The Black Cat (1934) 6/6

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Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Boris
• Karloff
• Bela
• Lugosi
• The
• Black
• Cat
• 1934

[kzinti4444]

I only took a year of Latin- does anyone know if this is just gibberish, inside jokes or real Latin phrases?

[ThePinipedsBrother]

@kzinti4444 The ominous-sounding anti-mass actually seems to be just a random selection of Latin proverbs and phrases. Translation by wikiquote:

"With a grain of salt. A brave man may fall, but he cannot yield. To err is human. The wolf may change his skin, but not his nature. Truth is mighty, and will prevail. External actions show internal secrets. Remember when life's path is steep to keep your mind even. . .

[ThePinipedsBrother]

@ThePinipedsBrother . . . The loss that is not known is no loss at all. Heavy thunder. With a grain of salt. A brave man may fall, but he cannot yield. By fruit, not by leaves, judge a tree. Every madman thinks everybody mad. Who repents from sinning is almost innocent."

Karloff, who was a British schoolboy at a time when Latin was very much a part of the curriculum, probably knew what he was saying, but acts the hell out of it anyway.

[jamesbolenhorror]

An absolutely amazing film. Thanks so much for posting...

[4mingus]

Amazing music & cinema photography too.

[jfmanluke]

Does anyone know what this music is (the organ during the ritual)? I know it's Bach (not his Toccata and Fugue which is "played" by Boris earlier in the film. The orchestral music after this is Brahms' B minor Rhapsody.

[LennonRealLove]

Thanks for posting! Such a fantastic film, and Lugosi's performance is just great.

[lamecasuelas2]

JEEZ!! WONDERFUL!!

[Korea4Me]

January 19th, 1974: I was fourteen and stumbled upon this movie early in the morning. I was so taken with it and so fascinated with Karloff and Lugosi that I ended up becoming quite a horror film expert at my school. I'd buy any book I could about horror films and horror actors and soaked up information like a sponge. The ironic thing is that to this day I still haven't seen most of the films I read about but this film will always remain my favourite.

[Kapitannemo]

Bela at 7:04: ...You f_cking idiot. 

[ThePinipedsBrother]

@sadlobster1 I was thinking Hugh Laurie (House, from House) as Poelzig, and Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya, from The Princess Bride) as Verdegast. Just picture Patinkin doing his best Dracula-voice! I know I would pay $11 to see that movie.

But Hollywood won't remake this as it already doesn't have enough plot for it's barely-an-hour of runtime.

[sadlobster1]

@woollybully100 If Hollywood ever does decide to remake this, I doubt they'll be able to find actors to play the main roles as greatly as Karloff and Lugosi did

[MrHorrorFan]

As if Lugosi and Karloff weren't enough, a third horror icon appears (albeit VERY briefly,) during the black mass scene. The organ player is none other than an uncredited John Carradine. I don't think we get a decent shot of his face; it's more the back of his head, and a side shot from a distance, but that's him. Also, the music for that scene is amazing. Thanks for the upload!

[woollybully100]

I love this movie, one of my favorites. One of Bela Lugosi's best performances, it's refreshing to see him play such a sympathic character.

Now I know I'll probably get a LOT of hate for this but to be honest I feel like this film is begging for a remake. It has an interesting plot that can go in different interesting directions (like The Fly and The Thing). If I had to suggest actors for a remake I'd say Stellan Skarsgård as Vitus and David Warner as Poeliz, but hey thats just my opinion.