Skip to main content
Horror Cult Classic

A feline-filled inheritance scheme claws at the nerves of a cat-phobic conspirator.

EYE OF THE CAT

Terror that tears the screams right out of your throat!

1969 · 1h 42m · M · Horror / Mystery / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

A man and his girlfriend plan to rob the mansion of the man's eccentric but wealthy aunt. However, the aunt keeps dozens of cats in her home, and the man is deathly afraid of cats.

Quick Answer

What is Eye of the Cat about?

Eye of the Cat is a 1969 American horror, mystery, and thriller film directed by David Lowell Rich about a plot to murder a wealthy aunt for her inheritance, complicated by her house full of cats and her nephew's deep fear of them.

Programmer's Pick

If your idea of cat-astrophe leans more toward inheritance plots and hair-raising feline encounters, Eye of the Cat is purr-fectly designed for you. Between a scheming nephew’s ailurophobia and a mansion teeming with cats, this is classic Grande Dame Guignol with a psychotronic twist.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Danielle, a wealthy and ailing older woman, relies on her nephew Luke for support but finds herself at the center of a sinister plot. When her beauty parlor attendant, Kassia, witnesses Danielle's frailty, she hatches a deadly scheme with Danielle's other nephew, Wylie. Their plan hinges on sabotaging Danielle's oxygen supply, but complications abound: Wylie suffers from a crippling fear of cats, stemming from a childhood trauma, and Danielle’s mansion is crawling with them. As the plotters navigate a tangle of inheritance motives, feline obstacles, and their own uneasy alliance, the film plays with paranoia, phobia, and the treacheries lurking just beneath the surface of familial ties.

Details & Specs

Director
David Lowell Rich
Writer
Joseph Stefano
Release
1969
Runtime
1h 42m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Also Known As
Wylie, Grüne Augen in der Nacht, Los felinos

Why This Matters

Scripted by Joseph Stefano, acclaimed for his work on The Outer Limits and Hitchcock's Psycho, this film offers insight into his continued influence on horror and suspense storytelling in late 1960s cinema.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

View all →
Director: David Lowell Rich Writer: Joseph Stefano

Why Cult

Feline Menace

The mansion isn’t just haunted by greed—it's overrun with cats that both sabotage and fuel the murderous conspiracy.

Ailurophobia Antics

Wylie’s intense fear of cats adds a unique and nerve-wracking obstacle to the plot, making for a tense and unusual horror experience.

Grande Dame Guignol

Eleanor Parker brings the old-school melodrama as a wheelchair-bound matriarch caught between scheming relatives and her own mortality.

Inheritance Intrigue

Double crosses and shifting alliances keep the plot twisting as everyone vies for Danielle’s fortune.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Plot to murder a wealthy aunt for her inheritance

Threat

House full of cats and protagonist's cat phobia

Effect

Sabotages murder scheme; heightens paranoia and danger

Setting

Aunt's cat-filled mansion

Questions from the Vault

Who directed Eye of the Cat? +

Eye of the Cat was directed by David Lowell Rich.

How long is Eye of the Cat? +

Eye of the Cat has a runtime of 102 minutes.

What genre is Eye of the Cat? +

Eye of the Cat is categorized as horror, mystery, and thriller.

Where can I watch Eye of the Cat? +

Eye of the Cat is available to stream on SassyFlix.

How does Wylie's fear of cats affect the plot? +

Wylie’s intense fear of cats complicates his involvement in the murder plot, as the aunt’s mansion is filled with cats that trigger his phobia and threaten to derail the scheme.

Trailers & Clips