English Title: The Human Beast
Paris Film
Starring: Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Fernand Ledoux
Directed by: Jean Renoir

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: An adaptation of the novel by Emile Zola.  Jacques Lantier (Jean Gabin) is a train engineer tortured by bouts of mental illness who falls in love with the beautiful wife of Roubaud (Fernand Ledoux), the station manager at La Havre.

Kitty Cameo: When we first see Roubaud going home to his wife Séverine (Simone Simon) she is holding a white fluffy kitten.

She has the kitten in her arms during this entire scene.

The kitten only shows up again barely in a scene in which Lantier is in their home talking to them.  The kitten is sitting on a chair and jumps up to grab at something but is mostly off screen.

Purr Blur: Later when Lantier and Séverine are together looking for her husband on the train tracks, we see Roubaud as he approaches.  A cat can be seen crossing the scene behind him.

Final Mewsings: Let’s hope the kitten found a more stable home after all this!

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