RKO Radio Pictures
Starring: Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell, Bela Lugosi
Directed by: Robert Wise

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

Synopsis: Based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Medical student Donald Fettes (Russell Wade) is studying under noted physician Dr. MacFarlane (Henry Daniell) but he doubts his career in medicine when his moral judgement questions the use of stolen cadavers supplied by the ruthless cabman John Gray (Boris Karloff).

Featured Feline: In one scene, Fettes visits John Gray in his home.  As he enters, a tabby cat is sitting by the fire alongside Gray.

Later in the film Gray is visited by Joseph (Bela Lugosi), a servant in Dr. MacFarlane’s home who hopes to blackmail Gray into paying him money to keep his sideline a secret.  The tabby cat is there by the fire and Gray picks him up.

Joseph asks if anyone can hear them and Gray answers, “Only Brother” in reference to the cat.

Eventually Gray dispatches Joseph and Brother is on hand right after the murder.

Brother is next seen in Gray’s dark room, sitting by the fire and preening as Gray enters.

When Gray turns on the lights, he sees Dr. MacFarlane is there to confront him once and for all.  The two men get into a fight and Brother sits off to the side, hissing at the action.

There is an interesting shot when Brother is seen sitting nearby as the action takes place in front.  Only the shadows of the two men fighting can be seen as the cat watches.  Finally the shadow of one man subdues the other, but who has won the fight?

Final Mewsings: When it comes to humans fighting, cats typically root for the one who feeds them.

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