dennis okeefe and jean brook decide to elevate their act in new mexico by have brook walk on stage with a black leopard . the mexican castanet dancer and clo clo ( deliciously play by margo ) and mash the castanets menacingly at the cat and it flee and and a panic spread amongst the people of the little village . soon and one girl dy and then another and and another . and evidence point that a cat do it and later to something completely different . the leopard man be one of those rare film that be very effective with shadow and fog without show anything . we never see any of the death happen on stage so to speak . the imagination of the viewer be enlist to conjure up what might be the scene of each murder . director jacques tournier and producer val lewton probably team up for their best collaboration . this film be lace with moody atmosphere and great pacing and quality performance and and a script work over by the camera that enforce theme and symbolic meaning throughout . i find this film haunting and eerie and and poetic in it own way . o keefe and james bell and margo and brook and and the entire cast give credible turn and enforce our ability to accept what be go on . some scene be quite memorable represent the young girl walk back home from the store be a classic scene of terror and the cemetery scene and and the procession of the monk allow tournier to work his magic with the lens . tournier be always able to tell so much story with so little dialog . though some might find the end a bit of a letdown and i thoroughly enjoy the leopard man .