The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962)

by Mark Murton

Original Title: Gritos en la Noche (Screams In The Night)

Alternative Titles: L’Horrible Docteur Orlof, The Demon Doctor

Directed by: Jesús Franco (billed as Jess Frank)

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

Synopsis: Paris, 1912, police inspector Tanner (Conrado San Martin) is assigned to investigate the abductions of several beautiful young woman from nightclubs. The perpetrator is former prison physician Dr. Orlof (Howard Vernon), aided by his slavish, blind henchman Morpho (Ricardo Valle), who wants their skin to repair his disfigured daughter’s face, eventually setting his sights on Tanner’s ballerina fiancée Wanda (Diana Lorys).

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Returning from vacation, Tanner enters his office and greets his assistant Maurice (Fernando Calzado under the name Fernando C. Montez). Roaming around on the desk in the background is a calico kitten.

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - black and white kitten on desk behind Tanny Conrado San Martin and Maurice Fernando Calzado

Tanner’s attention is soon drawn to the kitten, which is playing with a pen, and he asks Maurice, “What’s that cat doing here?” “Nothing, sir,” replies Maurice. “It’s the janitor’s cat.”

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - black and white kitten on desk playing with pen

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - Tanny Conrado San Martin pointing to black and white kitten playing with pen on desk with Maurice Fernando Calzado animated gif

The kitten is still there after Tanner has been assigned to the case. A witness to the latest abduction, Eugénie (or “Ursula” in the English dubbed version!) Alberte Marianne Francis Schneider (Elena Maria Tejeiro) arrives to give him a statement. As she talks, the kitten continues to move around the desk, even playing with the pen in Maurice’s hand.

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - black and white kitten on desk behind Eugénie Elena Maria Tejeiro, Tanny Conrado San Martin and Maurice Fernando Calzado

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - black and white kitten playing with pen held by Maurice Fernando Calzado on desk behind Eugénie Elena Maria Tejeiro animated gif

The kitten is such a good actor he or she even reacts to the story being told by the witness!

As Orlof and Morpho transport their latest victim to Hartog Castle an establishing shot of the exterior cuts to the inside of the castle where a black cat reacts to their arrival.

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - black cat on pillow

The Awful Dr. Orlof - Gritos en la Noche - camera zooming in on black cat on pillow animated gif

Another important witness, the drunkard Jeannot (Venancio Muro), arrives at the station to speak to Tanner and once more the kitten is on the desk in the background (despite the fact that this scene, doubtless filmed at the same as the others, happens several days later, so the kitten has been there all this time?)