Movie: The Leopard Man

The Leopard Man screens at the Westport Branch on Thursday, October 15, at 3:15 PM. It's part of the Kansas City Public Library's Retro Mystery Movies series, which pairs films based on books from the 1930s to the 1950s with the occasional modern title that nods back to those classics. The series follows a monthly rhythm: the first Thursday of each month is devoted to the Golden Age of Mystery, in the vein of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, and the third Thursday focuses on classic film noir and its neo-noir successors. This screening falls on that third Thursday.

The Leopard Man is an RKO Radio Pictures production from 1968, and it fits right into that noir lineage. The plot centers on a seemingly tame leopard used for a publicity stunt that escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic through a sleepy New Mexico town. It's a classic setup—a small community on edge, a predator on the loose, and the resulting chaos—and it works well as a mid-afternoon watch.

One detail worth noting is the rating. The film was rated "Approved" by the Hays Office, the precursor to the MPAA rating system we use today. That means it comes from an era before G, PG, PG-13, and R ratings became the standard. The Retro Mystery Movies series is intended for ages 18 and up, though well-behaved children attending with their parents are welcome at the lower-rated screenings; R-rated films are for adults only. Since The Leopard Man falls into that earlier "Approved" window, it's a good fit for a mixed crowd if you're bringing the kids along.

If you're a fan of old-school mysteries, this is a low-stakes way to spend a Thursday afternoon. The screening is at the Westport Branch in Kansas City, starting at 3:15 PM on October 15.