November 5th: THE SEVENTH VICTIM (Mark Robson, 1943)

A young woman searches for her missing sister and becomes involved with murder and a Satanic cult.

Val Lewton got his start in the film business working for legendary producer David O. Selznick, including developing key elements in the adaptation of Gone With The Wind.  RKO studios soon hired him to lead a new horror division in an attempt to compete against Universal Studios' successful slate of classic characters (Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc).  Complicating Lewton's assignment were the low budgets demanded by the studios, as well the lurid titles he was told to create films out of.

Lewton's triumph was creating distinct, atmospheric films with intelligent scripts out of these constraints, and providing a stage for young directors to develop their talents.  His first release, Cat People, was a huge success, and gave Lewton and his collaborators more freedom on future projects.  After two more films with its director Jacques Tourneur, Lewton defied studio executives by insisting on hiring former editor Mark Robson to make his next film, The Seventh Victim.

The film features the debut of Kim Hunter (who would go on to win an Oscar for playing Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire), Hugh Beaumont (known most for his role on TV hit Leave It To Beaver) and a stable of RKO character actors, including Tom Conway, who loosely (and strangely) reprises his role from Cat People.

During pre-production, screenwriter DeWitt Bodeen actually visited a group of Satanists for research, leading to their unique portrayal in the film.  Behind the camera, Robson was assisted by Nicolas Musuraca, whose expressionistic style was hugely influential on what would become known as film noir.

The Seventh Victim is set apart from its contemporaries by its extremely fatalistic perspective, its handling of occult matters, and the not-too-subtle homoerotic subtext.  While not a success in its time, its influences can be felt in films as varied as Psycho, Rosemary's Baby, and Jacques Rivette's Duelle.

Running time is 71 minutes.