by Linda Kay
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
This review contains a slight Kitty Carnage Warning!
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Stephen Lowry (Stewart Granger) is a widower with a secret: he actually murdered his wife. When his maid Lily (Jean Simmons) discovers that secret it begins a tense relationship which shifts precariously between love, hate and fear.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Stephen’s wife owned a female black cat named Missy which was so close to her she was even depicted in her portrait, which hangs prominently in the sitting room.
Stephen keeps birds and loathes the cat, which gives one an impression of what his relationship with his deceased wife might have been like. As he’s feeding his birds he spots Missy sitting nearby wearing a little bell around her neck.
Slight Kitty Carnage Warning! Stephen walks over and kicks the cat away with his foot, although it is really more of a push.
Lily enters with a tray soon afterwards. When she asks if there is anything else she can do he asks her to take the cat away. Lily happily obliges, lovingly picking up Missy and giving her a hug and noting how lonely she must be without her mistress.
They look at the portrait, and Lily comments on how whenever she looks at the picture she gets a queer feeling. She leaves with Missy in her arms.
Much later, Stephen walks upstairs to find Missy looking under the doorway of his wife’s old room where a light is shining.
The cat quickly jumps aside as Stephen approaches, looking understandably nervous.
Still later, Stephen is a nervous wreck after doing something horrible and drastic. He hears someone entering the house and walks into the hallway. He hears the cat screech and eyes Missy warily. She returns the look as she stands up on the bottom step of the stairway.
Finally Missy is sitting on the desk with Lily as she polishes some silver.
Missy looks wide-eyed and nervous as she hears Stephen approaching. Lily sighs, “Oh Missy,” and picks her up from the desk before setting her down on the floor. Missy is not seen again after this.
Final Mewsings: We wonder what they did to make that poor cat actor look so nervous all the time!
Many thanks to Mark Murton for letting us know about the cat in this film.
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