I don't make a habit of watching old black and white movies but channel surfing the other night during a bout of insomnia I stumbled across the opening credits of this movie, containing this quote...
"Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depressions in the world consciousness."
My interest was piqued, plus at 3:00 AM there's not much else on. I had seen the 1982 version starring Nastassja Kinski, probably during one of those marathon movie nights we had in the olden days when you rented a machine and no less than five videos (beta or VHS ?). The 1942 version stars French actress Simone Simon (classic name)... 
...as Irena Dubrovna, a Serbian born fashion artist who falls in love and marries a dudsville schmuck of a husband Oliver Reed (not that Oliver Reed). She is tormented by tales from her small Serbian village of evil cat people that live in the hills-- the myth goes that when emotionally aroused or jealous she will turn into a panther and kill, Irena thinks she's a victim of the curse. Hubby thinks she's a whack-job and sends her to psychiatrist Dr. Judd to exorcise her demons. It was interesting how psychiatry was used in the horror genre-- and we all know it doesn't work anyway.
Anyhoo, I'm no movie critic so I'll just say it was totally enjoyable slice of film noir that I can add to the list of my other favorites, Repulsion, A Touch Of Evil, Psycho and The Haunting Of Hill House...
The concluding quotation reads;
"But black sin hath betrayed to endless night/My worlds both parts, and both parts must die."
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