some of Britain's best and most nightmarish horror films, by the way, like "Plague of the Zombies" and "The Flesh and the Fiends".

***SPOILERS*** The planned murder as well as disappearance of Ella Venable, Catherine Lacey, by her butler and maid Andrew and Clara, Andrew Crawford & Freda Jackson, went off with out a hitch with Andrew bashing the elderly women's brains in and with the help of Clara burying her body in and around the swamps outside the Venable family home. The only problem is that Ella's sweet and cuddly cat Tabitha saw them commit the murder and where they buried Ella's body.This all was done under the orders and instructions of Ella's husband Walter, Andre Morell, whom Ella was going to cut out of her will and replace with her niece Beth, Barbara Shelly. It's Beth who among everyone in the Venable can was not obsessed with money and showed genuine love and affection for her aunt. It's in fact Tabitha who starts the ball rolling in avenging her mistress Ella's murder. And in the end she not only has everyone involved, both actively and behind the scenes, pay for their crime but also leads the police to where Ella's was buried in order to have her get a proper as well as Christian burial. That's more then could be said for her victims the entire, with the exception of Beth, Venable clan.Haunted house movie with the one doing the both haunting as well as killing being the family cat Tabitha who looks during the entire movie so cute and harmless that it was hard to believe that she was doing all this carnage. The cat seemed to gather strength as well as invincibility as the movie rolled along making her seem almost ghost-like or supernatural. At first Tabitha seemed a bit confused and in trouble when she was caught in a trap set by Ella's killers that she foolishly got caged in. But it was the bumbling buffoon of a butler Andrew who, by having his head stuck up his behind, let her escape and in trying to recapture her fell into and was swallowed up by the swamp. With Tabitha now free and given a second life, out of the nine that she already has, she went on to the business of finishing the job, of avenging Ella's murder, that she had already started.

Tweetie Pie was one lucky little yellow canary, if only Slyvester had called Tabitha over for a holiday, Tweety would have stood no chance! Great treasure of a movie this one. Have just watched this film and it ended just minutes ago and I wanted to come on and say what a great atmospheric horror we have here. A true classic. As I and my fellow student mate sat up and watched this we both agreed that it was truely superb. Theres plenty of thrills, chills and fun to be had and I must also just add that as a massive cat lover I especially enjoyed it. A Great British classic to be discovered that I insist you search for.EnjoyPS Whats the matter, cat got your tongue!