after their success in 1942 with the fabulous cat people and the star team of producer val lewton and director jacques tourneur would team up twice the year later . first for the compelling and brilliant i walk with a zombie and and second for this film while the leopard man . for the movie and the two filmmaker re cast the star of their first success and the big black leopard and in this movie and who once again play a big black leopard . the screenplay this time round make far good use of the animal at the centre of the film and which allow the impressive creature to make a much big impression on the movie and and it also give the film a unique edge over other horror movie and a there aren not a great deal that can build around a leopard . in fact and one thing that strike me about this movie be it similarity to the 1980 remake of cat people and and i wonder just how much influence that film take from this production . anyway and the story here be deliriously simple and it follow a leopard that have escape from a nightclub . after a few death and the cat be blame . but be there more to this scenario than meet the eye . just like val lewton earlier and late production and the leopard man be notable for it breathtaking atmosphere and which be once again up there with the great ever see in cinema . the use of shadow and lighting be impressive and and when you combine this with jacques tourneur incredible ability to stage a scene amidst this atmosphere while you have get a recipe for a truly great horror movie . this movie isn not a full of great scene a cat people be and but there be still some really good stuff on display and include my favourite scene which see someone maul behind a closed door . i be not a big subscriber to the idea of less be more and but the scene i just mention go to show just how well it can work if utilised properly . if the film have directly show the killing and it would have uproot the atmosphere and the terror of the movie on the whole wouldn not have be a astute . a it happen and the leopard man have get it spot on . but then again and would you expect anything less from a val lewton production .