You Can't Pull Off the Purr-fect Crime When It Falls Within the "Shadow of the Cat"- Tonight!

Posted on March 20, 2021

Tonight on MeTV, we ante up for the kitty- when a wealthy auntie whose only friend is her kitty becomes the target of family members and staff of her estate, who have hopes of inheriting her money- but are only setting themselves up for vengeance, feline style! Some greedy relatives may find that they are destined to go from the litter box to a different kind of box- a coffin- if they find themselves in the "Shadow of the Cat"!

This creepy Hammer horror begins by introducing us to Ella, a well-heeled senior citizen who favors only two living beings in the whole world- her favorite niece, and her beloved feline friend, Tabitha. Her dislike for all others is returned by those around her- leading to her being brutally attacked and killed- with the only witness being- her cat! Those responsible for her demise hide it, telling the local authorities that the old woman has inexplicably "disappeared"- and her less-than-grieving husband Walter and his co-conspirator servants who plotted her death work to finalize their plans to gain control of her wealth. There is a will she was forced to sign- but an earlier draft, with different bequests, is still somewhere in the house-and Walter needs to find it to assure that his copy will be the one that’s followed.

News of her death also brings further sleazy relatives out of the woodwork- as well as her favorite niece, the good-hearted Beth- along with Conrad, a local journalist who has an interest both in the unfolding story and the lovely Beth.

The evil relatives and homicidal house staff realize that there WAS one witness to the murder- yes, the cat - and suddenly become obsessed with capturing the kitty and doing away with it (POINT OF ORDER- are they worried that it's going to testify against them? Really?) Conrad and Beth find this ongoing phobia of the feline odd- plus, they aren't buying the idea that the missing woman just "disappeared". Knowing enough to distrust the scheming relatives and servants- disgusted by their hatred of Tabitha- and hearing odd sounds in the middle of the night- Beth and her journalist gent find themselves becoming more and more suspicious. Meanwhile, this cadre of creeps becomes more paranoid- as it seems that the cat not only saw what they did- but wants to pay them back in kind. Soon, accidents and coronary problems begin to take their toll on the duplicitous family- and Tabitha seems to lend a hand- or perhaps a paw- to their fates!

This black and white offering, though without the lurid color the studio is known for, still provides plenty of the typical Hammer chills and creepy atmosphere. This film also features a unique process we have dubbed “Kitty-Vision”- giving you the cat's-eye view of the devious proceedings. We'll tell you a little about the cast, including favorite Hammer siren Barbara Shelley as the loving niece- plus, we turn a courtroom into a cat room in a parody of a popular MeTV program- we bring you a new pussycat product- provide a song any alley cat would be proud to howl from the backyard fence- and bring back another memory of the good times when we could do public appearances.( hopefully, those times will return soon!)

“Shadow of the Cat” appears on MeTV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, or, check your local listings or at www.metv.com to find our start time and channel where you are. MeTV encourages our fans to live-Tweet on Twitter while watching our show on Saturday night. The turnout has been consistently amazing, making our show trend nationally among the most-mentioned topics! Make sure you use the hashtag  #svengoolie on your Tweet. In Chicago this morning at 11 am on our main local station, CW26, those in our local viewing area can again enjoy the two-strip Technicolor terror of "Mystery of the Wax Museum"!

Many of you know that it’s Rondo voting time again- as fans vote for their favorites in many horror and sci fi categories. Once again, yours truly has been nominated for favorite horror show host in category 21- among a really huge field of notable hosts! And this year, I am very pleased and grateful that fans have decided to also put my name in write-in category 28- “The Monster Kid Hall of Fame”- a special honor for those who, over the years, have made an indelible mark on the world of classic horror appreciation. The important thing is- you should vote for your true favorites, no matter who or what they are- this is a great way to have your voice heard in the horror fandom community! You’ll find all the nominations, and all the rules ( PLEASE follow them- or your vote will not count!) at www.rondoaward.com   You can vote in as few or as many categories as you wish- from just one to all of them- but make sure you submit ONLY ONE ballot- and that you vote before the deadline of April 25, 2021.

Thanks to our “Toon In With Me” pals for having Toony the Tuna transform into “Sventoonie” this past week! Before too long, that ghoul with gills will very likely be appearing on our show as well!

Meanwhile,no need to search out cat videos on the internet tonight-  for feline fright , join us on MeTV!

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3594 Comments

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Marsha 42 months ago
Tonights movie really sucks, its to boring. I usually love Peter Cushing but he is doing his best in this sorry flick.
MADave 42 months ago
For some odd reason or another Perry Mason's office looks the same as Mr Drysdale's office from THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES especially the lettering on the wall
PatS 42 months ago
Sad note: Beverly Cleary has died, at the age of 104. While she isn't directly connected with the horror genre, I'm sure a lot of us grew up with her stories of Ramona, Beezus and Henry Huggins. When she started writing, many children's books were from England and featured children with nannies, pony carts, summer homes and the like. She wrote stories that kids could identify with and enjoy -- and kids who enjoy reading, well, isn't that the start of a passion for all things literary? RIP Ms. Cleary.
Katink PatS 42 months ago
I saw that earlier, PatS! I loved the whole gang on Klickitat Street! Also, I have a wonderful memory associated with The Mouse and the Motorcycle. My older brother had his own copy of it, and I read it when I was able. Then, I told my 4th grade teacher how much I liked it, so she chose it for one of the books that she read aloud to the class, fifteen minutes each day. 😁
Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
I remember Amicus Films as the poor man's Hammer.
daleuhlmann Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
Perfect description of Amicus, Carl!
Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
Remembering the Cutest Cat videos and web Funny Cat memes, they could a mined a vein of videos and memes of Tabitha offing Ella's greedy obnoxious relatives.
Carl_N_Brown Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
Bubble gum trading cards for the kids.
daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Earlier today I watched PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE. This adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, was Warner Brothers' 1954 follow-up to HOUSE OF WAX. Like HOUSE OF WAX, it also featured a period setting, 3D, WarnerColor, and stereophonic sound. Instead of a paddle ball man, the film had Merv Griffin in a small role as a college student!
Jack daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Oooooh!
daleuhlmann Jack 42 months ago
The only thing I didn't like about the trailer was the fact that it misspelled Poe's middie name as "Allen."
MrsG daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Wow that has to be one of the best trailers ~ and who wouldn’t love Karl Malden !
*_*
daleuhlmann MrsG 42 months ago
Agreed, Mrs. G!
Carl_N_Brown daleuhlmann 42 months ago
When Roger Corman's production of HP Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was released by AIP under a Poe title (THE HAUNTED PALACE) the credits read "Edgar Allen Poe".

To me, an "Edgar Allen Poe" writer credit is the equivalent of an Alan Smithee director credit. If it's an Edgar Allen Poe film it's sorta Poe but not quite Edgar Allan Poe.
daleuhlmann Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
Perhaps so.
Klaatu 42 months ago
Since I’m working tonight, can I put in a First Blog reservation for 8:59:59?
CrazyK Klaatu 42 months ago
Great! My chances just improved!!!
🤣🤣🤣
MADave 42 months ago
Good friday afternoon/evening all just to let you know tomorrow morning I'll be missing the last 2 hours of cartoons due to my local electric company will be doing some work in my neighborhood from 8m to 5pm but at least I'll be here for the man in the hat 🎩
CrazyK MADave 42 months ago
🎩 👍
CrazyK 42 months ago
The Beast Must Die?
I think this guy would disagree!
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MrsG CrazyK 42 months ago
Take care of ‘yo (rubber) chicken
YO YO !
*_*
Jack Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
May I recommend a film by Nina Paley...Paley is a free culture advocate, so she’s posted her film: https://www.sitasingstheblues.com/watch.html. She keeps a blog so you can check the other stuff she does: https://blog.ninapaley.com

Also, if you’re of the Jewish persuasion—and I know some of us are—and even if you’re not, Paley has done a retelling of the Passover story......also viewable at: https://sedermasochism.com
Jack Carl_N_Brown 42 months ago
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Jack 42 months ago
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daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Before I turn my attention at least once more to THE SHADOW OF THE CAT, let me congratulate Thereman for his excellent articles today on Hammer's use of music. I'm anxious to read what you think of the very eclectic musical score for Amicus' THE BEAST MUST DIE, a point that I will briefly bring up in my movie review some time after Midnight.

Speaking of THE SHADOW OF THE CAT, we will be seeing a much different time and place setting for tomorrow night's movie. While both films are set in England, SHADOW, of course was set at the turn of the century or early twentieth century, while THE BEAST MUST DIE is set in then-contemporary, 1974 England. Unlike SHADOW, which treated us to old-school modes of transportation and communication, we will see, in BEAST, then-modern, high-technology, including microphones, video cameras, and motion sensors. so:

HOLD ON, EVERYBODY, WE'LL BE GOING AROUND A CURVE!
Thereman daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Many thanks for the kind words! As promised, I've been doing the homework. And I'll try and keep it a bit shorter than today's diatribe.
Drang 42 months ago
Seeing mention of Leonard Nimoy's birthday reminds me that on Monday, during discussion of William Shatner's birthday, someone called for a toast and referred to him as "Captain Klink, not ot be confused with Colonel Klink", which reminded me of some things I saw on the Intert00bz...
All the recurring roles of Germans on Hogan's Heroes were played by Jewish actors ((Werner Klemerer ad Klink, John Banner as Schultz, Leon Askin as General Burkhalter, and Howard Caine as Major Hochstetter), and three of the four -- had fled Nazi Germany.
All served in the US military during the war.
(Seen elsewhere, confirmed on the infallible source, Wikipedia.)
Somewhere else, I read an article that Klemperer, who refused the role unless the Nazis lost every single episode, provided his own costumes. And thereby hangs a tale: Based on the various badges on the uniform, Colonel Klink was something of a bada**, including awards for ground combat on the Eastern front. We were told that he had flown with Richtoffen in WWI. which indicates a certain degree of competence. the article I read this in said that Klemperer's back-story was that Klink knew he was on the wrong side, knew something was going on, and was deliberately turning a blind eye.
That suggests that Sergeant Schultz was not just ignoring "monkey business", but was also playing along.
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NoPersonalChicks Drang 42 months ago
One thing I remember him saying is as the war in Europe was ending, they were a few miles from Berchtesgaden. He said Germans by the hundreds were surrendering to them, so the wouldn't have to the Russians.
Jack daleuhlmann 42 months ago
Yep, all the swarthy, Mediterranean types. 😉
PatS Drang 42 months ago
Werner Klemperer's father was Otto Klemperer, a famous orchestra conductor. Otto K.'s cousin, Victor Klemperer, wrote several volumes of fascinating diaries about everyday life in Nazi Germany. No one expected Hitler's government to last more than a few months... I think both Hogan Heroes and MASH show that the only reasonable reaction to an insane situation is to be somewhat crazy yourself. Haven't we all seen that in the last year?
Jack PatS 42 months ago
Know your Klemperers
Thereman 42 months ago
Finale (FINALLY!): So what do we get for from a musical talent that would not stay invisible? In the case of SOTC, not a great deal. There are four musical segments that repeat: The opening/ suspense building music, with searching and undulating cellos and basses, is reminiscent of the beginning of Stravinsky’s ballet THE FIREBIRD (sorry Dr. Clayton, I’m still going with L’OISSEAU DE FEU over LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS, but you’re absolutely correct: It’s a poor man’s version of Stravinsky!) Main title/ big moment music is a neo-primitive march that features a great timpani part. The shortest of the four was aptly called “Scary kitty music” (thank you, Belle Lugosi!), a two chord affair with a bit of electronic sound on top. Finally, there’s a playful theme with very unusual scoring; I suspect it’s really quite expertly crafted to sound like a parody of cartoon music. With Gaelic styled chord progressions, Theodorakis is smartly underpinning something many commented on last Saturday night- it’s a considerable stretch that six people are brought to a state of paranoid delusion/dysfunction/ even demise over the presence of one grey tabby cat. Ultimately, there’s not a lot of minutes of music in this movie. Whether that result was contractually based (“For that price I can give you…”) or a decision between the parties in charge remains unknown to me. However, you gotta love Hammer Horror, even if it’s not their best. Tomorrow I’ll delve into the person who was in charge of music for Monty Python’s AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT- and musically, that’s where we’re headed tomorrow night. Happy Eve of Sventurday to all, and I hope no one sees a bad moon rising.
Thereman 42 months ago
Act III: If it doesn’t work out with a subject of the crown, perhaps another young European composer of rising fame can be had. Mikis Theodorakis had won the gold medal at the Moscow Music Festival in 1956. The top prize of the Cassandra Foundation followed in 1957, and he was named European Composer of the Year in 1958. He already had four successful film scores to his credit when Hammer approached him for SHADOW OF THE CAT. So Hammer got its’ second film with music by a young star of the classical realm. But there were a couple of problems. This was an OK film, but not a great one, and apparently Theodorakis treated it as such. In his various biographies and interviews, SOTC became a minor footnote, one of those “Oh, yeah, I worked on that, too” moments in a much bigger career. After SOTC, Theodorakis was much more selective about what films he worked on. Then there was the bottom line: SOTC was made in 1961 on a budget of about $300,000. At the same time in the UK, Eon Studios had already started work on the first installment of James Bond, DR. NO (1962) with a “low” budget of $1.1 million. It’s fairly evident that there were low budget films, then there were Hammer low budget films. Fortunately for Hammer, James Bernard stayed on.
Thereman 42 months ago
Part Deux: 1958: Universal International was having major financial problems. Being the distributor of Hammers’ HORROR OF DRACULA reportedly saves the company from bankruptcy. UI wanted a sequel. Hammer launched and then cancelled two different vampire films. A total rewriting and reworking effort finally yielded a perennial favorite, BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960). For the music, Hammer hired Australian born Malcom Williamson, a composer whose star was rising quickly in British concert halls. In one shot, Williamson gave Hammer what I regard as the best film music they ever got (sorry James Bernard, et al). A virtual symphony with film accompaniment, it’s easily in my top five of horror film scores, if only for the organ parts. At last, a horror movie with great creepy, moody organ music that doesn’t involve a gargantuan instrument being conveniently housed in some characters’ castle, parlor, dungeon or submarine. Even in those cases, how is it they all only know one piece? (Toccata in d minor by Bach, although it probably wasn’t actually written by Bach). But working with Hammer wasn’t always easy. Many complained of being cut out when projects were terminated, and the budgets were notoriously limited. It’s also been alleged that Williamson had an affair with actor David Peel- not a great social or political move for a guy who had just gotten married. In any event, it would be 10 years before Williamson worked for the studio again, scoring two more films during a three year stretch.
Thereman 42 months ago
Chapter 1: A few last thoughts as we step out from the SHADOW OF THE CAT. This film was made during an interesting time for Hammer films. In 1957, Hammer films had been in business for 23 years, with some fair successes, but nothing that would define any kind of legacy. That year CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN was made with a budget of $270 K; it brought in box office revenue of $8 million. HORROR OF DRACULA and THE MUMMY followed, establishing Hammer as a major player in horror films, and bringing stardom to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The studio understood the importance of music in these films. Their standard 34 piece orchestra was staffed by some of the best instrumentalists on the planet- members of the London Symphony, Covent Garden Orchestra, or both. John Hollingsworth, de facto music supervisor at Hammer, conducted the orchestra. Some very skilled engineers took recordings of a small chamber ensemble and made it sound like a full blown 125 piece mega orchestra on screen. Nothing wrong with James Bernard, the innovative composer who wrote music for 24 Hammer horror films. But American studios had already mined such talent as Ernst Toch, Miklos Rosza, Igor Stravinsky, and Leonard Bernstein- people who had high reputations at symphony hall that brought “more clout” to film music in general (not that it really needed it). Clearly, this was a time when Hammer ventured in the same direction.
CrazyK Thereman 42 months ago
I was wondering who would be first to use this loophole. 😂
PatS CrazyK 42 months ago
I did it about three years ago when the spambot on the 'new' blog kept throwing out my satires. Took a while to get things accepted and adjusted. At least it might help avoid those icky ads that infest other blogs.
CrazyK PatS 42 months ago
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NoPersonalChicks 42 months ago
Leonard Simon Nimoy was born on this date in 1931 in Boston. I had no idea he and Shatner were born just days apart. Happy 90th, Mr. Spock, wherever you are!
Wow thats out of this world 🛸
CrazyK NoPersonalChicks 42 months ago
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MrsG CrazyK 42 months ago
NICE ~ sci-fi Biker Boy Nimoy !
*_*
Boston has declared today, Leonard Nimoy Day. Fascinating.
CrazyK TheKodakKid 42 months ago
Sounds logical to me!
CarrieCastro 42 months ago
Ooo it's Friday 👻
good morning!
Watching Road Runner
cracks me up 😄 beep
beep!!!

This morning going for our 2nd vaccine 💉
"Yay"! We have grandkids
that might come in the summer and a trip to
Oceanside 🐳 in April.
We feel better that we got our second👍

🤖❤...
In town to watch the show tomorrow 🎩
night 📺🍿😄 hopefully
on time 😱 Looks like
a good movie 🕸

Have a great Friday 🌞
Take care everyone
🌷Happy Friday!
CrazyK 42 months ago
GABSTE =
Great
At
Betting
Slots
Takes
Everything!!!! 🤑😂🤣
The1Butler CrazyK 42 months ago
Good one !
MrsG CrazyK 42 months ago
CrazyK =
Cool
Righteous
And
Zany
Young
Kat
*_*
CrazyK MrsG 42 months ago
Thanks for making my day!
For real 😎
MrsG =
Mrs
Really
Super
Genuine!!!
🙂
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