Fearing the Dark

Cat People (1942) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943) established Val Lewton’s hauntingly graceful style where suggestion was often used in place of explicit violence. His stylish B thrillers were imitated by a generation of filmmakers such as Richard Wallace, William Castle, and even Walt Disney in his animated Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Through interviews with many of Lewton’s associates (including his wife and son) and extensive research, his life and output are thoroughly examined.

Edmund G. Bansak lives in Wales, Massachusetts.

Edmund G. Bansak

Foreword by Robert Wise

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 581
Bibliographic Info: 53 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2003 [1995]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1709-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0663-7
Imprint: McFarland

• “excellent…masterful…recommended”—Classic Images
• “well researched, insightful and rewarding”—Filmfax
• “a definitive study of his career…the finest study of the subject I have read. Perceptive, revealing and extensively researched. My favorite show business book of 1995”—The Other Side of Show Business
• “it is difficult to imagine [this book] will be superseded”—SFRA Review
• “remarkable…fills a much needed void in providing a wealth of biographical detail about Lewton and his work”—Cornerstone Magazine
• “fans of Lewton will find this a wonderful read crammed with fascinating details of Lewton’s schizoid personality and his unique working methods”—Bright Lights Film Journal
• “exhaustively researched chronicle”—Rue Morgue
• “Drawing on extensive interviews with Lewton’s family and associates, Bansak’s detailed account is unlikely to be superseded.”—Neil Barron, Editor of Fantasy and Horror