While at the Central Park Zoo, mysterious Serbian fashionista Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon) catches the eye of Oliver Reed. She tells them of the legend of King John who freed the people from the Mameluks. John found some had been corrupted to worship Satan. He killed them all except for the ones who escaped into the mountains. Later, Irena and Oliver get married but her belief comes between them. She believes that an ancient family curse turns her into a panther when she gets aroused. Oliver sends her to psychiatrist Dr. Louis Judd.
This movie burns a little too slowly. The acting is pretty stiff. The movie uses shadows and sounds to do most of the horror. There are some very effective scenes. The swimming pool is the highlight of the movie. The movie has a great idea of sexual animalism but it's an idea that really can't be filmed at that time. It's about the denial of the sexual instincts. This movie probably pushed the boundaries a little bit. It's a movie of its time.
This movie burns a little too slowly. The acting is pretty stiff. The movie uses shadows and sounds to do most of the horror. There are some very effective scenes. The swimming pool is the highlight of the movie. The movie has a great idea of sexual animalism but it's an idea that really can't be filmed at that time. It's about the denial of the sexual instincts. This movie probably pushed the boundaries a little bit. It's a movie of its time.