EYE OF THE CAT (1969, USA, 102m, 15) ***
Horror
dist. Universal Pictures (USA), Rank Film Distributors (UK); pr co. Joseph L. Schenck Enterprises; d. David Lowell Rich; w. Joseph Stefano; pr. Phillip Hazleton, Bernard Schwartz, Leslie Stevens; ph. Ellsworth Fredericks, Russell Metty (Technicolour | 1.85:1); m. Lalo Schifrin; ed. J. Terry Williams; ad. William D. DeCinces, Alexander Golitzen.
cast: Michael Sarrazin (Wylie), Gayle Hunnicutt (Kassia Lancaster), Eleanor Parker (Aunt Danny), Tim Henry (Luke), Laurence Naismith (Dr. Mills), Jennifer Leak (Poor Dear), Linden Chiles (Bendetto), Mark Herron (Bellemondo), Annabelle Garth (Socialite), Tullia (Cat).
An intermittently eerie horror-thriller sees Hunnicutt and Sarrazin scheming to murder Sarrazin’s aunt, Parker, to inherit her fortune. Unfortunately, a bunch of cats stand in their way. Whilst the plot and the scare are sketchy, there is enough to admire in the cast’s performances and the strong technical attributes to make this worth watching. Notable is Schifrin’s unsettling score, which considerably heightens the tension. Rich ensures a strong finale is delivered with a twist.
