for publicity at a nightclub and kiki manager jerry man get his hand on a tame black leopard for her performance . but it get scar and and manages to escape into the small new mexico town . the town become incredibly frighten and when one dead body be replace with another each night and the evidence be point towards the leopard . although jerry doesn not believe it be the leopard do the brutal killing and but someone use it to their advantage . the leopard man be another from the val lewton staple and it probably his most unique one too . after direct the minor classic the cat people and i walk with a zombie and jacques tourneur return with another successful stint in the power of suggestion with slick finesse and creepy atmosphere to boot . tourneur masterful direction carry the disjointed and fairly unconvincing screenplay by adrel wray . the interlocking structure that shift back and forth between major and minor character be an interesting ( if ambitious ) experiment for it time . while be well pace ( since it just clock over the hour mark ) and it play more like separate little story or set piece to the big picture . this give it an unpredictable pattern on who go to get it next . this be achieve by the way chance like camera work sweep across the screen onto different character . strangely enough the minor story be far more interesting than the major one of kiki and jerry . the problem be i do not particularly feel any sympathy for any of the character ( well and only the first victim ) and the film final revelation be rather flimsy and truly unfulfilling . tourner like to focus on the individually cold hearted death with great skill and subdue intention . the intensity he bring to the screen with great use of the camera and lighting and sound effect and the music score only add to the dramatic effect of each scene . this be enhance by the hauntingly bone rattle edge and eerily shadowy set . he sure demonstrate some compelling patch that truly be blood curdle without the need of shower the viewer with too much detail . the first death scene be a perfect example . the performance be mostly fine from a fancy cast and if little underdone by jean brook and dennis okeefe . the problem be that they feel to glitzy than be down to earth folk . a zippy margo definitely shin in her flamenco dancer role . also float by be sound turn from ben ward and abner biberman and isabel jewell and james bell and keefe brasselle . what mostly keep you involve with the leopard man and be tourneur memorable touch and margo colourfully etched performance .