Original Title: Night of the Demon

Directed by: Jacques Tourneur

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) is an American psychologist who travels to England to attend a conference about the paranormal when the lead speaker is killed mysteriously. The deceased doctor’s neice, Joanna (Peggy Cummins) believes her uncle’s death was caused by Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) whom she believes is conjuring demons. Dr. Holden sets out to prove that Dr. Karswell is a fake, but soon realizes he may be in over his head.

Kitty Cameo: In one transition shot a tabby cat is sitting on a ledge as a car drives by on the street below.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): In the scene where Dr. Holden breaks into Dr. Karswell’s manor to find a book which supposedly contains the ancient curse causing the demons, he is startled by a grey cat which stares at him. After looking away for a moment then back, Holden is startled to the see the cat is suddenly gone.

As Holden begins to look through the book, the cat re-appears, changing into a jungle cat which attacks him. During most of the attack it is clear a stuffed jaguar was used.

When Dr. Karswell suddenly enters the room the fierce beast changes back into a cat. Dr. Karswell explains this is simply a lesser demon he has conjured to protect the room and explains the cat’s name is Grimalkin, the definition of which, according to Wikipedia, is: “Grimalkin (also called a greymalkin) is an old or evil-looking female cat. The term stems from ‘grey’ (the color) plus ‘malkin’, an archaic term for a cat, derived from a hypocoristic form of the female name Maud. Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a faery cat that dwells in the highlands.”

Final Mewsings: A Grimalkin sounds intimidating enough without having to change into a jaguar.

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