Directed by: Curtis Harrington
This review contains a severe Kitty Carnage Warning!
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Terry Lambert (Jon Savage) is released from prison after being convicted of taking part in a gang rape and returns home to his mother Thelma (Ann Sothern) filled with unexpressed rage.
Cat Cattle Call: Thelma owns several cats seen throughout the film. When Terry returns to his mother’s boarding house, a large orange and white shorthair is sitting on a chair next to an elderly woman. Terry stoops to pet the cat as the woman smiles at him. This cat is seen later in a chair as Terry and Thelma dance.
Thelma comes to the door holding a white cat named Penny.
Other cats seen around the house are a ginger tabby, a longhair blue tortoiseshell named Veronica and a calico which shows up late in the film. The cats are often present when Thelma is lying in bed or sitting on the couch.
Featured Feline: Of all the cats, Penny is clearly one of Thelma’s favorites. She is not only present when Terry comes home but when a new border named Lori (Cindy Williams) moves in. Thelma is not happy with the way Lori and her son Terry look at each other.
One night Terry takes Penny outside and sneaks up to Lori’s window where he watches her undressing.
Terry kisses the top of the cat’s head, obviously getting aroused.
Severe Kitty Carnage Warning! Unfortunately Penny meows and Lori hears, coming to the window to call for the cat. Terry chokes Penny in the very disturbing scene, keeping his hand around her throat until she is dead. Thelma later finds Penny’s decomposing body in a garbage can. According to IMDb, the chilling scene was achieved by having a vet sedate the cat actor so it would appear limp. But reportedly a real cat which had already been euthanized by the SPCA was used for the dead Penny.
Final Mewsings: Keep cats out of your creepy sexual perversions!
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