When a newly wed couple traveling in Hungary are involved in a traffic accident in which their driver is killed and the car is destroyed, they seek shelter and aid in the home of a strange and devil-worshiping "friend" (Boris Karloff) of their chance companion (Bela Lugosi). It turns out that Dr. Werdegast (Lugosi) has a score to settle with Poelzig (Karloff) and is looking for his wife and daughter after a long and enforced separation. But Poelzig is searching for a fresh human sacrifice to Satan and sees the young bride as perfect for the task. There are a few twists in the plot from this point on, which I won't reveal here, but they do add interest to the film (even if somewhat predictable).<br /><br />The Black Cat, like the Raven, is named after Edgar Allan Poe's writings, but has very little to do with its namesake. The only reference to a black cat in the movie is Werdegast's phobia of them, and really, this could have been left out without affecting much of the plot or overall effect of the film.<br /><br />That said, I still enjoyed this film, especially because of the acting and dialog between Karloff and Lugosi. It just seemed to real and so perfect. The plot was a bit thin, but entertaining nevertheless. The setting was very different from the old castle settings of Frankenstein and Dracula, but its modern feel (I'm sorry I know little about architecture and interior design) still managed to carry a menace and dark atmosphere that was very appropriate.