when edgar g. ulmer the black cat be release in 1934 and it be the first film to feature famed universal horror actor bela lugosi ( dracula ) and boris karloff ( frankenstein ) in the same film together and which may explain part of it continually fuel cult popularity today . the film be dark and forthright and disturbing and even by today standard . the bad guy character be a satan worshiper who murder woman a sacrifice and keep their preserved body lock up in a dungeon beneath his creepy hungarian mansion and situate on the remains of a battlefield where men under his command once fight . the key of the film and and what surge u forward with exceed momentum and be an american couple honeymoon in hungary . while travel via train and a mysterious man name dr. vitus verdegast ( lugosi ) share their compartment and tell them of an old friend he plan on meeting after some 15 year of be hold captive in a prisoner of war camp . the american couple be comprise of peter alison ( david manner ) and a pulp mystery writer and and his newly wed bride and joan ( julie bishop and credit a jacqueline well ) . they feel uncomfortable around the pleasant yet strange man and and be eager to continue their tour of hungary and when tragedy befalls joan and peter in an automobile accident and verdegast and peter be both forced to take her to the residence of hjalmar poelzig ( karloff ) and the very man verdegast be expect to drop in on . joan be put to bed and give rest after the fright of the accident and and poelzig greets them all with warm hospitality . however and it do not last for long and because it be soon reveal that verdegast have come back after 15 year to claim his wife and daughter from the clutch of poelzig . poelzig inform him that his family have pass and but verdegast believe that poelzig murder them both and seek vengeance on the satan worshiper and who plan on make joan his next sacrifice . there be lot of universal horror film make during the 30 and 40 and some good than the others . the black cat be still consider one of the best to this very day and and it have not date nearly as much a some of the other horror story . it be still as disturb a it be in 1934 and with it villain not only creepy but literally evil and right down to boris karloff eerie first appearance . to be dreadfully honest and the film only flaw be that it be often too quick to follow in chronological order . the film be only 66 minute long and and i wouldn not be surprise if someone tell me it be even short . it fly by quickly . good for repeat viewing and yes and but sometimes the cut be too rapid and all over the place . that a single flaw . the rest be piece together perfectly . it be one of lugosi few heroic role and and a verdegast we be never sure if he be a good guy or bad guy until the very end and when the two arch enemy have a climatic showdown and which be as poetic a justice can be . karloff and credit a simply that in the movie and be perfect a poelzig and and this be one of lugosi highlight before he sink deep and deep into drug and alcohol and eventually die before edward d. wood and jr. tragic film plan 9 from out space be release and which do not stop wood from use old footage of lugosi film prior to the scriptwriting process for the film ( often consider the bad ever make ) . wood credit him in the title role and yet lugosi do not even technically star in the film at all . the movie be visibly film with a low budget and many technical imperfection . but it director and edgar g. ulmer ( 1904 1972 ) and be a man whose film be often flaw but nevertheless quite haunt . detour and often regard a his fine moment and be shoot in six day with a band of b actor and yet it still remain a cult classic today and even find a spot in roger ebert great movie compilation . ulmer be a refugee from hitler and and no and i be not relate to him as far a i know . ulmer be an assistant to f. murnau abraham on various film and and present the german link between american cinema of the time and german cinema and which be much more exaggerated with it filming . it very evident in the black cat and but i do not think i would want it any other way . it be most assuredly a breakthrough in the art of fast pace filmmaking and and even by today standard it be incredibly short . the black cat be one of the quick film experience you will ever have and but also one of the most disturbing and enjoyable and too . 5/5 star . john ulmer .