American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 36

Edgar Ulmer and

THE BLACK
Paul Mandell
"Even the

phone is dead."-Hjalmar Poelzig

It's been said that nobody ever made films
faster for less money
schemes he wrenched
are

Edgar Ulmer and
Bela Lugosi during
the production of
The Black Cat

better or
than Edgar G. Ulmer. The visual
out

of small

sums

and

remarkable, and The Black Cat (1934) is

a

few

sets

a testament

his modus operandi. Shot in 19 days at a cost of
$95,745 (which included overhead and retakes), Ulmer
churned out one of the most disturbing films of the
to

decade.

in its twisted sexual

relationships
shrewdly circumvented the Production Code, in its
arch teaming of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and its
obsession with set design and classical music, The Black
Cat maintains its own following, and its patina resists
critical erosion. Few 30s films could boast a more dia¬
bolical fusion of sight and sound than Karloff as Hjalmar
Poelzig entering a doorway with a fully-orchestrated
blast of Liszt's Piano Sonata in B Minor, despite the
genre's preoccupation with vampires and monsters.
Unique was Ulmer's oddball marriage of German expres¬
sionism and Ibsenesque tragedy, a style almost tele¬
graphing that of Ingmar Bergman.
Of the 13 horror films made at Uni¬
versal in the 30s, only The Black Cat has remained enig¬
matic, its true meaning elusive. The storyline is
confusing, and although written in haste, much of its
haziness stemmed from a frantic recutting period and
the addition of unscripted scenes required to preserve
continuity. It is no wonder, then, why historians have
been bewildered by it, while others seeking to wrest
logic from its plot flounder in its dark corners.
The film is steeped in trauma and in¬
congruity - a Bauhaus mansion towering over a name¬
less graveyard, a psychiatrist with "an all-consuming
horror of cats," a basement of crystal coffins in which
young blonde women hang by their hair. The aberra¬
tions woven into the story read like a Krafft-Ebbing
menu: incest (sort of),
necrophilia, pedophilia, sadism,
murder, and Satanism to boot. Consider the difficulties
in 1934 in bringing to the screen an offbeat (and ulti¬
mately sick) tale of an Austrian general who leaves his
best friend to die during a bloody siege, abducts the
friend's wife and daughter, murders/embalms the wife
that

and marries the

daughter, reigns over a devil cult in his
basement, kills the daughter, and gets skinned alive by

his

34

American

Cinematographer

adversary before being dynamited

October 1984

to

death.



American Cinematographer - October 1984

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - October 1984

American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 1
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 2
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 3
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 4
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 5
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 6
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 7
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 8
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 9
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 10
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 11
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 12
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 13
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 14
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 15
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 16
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 17
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 18
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 19
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 20
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 21
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 22
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 23
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 24
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 25
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 26
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 27
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 28
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 29
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 30
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 31
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 32
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 33
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 34
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 35
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 36
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 37
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 38
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 39
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 40
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 41
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 42
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 43
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 44
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 45
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 46
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 47
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 48
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 49
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 50
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 51
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 52
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 53
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 54
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 55
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 56
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 57
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 58
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 59
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 60
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 61
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 62
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 63
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 64
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 65
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 66
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 67
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 68
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 69
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 70
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 71
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 72
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 73
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 74
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 75
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 76
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 77
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 78
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 79
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 80
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 81
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 82
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 83
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 84
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 85
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 86
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 87
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 88
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 89
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 90
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 91
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 92
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 93
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 94
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 95
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 96
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 97
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 98
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 99
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 100
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 101
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 102
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 103
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 104
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 105
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 106
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 107
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 108
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 109
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 110
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 111
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 112
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 113
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 114
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 115
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 116
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 117
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 118
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 119
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 120
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 121
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 122
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 123
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 124
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 125
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 126
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 127
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 128
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 129
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 130
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 131
American Cinematographer - October 1984 - 132
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac198001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com