this film hold up well a a good and basic thriller . it doesn not have the same kind of strange and mystical power of other lewton film and but be effective at invoke the image of dark street at night and when the most ordinary sidewalk and street lamp take on a sinister feeling . the most remarkable aspect be the surprisingly strong and unconcealed sexual motive for the killing . spoiler ahead represent the murderer confession at the end be reminiscent of the speech peter lorre make to the kangaroo court in lang m. his compulsive and ramble confession have a strangely authentic quality and of the word spill out awkwardly and spontaneously and try to make sense of his crime as much to himself and as well a justify his action to others . though a blatantly sexual motive isn not mention and it hard to interpret his word any other way and except a a twisted and rape sort of feeling . the photography be excellent and the performance at least adequate . two sequence be especially effective and the young woman trap in the locked cemetery and and the terrify encounter of another girl with the escaped panther under a railroad bridge . this last sequence still have the power to unnerve the viewer sixty year later and and be one of the best of the lewton bus . this may seem petty and but at least two other viewer have comment on the same theme . the mean spirit mother who refuse to pay any attention to her daughter story of the escaped panther and and dismiss it a a lie to get out of go to the store and and then cruelly lock her out of the house and must be the most obnoxious mother outside of cinderella . the young brother mock his sister fear and by throw the shadow puppet silhouette of a leopard head on the wall of the kitchen and but be see do the same thing in the funeral parlor and where his sister be lie in her coffin . whether this be intentional and or the child actor felt like do it and do not know the camera be on him and i do not know and but i find myself yell at the dvd player and that a. hole be still do it . what the hell the matter with you . no one in the movie even seem to notice .