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A few words about…™ The Leopard Man – in Blu-ray

4 Stars Typical of RKO, we should presume that the original negative was printed to death, which means that the new Blu-ray is imperfect, but still nicely represents the film

Mention the name of Val Lewton to any fan of the cinema, and you’ll generally receive a knowing smile or nod, as he was one of the unsung B picture heroes of the 1940s at RKO.

Between 1942 and 1946, he was the man behind a series of horror/thrillers that are little gems of his field.

Nine of them.

Cat People (1942) – Jacques Tourneur – Criterion Blu-ray
I Walked with a Zombie (1943) – Jacques Tourneur
The Leopard Man (1943) – Jacques Tourneur – Shout Factory Blu-ray
The Seventh Victim (1943) – Mark Robson
The Ghost Ship (1943) – Mark Robson
The Curse of the Cat People (1944) – Shout Factory Blu-ray
The Body Snatcher (1945) – Robert Wise – Shout Factory Blu-ray
Isle of the Dead (1945) – Mark Robson
Bedlam (1946) – Mark Robson

The third, The Leopard Man, is being released courtesy of Scream Factory, and for those who have not yet discovered the world of Lewton, it’s an interesting part of the ethos. That noted, it’s not one of the best of the series, possibly because it simply doesn’t stand the test of time as well as the others.

Typical of RKO, we should presume that the original negative was printed to death, which means that the new Blu-ray is imperfect, but still nicely represents the film, as directed by Jacques Tourneur, and shot by Robert De Grasse, who also photographed The Body Snatcher, and is further know for his noir work.

With four of the nine currently represented on Blu-ray, and five to go, all licensed by Warner Bros., we should presume that the rest will be arriving in the near future. But it’s not yet time to give away your DVDs.

Image – 3.75

Audio – 4.25

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Definitely

Recommended

RAH

Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.

His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.

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Dick

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The only drawback to this, an otherwise sometimes terrifying little film, is the 10-minute finale, which I find to be unfortunately anti-climactic. But I savor everything that comes before it, which contains not one, but two really scary nocturnal walks, for which Lewton is justifiably revered.
 
Cranston37+

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As much as we praise Val Lewton when talking about films like The Leopard Man, I hope we also pay some heed to Jacques Tourneur as another name who's work deserves your full attention...
 
Robert Harris

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Cranston37 said:
As much as we praise Val Lewton when talking about films like The Leopard Man, I hope we also pay some heed to Jacques Tourneur as another name who's work deserves your full attention...
Click to expand...

Or his dad, who arrived in the film capitol of the new world, in 1914.
 
Cranston37+

Cranston37+

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Robert Harris said:
Or his dad, who arrived in the film capitol of the new world, in 1914.
Click to expand...

The funny thing is I posted about Jacques hoping it would find a HTF member who wasn't familiar with his work, and I end up finding out about someone I wasn't familiar with in Maurice.

I love it ;)
 
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haineshisway

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Cranston37 said:
As much as we praise Val Lewton when talking about films like The Leopard Man, I hope we also pay some heed to Jacques Tourneur as another name who's work deserves your full attention...
Click to expand...

How's about we at least mention Cornell Woolrich, without whom this film would not exist. I find this a top entry in the Lewton cycle and I actually watch this more than any of the others, so am looking forward to getting it.
 
Cranston37+

Cranston37+

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haineshisway said:
How's about we at least mention Cornell Woolrich, without whom this film would not exist. I find this a top entry in the Lewton cycle and I actually watch this more than any of the others, so am looking forward to getting it.
Click to expand...

And the book 'Leopard Man' is based on, 'Black Alibi,' is available on Kindle for $4.99.
 
Nick*Z

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I sincerely hope I Walked With A Zombie and The Seventh Victim get their due on Blu in the near future. Love both movies, but positively despise the lackluster DVD's . Here's to hoping for more Lewton on Blu, even though Isle of the Dead was canceled from Shout!'s line-up.
 
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david hare

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FWIW I purchased the Japanese IVC Blu of I Walked with a Zombie years ago as a filler until Warner embarked on a proper restoration. I am happy to say the image is one of the better transfers which were made from the dupe 35 exhibition prints owned and managed by IVC and the French distributor for RKO . It bodes well for a new Warner 2k master for Shout Factory. Leopard Man was of course the most egregiously battered source in the old Warners Lewton box. Anything would have been an improvement.
 
mackjay

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The scene with the girl calling to her mother and pounding on the door to be let back in must have traumatized millions of kids when this movie was shown repeatedly on TV in the 50s-60s.
 
lark144

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mackjay said:
The scene with the girl calling to her mother and pounding on the door to be let back in must have traumatized millions of kids when this movie was shown repeatedly on TV in the 50s-60s.
Click to expand...
Oh, yeah. What you might find of interest is sometime in the early 60's, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" published an interview with Robert Bloch. He was asked what were the scariest scenes in movies he had seen growing up. The first one he mentioned was the little girl's voice coming from behind the door in THE LEOPARD MAN.
 
Spencer Draper

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The more you see this, the more it grows on you and despite being a lesser film it's still a great one due to the power and atmospherics. If they must be doled out one by one then so be it, but this is a great time to be a Lewton and Tourneur enthusiast.
 
Robert Harris

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Spencer Draper said:
The more you see this, the more it grows on you and despite being a lesser film it's still a great one due to the power and atmospherics. If they must be doled out one by one then so be it, but this is a great time to be a Lewton and Tourneur enthusiast.
Click to expand...

Lewton was the crown prince of atmospherics
 
warnerbro

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Just got word mine will be delivered tomorrow! Can't wait! One of my favorites! Now please give us THE SEVENTH VICTIM and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE. Love to see some supplemental material on Darby Jones (if you're listening SHOUT FACTORY).
 
Randy Korstick

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Shout Factory reported on FB that The Body Snatcher was one of their few recent releases with disappointing sales. This Doesn't sound good for the rest of the series. I'm sure the high price and not releasing the Lewton Films in sets like their Universal sets or at least double features is affecting the sales. I had to pass because of this. I like these films and previously owned the complete series Laserdisc set but don't like them enough for $22-$25 a film. People always complain about and exaggerate the price Laserdiscs used to cost but this 9 film series was $99.99 in a box and I purchased it preorder for $79.99. 20% off for preorders was common for laserdisc at a couple stores. I would gladly buy the whole series on Blu Ray for that price.
 
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