Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

When RKO Pictures hired Val Lewton to produce a series of horror flicks, they'd throw him some spare change and expect a good story. For this one, the studio came up with a hundred fifty thousand dollars and a title which Lewton managed to turn into a combination horror/mystery/murder thriller. He had to be creative since the budget didn't allow him to actually create any monsters. Through the use of shadows and imagery, Lewton was able to play on the viewers' fear of the unknown and create horror in what one imagines in place of what is actually seen.Perhaps the best example of this is the tortured walk young Teresa Delgado is forced to make to buy cornmeal by her demanding mother. On the way back from the grocery store, Teresa struggles with her thoughts on how to proceed home, while the play of light and shadow on the railroad trestle as the locomotive screams overhead provides a fascinating example of the cinematographer's skill. Then, as the face of the black leopard appears to her, Teresa is overcome with a fear that creates panic, ultimately ending in a scene in which blood is seen oozing underneath the door sill of her home, as she is unable to make her way inside.What bothered me about the story as it unfolded was the lack of concern the authorities might have shown for those who I felt most complicit in the first victim's death. The Mexican dancer Clo-Clo (Margo) incited the rather docile looking animal to break free in the night club, while the mother of Teresa had some culpability by being obstinate about the cornmeal. That Clo-Clo herself became a victim later in the story did little to negate my feeling that it was her initial action that put an entire village at risk.The story takes a decidedly different turn once promoter Jerry Manning (Dennis O'Keefe) begins to doubt the missing leopard is the cause of subsequent victims. There again, a better fleshed out story might have given more prominence to the psychological angle at play with the character of museum curator Galbraith (James Bell). Yet when you consider the limited budget and time constraints producer Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur worked under, the finished product turned out to be a fairly decent and compelling thriller.

"The Leopard Man" tells the story of Jerry Manning (Dennis O'Keefe), a press agent in a small New Mexico town who convinces entertainer Kiki Walker (Jean Brooks) to use a supposedly tame black leopard in a publicity stunt. It gets scared, gets loose, and some time later kills local girl Teresa Delgado (Margaret Landry). That's not the end of things, however, as more unfortunate young women fall victim to what COULD be the leopard, but could also easily be a deranged human.As far as producer Val Lewtons' suggestive, low budget genre films go, this isn't one of the best ones but it definitely has its moments. Ultimately, it's a little too obvious and predictable, and the resolution is kind of weak, but focusing on mystery aspects may have never been a priority for Lewton, director Jacques Tourneur, and screenwriter Ardel Wray (who adapts Cornell Woolrichs' story "Black Alibi"). What we get in their place are some engaging character vignettes and philosophical musing on the way that people are manipulated by fate; how little they may be in control of their actions. As with the rest of the Lewton filmography, the atmosphere is the absolute best component, especially in the beginning quarter which is incredibly frightening. When Teresa is killed by the leopard, we don't see it but hear it on the other side of a door, and see a small pool of blood seep under the door, mute testimony as to what happened.The actors are all earnest and likable, with fine work by O'Keefe, Brooks, and the saucy and sexy Margo in the lead roles. Isabel Jewell (playing the fortune teller), James Bell (as the zoologist and leopard expert Dr. Galbraith), Abner Biberman (as Charlie How-Come, the leopards' owner), and Ben Bard (in the role of the police chief) comprise a solid supporting cast. Brandon Hurst has a nice role as a cemetery gatekeeper.Overall, a good if not great black & white chiller, certainly worth a look for fans of the other Lewton productions.Seven out of 10.

In New Mexico, Jerry Manning hires a relatively tame leopard as a publicity stunt for his nightclub performer girlfriend Kiki Walker. Her rival Clo-Clo deliberately startles the animal and it escapes biting a waiter's hand. The leopard's owner sideshow performer Charlie How-Come known as "The Leopard Man" wants to be paid for the lost. The police hunt for the animal and it kills a young lady. The killings continue including Clo-Clo and then the leopard is found dead. It had died sometime before the most recent killing.From the posters, horror fans may assume a rudimentary transformation. Maybe this is something like a wolfman. At the very least, this could be a good horror B-movie. Forget it. It's not really what you think. It kind of leads the audience down that road but the ending is horribly disappointing. There is no transformations. There is one good death scene early on. The girl dies off screen but the blood can be seen seeping under the door. I admit that's a cool scene but that's it. The acting is bad as expected and it's really boring.

A 1943 chiller by director Jacques Tourneur, "The Leopard Man" sees a series of locals killed in small town New Mexico. But are the deaths the work of an escaped leopard or a roaming serial killer? Tourneur made a number of classic B movies, most notably "Cat People", "Nightfall", "Out of the Past", "Night of the Demon" and "I Walked With A Zombie". "The Leopard Man's" not in the same league as these films, but it nevertheless sports some fine cinematography (Tourneur knew how to make the most of a tiny budget), an interesting narrative structure, and a remarkable first act which was deemed particularly shocking for a film released in 1943.7/10 – Worth one viewing.