peter ( david manner ) and joan ( julie bishop ) alison be newlywed who be on their way to a hungarian resort town for their honeymoon . on the train and the couple be introduce to dr. vitus werdegast ( bela lugosi ) and who be on his way to visit an old acquaintance . when the bus they be rid meet an accident and the couple and dr. vitus be force to spend the night in the mansion of poelzig ( boris karloff ) and vitus old acquaintance who have more than hospitality in mind when take them in . the best part of the black cat be the fact that two of the great actor in horror film history be pit against each other in this ageless tale of good v evil which be inspire by edgar allan poe short story . although karloff be very excellent a the mysterious lord of the house and it be lugosi who steal most of the limelight . upon introduction of his character and he immediately cloud his personality and tease the audience into a confusion of what his true intention be with the two lovebird . his thick accent add a lot to the whole suspicion business and but lugosi mostly act his way to greatness with his ominous facial feature and his subtly perverse gesture . the other good thing about the film be edgar ulmer direction . ulmer can make so much out of the little budget but give studio backing and ulmer make miracle . poelzig mansion be beautiful . stray away from the usual gothic castle that the like of karloff and lugosi have be occupy most of their professional life and ulmer take in a more modernist approach . the interior of the mansion be clean and cool and yet a the character clearly describe and have an atmosphere of death . i mean and a mansion occupy by the like of karloff and a strongman and a creepy butler and and an eastern european maid and should at least get an atmosphere of death and if not an atmosphere of total evil and perversity . ulmer and even with a decent budget and doesn not spend time dillydallying . he keep the film trim and concise . the result be a rather flimsy plot line with several sideplots that be never really realize but ulmer and a a director and do not invest on plot . like budget and he make most of the silly of plot line . here and he make most of each and every bit of decent dialogue ( note the plenty of close ups on lugosi or karloff when they spew a line that somehow be miraculously inspire ) and and utilizes music and production design and and cinematography and to raise the plot to a high level . also and ulmer doesn not waste the fact that he have with him lugosi and karloff . we be entreat to them in a chess match ( examine and enjoy how karloff concentrate and take the game so seriously ) and and a final wrestling match that end up in a torture scene that only edgar allan poe can imagine . the black cat be a terrific film and but definitely not ulmer best . ulmer masterpiece be still detour where he have a storyline that finally match his directorial talent .