Halloween Film Festival at Daystar Center starting October 3, 2015

Gothic Noir: The Horror Films of Val Lewton

Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
Hosted by Stephen Reginald
All films screen at 6:30 p.m.*

Films screened and discussed:

Val Lewton

Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) October 3, 2015

I Walked With a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) October 10, 2015

*The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) October 17, 2015 This film screens at 7:00 p.m.

The Seventh Victim ( Mark Robson, 1943) October 24, 2015

The Curse of the Cat People (Robert Wise, 1944) October 31, 2015

“Everything good dies here. Even the stars.” **

Val Lewton is credited with elevating the horror film to artistic levels during the 1940s. At RKO he set a standard few modern horror filmmakers have matched (they certainly haven’t surpassed it). Where other horror films of the period featured creatures and monsters that didn’t exist, Lewton’s films were populated with ordinary people. The horror did not come from monsters or demons, but from neighbors, coworkers, and those in positions of authority. And Lewton knew that nothing on screen could match the horrors conjured up inside the mind of the viewer. By combining believable characters, literate scripts, film noir-like cinematography, and clever editing, Lewton’s films drummed up more suspense and horror than all the monsters on the Universal lot combined…and that was his goal. Not only were Lewton’s films truly frightening, but they explored themes not often associated with the horror genre.

Cat People

Val Lewton started his movie career working for David O. Selznick as a story editor. Under Selznik’s employ, Lewton had a hand in shaping movie classics like A Tale of Two Cities (1935), A Star is Born (1937), Gone With The Wind (1939), and Rebecca (1940). But working for Selznick, who took all the credit, wasn’t fulfilling. Lewton wanted to produce his own films, based on his own ideas.

In 1942, Lewton was named head of the newly formed horror unit at RKO. At the time of his hire, RKO was in financial straits because of their costly relationship with Orson Welles and the failures of Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons to connect with the public. Lewton’s task was to make horror films that: cost under $150,000 per picture, did not run more than 75 minutes, and used the lurid titles supplied to him by the studio bosses. Starting with Cat People in 1942, Lewton produced a string of successful horror films that helped keep RKO in the black. At RKO, Lewton worked with director Jacques Tourneur (Out of the Past) and gave Robert Wise (West Side Story) and Mark Robson (Champion) their first assignments as film directors. Although not a household name, Lewton left an indelible mark on the horror film genre and influenced numerous filmmakers, including William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, George Romero, and Alfred Hitchcock to name a few.

Frances Dee leads the way in I Walked With a Zombie.

**Spoken by the character Paul Holland in I Walked With a Zombie (1943)


Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here.The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes as Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

“Out of the Past”: 6th and Final Film in “High Heels and Fedoras” series at Daystar Center July 9, 2013

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
6:30 p.m.
The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center
1550 S. State Street

Out of the Past (1947) is considered one of the best of the 1940s film noirs. In spite of the acclaim the film has received from critics, it’s not as well known as Double Indemnity (1944) or The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), but it can easily hold its own next to those two classics.

Directed by Jacques Tourneur, Out of the Past showcases the director at the top of his game. Tourneur started out as a unit director working for David O. Selznick where he met fellow Selznick employee Val Lewton. Lewton worked on many of Selznick’s prestige productions including A Tale of Two Cities (1935) and Gone With The Wind (1939). The two became friends and when Lewton was put in charge of the newly formed horror unit at RKO, he convinced Tourneur to join him. Together they crafted some of the most famous and successful horror movies ever produced. Before the term film noir was coined, these horror films incorporated some of the elements that we have come to identify with the genre. In the three horror films Tourneur directed for Lewton, you see wonderful shadows, interesting camera angles, and creative use of sound to create a mood and stir the emotions.

Jane Greer and Robert Mitchum

Out of the Past gave Robert Mitchum one of his first important roles as a leading man. It also helped identify him as a movie tough guy, a reputation that would follow him for the rest of his career. This was also an important film for the leading lady, Jane Greer. Discovered by Howard Hughes, Greer was only 23 when the film was released. As femme fatales go, Greer is at the top of the heap. With her cool sensual beauty, it’s easy to see how she could handle a man like Mitchum.

Like many film noirs, a lot of the story is told in flashback. And like many noir plots, it does get complicated at times. Plot complexities aside, it’s the motivation of the characters that makes this film fascinating. The line between good and evil is a fine one in Out of the Past. As far as the direction goes, New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther noted Tourneur’s “smooth realistic style” in his November 26, 1947 review.

Jacques Tourneur directed the horror classic, Cat People 1942

The plot concerns Mitchum’s character Jeff Bailey, a former private eye trying to escape his questionable past. But the past catches up with him and he’s drawn back into a life he’d like to forget. Greer plays Kathie Moffet, a woman from Jeff’s past who is trying to break free of the clutches of her abusive boyfriend, Whit Sterling, convincingly played by Kirk Douglas in only his second film. Kathie, who earlier had an affair with Jeff, tries to manipulate him into helping her run away from Whit. Jeff, still attracted to Kathie allows himself to be manipulated, thinking he’s smart enough to come out okay. It’s this conceit that is his downfall.

Out of the Past features great performances paired with beautiful cinematography, snappy dialogue, and fluid direction. You’ll enjoy the ride; I guarantee it!

Check out the updated trailer below, featuring “Baby, Please Don’t Leave Me” by Chicago’s own, Buddy Guy.

If you love classic cinema, you should join the Chicago Film Club. It’s free to join. Come share your love of the movies; it’s fun!


The Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Val Lewton Blogathon Begins Here!

Boo! You’ve come to the right place. Check out my post below and then click on the links to posts by other bloggers to get their take on Val Lewton, his films, and his legacy. Be sure to leave comments on the various posts and let us know what you think!

Stronger Heroine: Betsy Connell shines in I Walked With A Zombie
One of the things that distinguishes Val Lewton’s horror films from his contemporaries is the strong roles he created for his leading ladies. Lewton’s heroines aren’t just around to scream and cling to their male costars. Lewton’s women are independent and can think and take care of themselves. Nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) in I Walked With a Zombie (1943) is one of the strongest.

Told in flashback, the film begins in Ottawa, Canada, where Betsy learns about her new job—taking care of a sick woman, Jessica Holland, (Christine Gordon) the wife of the owner of a Caribbean sugar plantation. As the interviewer describes the position, we see snow falling outside the window, a stark contrast to the climate Betsy is about to encounter on the island of St. Sebastian.

Traveling alone to the island by ship, Betsy encounters Paul Holland (Tom Conway), the plantation owner and her new boss. Betsy is dazzled by the beauty she’s encountering, but is cautioned by Paul who says,“…everything seems beautiful because you don’t understand. Those flying fish—they’re not leaping for joy; they’re jumping in terror. Bigger fish want to eat them.” A few moments later Betsy glimpses a falling star. Paul continues by saying, “Everything good dies here, even the stars.” That “warm” welcome foreshadows what is to come.

On her carriage ride to the plantation at Fort Holland, the driver gives Betsy a brief history of St. Sebastian. He talks about slaves being brought there long ago. Is the island living under a curse because of its slave-trader past? Not moved by the driver’s comments, Betsy can only see the natural beauty around her.

Jessica and Betsy on their “walk”

Beauty quickly fades to reality when Betsy discovers that her patient is a “mental case,” something she wasn’t prepared for. The rumor among the servants at Fort Holland is that Mrs. Holland is a zombie. Voodoo is vigorously practiced on St. Sebastian and some suggest the voodoo priest can heal zombies. Jessica seems alive, but she doesn’t speak or seem to have any sense of what is going on around her. Along with the suggestion that Jessica is a zombie, we learn that there was a love triangle between Paul, Jessica, and Paul’s stepbrother, Wesley Rand (James Ellison). Wesley who still loves Jessica blames Paul for Jessica’s present condition. Mrs. Rand (Edith Barrett), mother of both Paul and Wesley, desperately wants peace in the family, but there is none to be found.

Like Jane Erye longing for Mr. Rochester, Betsy finds herself having romantic feelings for Paul. Instead of giving into her feelings, Betsy channels them into diligently trying to care for Jessica. She goes so far as enlisting the island’s medical doctor and advocating for a controversial procedure that has been successful with similar cases. When that procedure doesn’t work, Betsy tries something much more risky.

With the help of Fort Holland servant Alma, (Theresa Harris), Betsy takes Jessica to a voodoo ceremony at the Houmfort (voodoo temple). In the dark of night, Betsy escorts Jessica through the fields of sugar cane. This famous Lewton walk, all done on an RKO studio soundstage is almost lyrical in its execution. With no music and only the sounds of nature as a background, it’s one of the most compelling scenes in the entire Lewton canon. When Betsy encounters Carrefour (Darby Jones), a giant of a zombie, guarding the Houmfort, she is surprised and frightened, but she continues and walks past him with Jessica.

Dr. Maxwell, Betsy, and Paul discuss Jessica’s condition

Betsy observes the voodoo ceremony respectfully with Jessica. She then notices people walking up to a small building at the Houmfort where folks ask “someone” for help. Betsy waits her turn and explains Jessica’s case. Instead of a word through the door, Betsy is ushered into the structure. Inside she discovers Mrs. Rand. Instead of shrieking in horror or surprise, Besty inquires what all this means. Mrs. Rand, the widow of a missionary, tells her it was easier to reach and teach the natives about sanitation and health precautions if she mixed her advice with a little voodoo.

Betsy returns to the St. Sebastian estate with Jessica, setting a series of events in motion. The voodoo worshipers are convinced that Jessica is a zombie and summon her. Before long Carrefour walks to Fort Holland in search of Jessica. Mrs. Rand, who seems to have control over the zombie, commands him to stop. Carrefour listens and returns to the Houmfort. Although frightened, Betsy is not hysterical. After this event, it becomes clear that Paul is falling in love with Betsy.

The action begins to pick up with Jessica heeding the summons of the voodoo worshipers. She walks toward the locked gate, going no farther until Wesley opens it to let her go. After removing an arrow from a figurehead in the courtyard of the estate, Wesley follows Jessica. Wesley pierces Jessica with the arrow and then carries her lifeless body into the ocean where he commits suicide. The next scene is of spear-fishermen who discover Jessica’s body, floating face up in the water. This is another beautifully shot piece of film the likes of which you’re not likely to see in a horror film. The movie ends with the bodies of Jessica and Wesley being carried to Fort Hollard with a voice-over of what sounds like an island native: “O Lord God most holy. Deliver them from the bitter pain of eternal death. The woman was a wicked woman, and she was dead in her own life. Yea, Lord, dead in selfishness of her spirit. And the man followed her. Her steps led him down to evil. Her feet took hold on death. Forgive him, O Lord, who knowest the secret of all hearts. Yea, Lord, pity them who are dead and give peace and happiness to the living.”

Betsy and Paul share a tender moment together

Although the story begins after Jessica’s illness and her affair with Wesley, the contrast between Besty and Jessica is clearly set. Paul, like Maxim de Winter, doesn’t love his “dead” wife. And Wesley, like Jack Favell, believes that Jessica loved him, not Paul. Betsy, unlike the second Mrs. de Winter isn’t lacking in self-confidence; she more than holds her own in the Holland/Rand household. She doesn’t need to be saved by Paul. Betsy can stand on her own, but chooses to love Paul in spite of his past, or maybe because of it.

Frances Dee’s performance as Betsy is one of her best in a career that spanned over six decades. Never a major movie star, Dee was often cast in supporting roles. As Betsy Connell, Dee had a role that required her to carry the picture and she did so most capably. As Lewton heroines go, Betsy is stronger than most. Unusual for a horror heroine in 1943, she has a career, is independent, and strong-minded. She doesn’t shun men or romance, but she’s perfectly capable of standing on her own two feet and making her own decisions. Betsy Connell is a true Lewton heroine in every sense of the word.


Below are more contributions celebrating the extraordinary talent of Val Lewton. You’ll find fascinating and interesting posts written by some of your favorite—or soon to be favorite—classic movie bloggers. And if you want to read more Lewton posts—you know you want to read more—be sure to check out Kristina’s Speakeasy blog; she’s cohosting this event with me. Be sure to check her interesting take on the classic The Ghost Ship. Some blog links may not be up immediately, so check back regularly for updates. Enjoy!


She Blogged by Night  – The Body Snatcher

Old Movies Nostalgia – Man in the Shadows: A Biography of Val Lewton  @moviesnostalgia

The Stop Button – Mademoiselle Fifi @thestopbutton

Journeys in Classic Film – Cat People and I Walked With A Zombie

@NitrateDiva – Lewton’s use of Point of View & Voice-Over

50s Westerns – Apache Drums

Kellee Pratt - Lewton’s Influence on the Horror genre @irishjayhawk66

Classic Becky’s Brain food – I Walked With A Zombie 

Critica Retro – Tale Of Two Cities Lewton the Producer @startspreading

Jen Garlen – Bedlam

Can’t Stop the Movies – Bedlam talks about what insanity is and how it was “used” in this story @mr_sheldrake

CP’s  Classical Gas – Isle Of The Dead looks at the value of a great script and whether or not the film was as Lewton itself called it, an unholy mess


More posts! Check out Kristina’s blog to get their links.

Once Upon a Screen – Cat People not only a great analysis of the film but of Lewton’s “important role of bridging the gap in horror films between Universal’s golden era to the resurgence of the genre”

Thrilling days of Yesteryear –  The Seventh Victim  an extensive look at the movie’s controversial subject, its influence and its cast @igsjr

Furious Cinema – Isle Of The Dead  Pete reviews director Mark Robson’s work and the movie’s influence on the modern psychological thriller @furiouscinema

Laura’s Misc Musings – The Leopard Man  as one of the lesser known but not less spooky & enjoyable Lewton movies @laurasmiscmovie

Craig of Viking Samurai – Body Snatcher @craigr3521

The Last Drive-in (Monster Girl) – Curse Of The Cat People  through the themes of the feline, the fearsome female and the fearing child in 2 posts!   part 1  and part 2 @thelastdrivein

Lasso the Movies – Cat People @lassothemovies

Classic Movie Gab – The Body Snatcher all about Karloff’s performance, the real life background of the story & more @pinkpetalz


Classic Screen Screams!
Looking for some classic films to watch during Halloween? Check out these Val Lewton classics by clicking the link here.

A creepy scene from The Leopard Man

Val Lewton blogathon coming your way October 31, 2012!

Val Lewton

Horror Film Master
Horrors! Get ready for the Val Lewton blogathon! Kristina of the Speakeasy blog and Stephen aka Classic Movie Man will be cohosting this event.

Lewton, the subject of a documentary produced by none other than Academy Award winning director, Martin Scorsese (Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows, 2007) was a horror film genius. He didn’t invent the horror film, but elevated it to a new level by commissioning literate scripts, (often written anonymously by himself), carefully casting his main characters, and incorporating film noir techniques. Not a household name, Lewton produced the horror classics Cat People (1942) and I Walked With a Zombie (1943). Often imitated, Lewton influenced legendary directors Scorsese, William Friedkin, and George Romero, to name a few.

The Rules of the Blogathon
Pick a Val Lewton movie or theme that you’d like to explore. Possibly you want to discuss a certain performance, or how Lewton’s films influenced the genre. Then blog your heart out! Since there can be many takes on the same film, duplicate posts will be allowed, but feel free to ask what’s been taken (so far Bedlam, Isle of the Dead, I Walked With a Zombie and The Ghost Ship are definites). In the body of your blog post, please mention the blogathon with links, or just cut and paste this handy bit here:

This post is part of the Val Lewton blogathon hosted by Stephen aka Classic Movie Man &  Kristina of the Speakeasy blog  – more here as we both set up landing pages

E-mail Stephen at   sreggie@sbcglobal.net   or   Kristina at   mail.speakeasy@yahoo.com  to let us know which movie you want to do. When corresponding, please include “blogathon” in the subject line of your e-mail. Along with your link, please include your Twitter handle, if you have one. It will help us promote you, your blog, and the blogathon.

Jane Randolph takes a swim in Cat People.

Ready, Set, Boo!
When your post is complete, send the link by end of day October 26, 2012 (Central Time, US). Links to posts will go live on October 31, 2012. Your submissions will be posted to both Classic Movie Man and Kristina’s Speakeasy blogs. The combined posts will include the titles of your blog posts with their respective links to your blog.

Any questions, please contact Stephen or Kristina.

The Blogathon is closed, but please click here to read Val Lewton post from other bloggers.

———————————————

Val’s credits:

COMPLETE FILMOGRAPHY

DIRECTOR (feature film)

Feel free to post this image, courtesy of
Paula Guthat, to your blog.

1. A Tale of Two Cities (1935) as Revolutionary War seq arr by.
WRITER (feature film)
2. The Body Snatcher (1945) as Written for Screen by.
PRODUCER (feature film)
3. Apache Drums (1951) as Producer.
4. Please Believe Me (1950) as Producer.
5. My Own True Love (1949) as Producer.
6. Bedlam (1946) as Producer.
7. Isle of the Dead (1945) as Producer.
8. The Body Snatcher (1945) as Producer.
9. The Curse of the Cat People (1944) as Producer.
10. Youth Runs Wild (1944) as Producer.
11. Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) as Producer.
12. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) as Producer.
13. The Ghost Ship (1943) as Producer.
14. The Seventh Victim (1943) as Producer.
15. The Leopard Man (1943) as Producer.
16. Cat People (1942) as Producer.
EDITING (feature film)
17. A Star Is Born (1937) as Ed asst to David O. Selznick.

The lineup so far (as of October 1, 2012)

Classic Movie Man (this blog) - I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE @sreggie on twitter

Speakeasy - THE GHOST SHIP @HQofK

Jen Garlen - BEDLAM @garlengirl

Once Upon a Screen - CAT PEOPLE @citizenscreen

Can’t Stop the Movies – BEDLAM @mr_sheldrake

Thrilling days of Yesteryear - THE SEVENTH VICTIM @igsjr

CP’s Classical Gas - ISLE OF THE DEAD

Furious Cinema - ISLE OF THE DEAD @furiouscinema

Laura’s Misc Musings - THE LEOPARD MAN @laurasmiscmovie

Craig of Viking Samurai - The BODY SNATCHER @craigr3521

The Last Drive-in (Monster Girl) – CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE & ISLE OF THE DEAD @thelastdrivein

Lasso the Movies - CAT PEOPLE @lassothemovies

Caftan Woman – THE SEVENTH VICTIM @caftanwoman

Cinematically Insane – ??? @willmckinley

Old Movies Nostalgia - VAL LEWTON BIO @moviesnostalgia

The Stop Button - MADEMOISELLE FIFI @thestopbutton

She Blogged by Night - THE BODY SNATCHER

My Love of Old Hollywood - A STAR IS BORN

Journeys in Classic Film – ???

A Shroud of Thoughts - ???

@NitrateDiva - Lewton’s use of Point of View & Voice-Over

50′s Westerns - APACHE DRUMS

Kellee Pratt - Lewton’s Influence on the Horror genre @irishjayhawk66

Classic Becky’s Brain food – I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE

Ivan of Thrilling Days of Yesteryear created this cool flyer

to promote blogathon.

-Remember, more than one take on a movie is fine, especially if you find a unique angle, so long as there aren’t tons of posts on one movie.

-Someone could do Val’s bio, or the making of a movie or one special performance.

-Do not think you have to be a horror fan to participate? APACHE DRUMS is a technicolor western. Robert Walker was in PLEASE BELIEVE ME as one of the guys romancing heiress Deborah Kerr & Walker was also in the romance MY OWN TRUE LOVE, if you want to write about something different.

Fright School at Facets Multi-Media

The Return of Fright School
Fright School, Facets midnight-movie horror series, returns for a third year. The series begins September 30, 2011. Films will be screened every Friday and Saturday night at midnight through October 29.

Fright School is a great way to learn about all types of horror films, from exploitation to classic. Films are introduced by local film experts with Q & A afterwards. It’s a crash course on the horror genre. Plus, there are raffles, prizes, and other give-a-ways. Admission is only $5, free for Facets members.

Fright School schedule 

Facets Multi-Media is located at 1517 West Fullerton. For more information, please visit their Web site.

I Walked With A Zombie to be Screened October 15
Stephen Reginald, aka The Classic Movie Man will present producer Val Lewton’s horror classic on Saturday, October 15, 2011 as part of the Facets Multi-Media “Fright School.” Directed by Jacques Tourneur (Cat People 1942), I Walked With A Zombie was the second collaboration between the producer and director and supposedly Tourneur’s favorite of all his films.

Jane Eyre in the West Indies
Set in the West Indies, Zombie feels like a contemporary version of Jane Eyre. Frances Dee plays Betsy Connell, a young nurse who leaves her native Canada to care for Jessica Holland (Christine Gordon), the sick wife of wealthy businessman, Paul Holland (Tom Conway). Holland runs a sugar plantation on the island of Saint Sebastian and lives at Fort Holland with his mother and half-brother, Wesley Rand (James Ellison). On the island, Betsy discovers the conflict between the voodoo beliefs of the island’s natives and the small white community of medical workers and officials that have settled there. Believing that her employer’s wife may be a zombie, she brings the woman to a voodoo ceremony hoping they will have a cure for her condition. Betsy’s bold action sets in motion a series of events, which reveal family secrets and the mystery behind Jessica’s “sickness.”

Literate Horror
Producer Val Lewton was tasked with creating a horror unit at the RKO studios to rival Universal. Universal hit box office gold with horror hits like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. Instead of copying Universal’s movie monsters, Lewton created horror films that combined literate scripts with believable characters and seemingly plausible plots. These elements, plus good production values, intensified the suspense and packed movie houses throughout the 1940s. I Walked With A Zombie was Lewton’s second horror film at RKO and one of his very best.