Cat People: Drei Antworten von Simone Simon

Anfang November 2002, als ich an meinem Text über „Cat People“ schrieb, stieß ich im www auf diesen Text, das Editorial eines gewissen Roy Frumkes für Films in Review aus dem Mai 2001.

FILMS IN REVIEW MAY 2001 EDITORIAL 

Damals gab es noch nicht einmal YouTube, was den Hinweis „If you wish to see the music video, it’s on the Wonder Boys DVD“ einigermaßen erklärt (die Rede ist von Bob Dylan, „Things Have Changed“), aber was mir in dieser Nacht den Atem raubte, war die Passage, die mit dem Satz beginnt: „Later I called Simone Simon, who turned 90 this April 23rd in Paris…“

Es gab sogar eine Email-Adresse, und etwa 7 Minuten später hatte ich das hier abgeschickt, klassische Handstreich-Operation, die man weitere 7 Minuten später schon wieder ungeschehen machen möchte:

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Dear Roy Frumkes,

do you really exist? Or is it all a dream? Alright, let me explain. My name is Christian Erdmann, I’m from Hamburg, Germany. My favourite movie of all time, since I saw it for the first time, is the Lewton/Tourneur RKO „Cat People“, 1942. I saw it again this evening, since I’m trying to write an essay on it, and I was surfing the net for the umpteenth time to search for anything on Simone Simon … For years now I have been gathering the same information on her – retired, went back to France. But nobody, nowhere, not the film encyclopedias, no article on the web, said anything about her being still alive and well or not. Nobody seemed to know. Nobody seemed to care. And then on the search engine’s page 10 or something I came across your name. And I’m still trying to gain my senses, excuse me. You mean you have spoken to her in 2001? You’ve been sitting next to her? Is there more to see and read in the May 2001 issue of your magazine? If so, how can I get it? And if not so, could you tell me some more? Are you in regular contact with her? (Didn’t I just read you called her??) How come you sit next to her? Sorry, I’m so excited about this. I’d be so glad if you could spare a minute to answer. Thanks!

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Was ich in dieser Nacht herausfand: Roy Frumkes ist ein independent filmmaker, der den Dokumentarfilm „Document of the Dead“ über die Karriere von George A. Romero und die Produktion von „Dawn of the Dead“ gedreht hat. Bei imdb.com wurde Frumkes auch als Screenwriter, Actor und Producer geführt.

Was ich später herausfand: sein Großvater war Booking Agent für Houdini. Von Alejandro Jodorowsky wurde Frumkes engagiert, um ein Drehbuch namens „Tryptich“ umzuschreiben, aber wie bei den meisten Projekten Jodorowskys wurde kein Film daraus. Frumkes war Mitglied des National Board of Review of Motion Pictures (NBR); er schrieb für Films in Review, 1996 erwarb er das Magazin von der NBR gemeinsam mit Joe Anderson. Für The Perfect Vision war er Managing Editor, für das 1992 im belleville Verlag Michael Farin erschienene Buch „Dark Stars“ über 10 Repräsentanten unabhängigen Filmschaffens (u.a. Dario Argento, Alejandro Jodorowsky, George A. Romero, David Cronenberg, Abel Ferrara) schrieb Frumkes das Vorwort. Zwischen 1985 und 1994 war er an Produktion und Regie der jährlichen D. W. Griffith Awards Ceremony beteiligt. In unserem Briefwechsel erzählte er mir, daß er gerade den Film „The Sweet Life“ mit Joan Jett produziert habe. Und zu alldem lehrte er Film History und Screenwriting an der School of Visual Arts in New York.

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Zu meiner unendlichen Verblüffung war Mr. Frumkes so generös, mir ziemlich umgehend zu antworten:

Thema: Re: Simone Simon
Datum: 09.11.02 22:44:00 (MEZ)
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

Dear Christian,

She may be 91, but Simone is not only one of my closest friends, but probably the cleverest. She has a sly, feline mind that never quits. She’s always one step ahead of me and, I’m sure, everyone else. And the last time I saw her, a few years ago, she was still stunning.

I’d be glad to send you the two issues of ‚The Perfect Vision‘ magazine in which I wrote about her. Send me your address, and they’ll be in the mail. I’ll include the cost of the mags and postage, and you can send that to me when you’ve recovered from your orgasm after reading the articles.

Best,

Roy Frumkes

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Natürlich nahm ich das Angebot an, mir von Mr. Frumkes die beiden Ausgaben von „The Perfect Vision“ zuschicken zu lassen, und ich fragte ihn weiter über Simone Simon aus:

Well anyway, you’re quite right about me having to recover from… um… it all, after reading your arcticles. What is she thinking about „Cat People“ now? She must be aware that there are so many people out here still admiring this movie and her art.

Seine Antwort:

Thema: Re: Simone Simon again
Datum: 10.11.02 23:40:32 (MEZ)
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

Hi Christian,

I’ll send you the issues this week, you’ll even see me sitting with her on the couch. But I don’t want to tell you much more, because I think the articles do it justice.

About ‚Cat People‘, she remembers it very fondly, and very vividly. Her memory is astonishing. If there are things you need to know that are not in the articles, please ask me after you read them, and perhaps I’ll have the answers, since I’ve spent countless hours with her on the phone (including this morning).

Er erzählte weiter, daß er „Cat People“ in jungen Jahren gesehen habe, „when it was still in theaters“, daß Simone Simon sein erster Schwarm war, später dann Beverly Garland. Und er erzählte mir Erstaunliches von Barbara Steele, mit der er ebenfalls sehr vertraut war.

Ich betrachte Barbara Steele als eine meiner Erzieherinnen

und ich schrieb zurück:

I was seeing the Roger Corman movies in the theaters when I was a little boy. An older cousin took me along so I could sneak in. „The Pit and the Pendulum“. And I saw „Black Sunday“ in a movie theater too, when I was about 9 or 10. I know for sure that since those days I was marked with the curse – Barbara Steele must have been the beginning of it all. That’s what I have always felt while watching horror movies – they are a promise. I’m addicted to the poetry of all those movies.

Und ich erzählte ihm die Geschichte, wie „Cat People“ das Leben von Aljoscha Tuschkin veränderte, und warum „Katzenmenschen“ für alle Zeiten mein Lieblingsfilm ist, unangefochten, because:

„Daß man durch einen Film zuweilen aus der Realität in eine Gegenwelt rutschte, das gab es wohl. Aber seit wann rutschte eine Gegenwelt durch einen Film in die Realität?“

It was more like: I had to watch „Cat People“ that night because of the following morning.

So, this is my account of why „Cat People“ is so dear to me, not only because, for me, it is the best horror film ever made, but because it was a promise, a work of poetry that, I still don’t know why and how, changed my life forever.

I’m glad to hear she remembers the movie fondly. Be sure I will question you if there are any questions left. You talked to her on the phone this morning? Jesus. I have a picture of her framed in my room. It’s a black and white photography I bought in Paris, at Cinedoc. It was taken at Harcourt, Paris.

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Thema: Re: Yes, some – but mainly Simone
Datum: 13.11.02 03:56:11 (MEZ) Mitteleuropäische Zeit
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

That’s a great story, Christian. Simone would love to hear it, I bet.

I’ll get those magazines to you as soon as possible, and I’ll look forward to your response.

Say hello to B for me, and be well,

Roy

Thema: Re: Simone Simon / magazine issues
Datum: 03.12.02 22:34:05 (MEZ) Mitteleuropäische Zeit
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

Dear Christian,

Your issues are on the way. Might even be there by now. I’ll be anxious to hear your reactions.

I’ve enclosed a tabulation on what you should send me if you’re up to it. The issues are collectables, and usually go for much more than jacket value, but from one Simone lover to another, I just couldn’t do it to you.

Spoke to Simone Sunday. She’s getting ready to turn 92, and still sharp as can be. And very funny.

I’m going to tell her about you next time I call her.

Best,

Roy

05.12.2002

Dear Roy,

the magazines arrived this morning, thank you so much. Your articles are such a delight. Just brilliant. The 1992 interview has all the glorious spontaneity of a first call, the 1994 article/interview is just overwhelming… your style of writing is just so fine.

Rue de Tilsitt, that’s where?! B and I have been strolling through, there. About your remark on telling Simone about me – I can’t imagine why she should be bothered but if you do, bow down and kiss her hand for me. Through the phone, yes. Or do anything stupid I would do in that situation. – So, let me just say thank you again for troubling yourself with sending the magazines over. I’ll keep them as one of my treasures. If you don’t mind I’ll contact you again some time later on, with some comments on the articles and a question or two regarding Cat People.

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Thema: Re: Simone Simon / Got The Perfect Vision Now!
Datum: 30.12.02 17:32:49 (MEZ)
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

I’m going to tell Simone about you next Sunday when I call her. I think it’ll make her happy.

Last week up in Woodstock, where I go on weekends, and they get 500 channels on TV, they were showing La Bete Humaine on one of the more obscure channels. Boy, was she wonderful in that. I’m going to ask her about that, too, next week. I know as far as her European directors went, she tried the most to help Ophuls, without much luck.

Have a happy New Year, and my best to B. Next time I’m in France, I’ll give you an advance warning. And if you guys ever come by this way, let me know.

Best,

Roy

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Am 18. Januar 2003 schrieb ich ihm eine lange Mail, mit meinen Gedanken über seine Artikel in „The Perfect Vision“. Und ich schrieb ihm drei Fragen für Simone Simon auf. Drei bis vier. Drei bis vier verdammte Fragen für die legendäre Simone Simon.

[…] What I found very remarkable is her impression that Nick Musuraca „didn’t photograph me well at all. I was much better looking than I looked in Cat People.“ – Please tell her that’s impossible. Please tell her that her otherwise impeccable judgement has failed her here. No one has ever looked more mysteriously beautiful than Simone in this movie.

[…] It’s great of Simone to make sure that this other magazine was wrong in saying John Heard did a better job than Kent Smith, „because he wasn’t as stiff, and I was not happy they said that, because he was supposed to be like that“. – So true.

[…] a few things I thought I might ask you about, in case you really feel inclined to ask Simone about them. They’re not really important, actually. But you can ask a fairy 3 questions, can ya? So here they are.

There’s one thing that’s puzzling me every time I see the movie. It’s in the first Central Park sequence when we see Irena drawing the panther. We see Oliver. Next to Oliver there’s a woman with blonde hair and a black hat. She’s got her back to the camera. The shot suggests that she is „with Oliver“ and we believe in a momentary communication breakdown between them. Oliver looks up to see who’s thrown the paper ball etc. – Then, when Oliver decides to walk over to Irena, the blonde woman is gone. We notice it, almost unconsciously, but in the back of our minds we think: where did she go? Has this man pushed his date away like that? Or wasn’t she „with him“? If you see the movie for a second time the scene gets even more mysterious because the girl seems to be Jane Randolph. Still, subconsiously, it is suggested that Oliver is leaving „her“, whoever she is. It’s a tiny detail but it somehow makes you feel that this man Oliver is about to change his level of reality. It sets the tone for the whole movie. My question would be, does Simone recall if Lewton/Tourneur did take particular care for this detail? Or am I seeing ghosts? Does she recall if the woman we see for a few moments was Jane Randolph?

Second – I read somewhere that „Simon had a knack for sketching which Lewton was quick to employ“. You mentioned her paintings. Does the quote possibly mean that the sketch we see blowing in the autumn wind in front of the cage, the stabbed-by-a-sword panther drawing, was indeed done by Simone herself – ?

Third – oh, this is important. In your first interview with Simone you quote her with „I’m writing my biography“. Has she finished it???

(One more thing though… did Val Lewton really suffer from cat phobia??) –

They only had 18 days. For the actors it must have been tough but instinctively they, and especially Simone, did everything so absolutely right. I recently checked Kent Smith on imdb.com and saw that he died on Simone’s birthday, April 23th. I have the feeling this means something but I don’t know what.

All the best,

Christian

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Und dann kam die Mail, in der Roy Frumkes berichtete, daß er Simone Simon meine drei Fragen am Telefon übermittelt hat.

Thema: Simone replies…
Datum: 02.02.03 15:20:46 (MEZ)
Von:
An: Persephone814519@aol.com

Christian, you’re in luck. Her memory about the past is very detailed.

Actually her memory about the present isn’t bad either, but she got interested when I told her that a fan of hers asked me to ask her three questions. I could feel her adjusting herself in her bed, getting ready for a challenge.

# 1) She agreed with you, she’s an artist, but the studio apparently didn’t think so, because they had their own art department do the sketch. I told her I didn’t think it was hers, because her work is better than that. She laughed.

#2) Val Lewton did not have a cat phobia. Her voice went up a few decibels at this one, and she asked „Who told him that? Where did he hear that.“ I suggested it might have been the RKO publicity department. She calmed down and agreed.

# 3) Ready for this, Christian… That was Jane Randolph in the early scene with Kent Smith. Apparently it was longer, but trimmed in post production.

So there you’ve got it. Good for Simone. I spoke with her last week but she didn’t seem well, so I didn’t ask your questions. But this morning she seemed very vibrant, so I dove right in.

Best always,

Roy

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Roy,

I’m in luck indeed. Simone Simon adjusting herself in bed because of me… no, seriously. The magic this movie is weaving into my life is just beyond words.

Once again, thank you so much for all your kindness and patience and… everything. And good luck for all your projects, present and future.

„Dans ma cervelle se promène, / Ainsi qu’en son appartement, / Un beau chat, fort, doux et charmant.“

(„A beautiful cat, strong, sweet and charming, is prowling through my brain as if it was her living-room.“) – Charles Baudelaire

Bye then,

Christian

Simone Simon verstarb zwei Jahre später, am 22. Februar 2005, in Paris.