Coming to you live from Salem Horror Fest, Andrea and Alex prowl the darkest corners of RKO’s cult classic Cat People. From the themes of immigration and assimilation to the parallels of sex and power, we uncover how Jacques Tourneur and Val Lewton’s dark vision of 1940s America remains a prescient warning. 

 

REQUIRED READING

Cat People. Dir. Jacques Tourneur, 1942. 

 

EXTRA CREDIT

What history tells us about assimilation of immigrants. The paper published by Stanford University that explains the trends that followed immigration booms in the US in the first half of the 20th century. 

 

On Female Rage: Does the Wallpaper Look Yellow to Anyone Else? The Harvard Crimson’s examination of a new age of feminine anger that is forever grappling with the past. 

 

When God Was a Woman. Merlin Stone’s 1976 exploration of pre-Christian religions where women led. 

 

The uproar over the New Yorker short story “Cat Person,” explained. Male hysteria at women writing fiction about their feelings.

 

Gore-Geous: Personal Essays on Beauty and Horror. Alex’s new book includes more thoughts on Cat People.

 

LISTEN