Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 10, 2025

William Wellman's "Track of the Cat" (1954) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary by William A. Wellman Jr., actor Tab Hunter, and author Frank Thompson; archival documentary about the production of the film; and archival documentary about Robert Mitchum. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The brute

Track of the Cat and Legends of the Fall are not related. However, if you begin noticing that thematically the two are similar in a lot of different ways, it will not be because your mind is playing tricks on you. They are.

Sometime in the beginning of the last century, during a brutal winter that has been relentlessly dumping snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains for weeks, the members of the Bridges family gather around the table to discuss an elusive black panther killing their livestock. However, the discussion quickly evolves into a heated clash of opposing opinions on a relationship that can permanently alter their big ranch. Harold (Tab Hunter), the youngest of three brothers, wants to marry Gwen (Diana Lynn), who has failed to impress Ma (Beulah Bondi) and gain the support of the eldest and most influential brother, Curt (Robert Mitchum). However, the second and most pragmatic of the three brothers, Arthur (William Hopper), and their sister, Grace (Teresa Wright), have sided with Harold, insisting that he should follow his heart and start a family, and Pa (Philip Tonge), an unapologetic alcoholic, has casually voiced his approval of Gwen because she is an excellent cook. The clash fails to produce a winner. But having witnessed its intensity, Gwen lets everyone know that she is ready to walk away -- with or without Harold. Soon after, Curt and Arthur dress warmly and begin looking for the elusive black panther.

Miles away from the ranch, high up in the mountains, with near-zero visibility, the black panther attacks and kills Arthur. However, instead of immediately abandoning the dangerous hunt, Curt ties Arthur’s cold body to his horse and sends it back to the ranch. Then, despite realizing that he will also be gambling his life, Curt vows to track down the black panther and kill it.

Back at the ranch, after Arthur’s horse appears, the clash is resumed, only this time the unbridled anger on both sides exposes a far greater, irreconcilable division.

Despite being directed by William Wellman, one of the all-time greatest American directors, Track of the Cat is a difficult film to praise. It is not because it gets a lot wrong and fails to deliver its messages with appropriate clarity. Track of the Cat is a difficult film to praise because it does the absolute bare minimum of what is required to be seen as a coherent drama, defined by supposedly thought-provoking contrasts about life, the pursuit of happiness, and death.

Even though the black panther is never revealed, it is the most consequential character, and its presence is always felt. After it comes Mitchum, a manipulative brute, who has taken over the ranch and is effectively making all the important decisions for the Bridges family and its future. However, Mitchum’s time in front of the camera is limited as well. The remaining characters are, sadly, only vessels for the opposing ideas that make the supposedly thought-provoking but quite trivial contrasts possible.

The other unfortunate development is that Track of the Cat is a western only on paper. Indeed, it feels and, despite a few short sequences with lovely panoramic vistas, looks a lot like an elaborate stage play that various method actors appeared in during the 1950s and 1960s. This is why even though thematically Track of the Cat and Legends of the Fall have a lot in common, they are very, very different films.

In an archival program included on this release, it is revealed that Wellman did numerous revisions to the original screenplay handed to him, and consequently admitted that his decision not to reveal the black panther was a mistake. However, it is difficult to see how additional footage of the black panther attacking the livestock or the brothers would have made a positive difference.

Wellman’s director of photography was William H. Clothier, who lensed such legendary westerns as The Alamo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Shenandoah.

Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.55:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Track of the Cat arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from an older master. I would describe this master as good, but also somewhat inconsistent, revealing limitations that a future 2K or 4K restoration will easily eliminate. For example, most of the wider panoramic shots can look a bit sharper, better detailed as well. In various areas, clarity can be improved, too. Grain exposure is mostly fine, but it can be even better. The good news is that on this master there are no traces of compromising digital corrections. Color reproduction and balance are convincing. Some primaries and supporting nuances can be strengthened, and if they are, the dynamic range of the visuals will also be better, but both are properly set. Image stability is good. I noticed a few nicks and blemishes, so the surface of the visuals can be healthier. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English LPCM 4.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

I chose to view Tack of the Cat with the LPCM 4.0 track. I thought that it created excitement in the best possible ways. For example, the mountain footage has several great moments, and the music helps quite well, too. All exchanges are very clear, so I am unsure if there is any room for meaningful improvements. At best, a future, fully remastered track will most likely only strengthen a few places where balance may not be ideal. The upper register is healthy.

Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by the director's son William A. Wellman Jr., actor Tab Hunter, and author Frank Thompson.

• The Making of Track of the Cat - a very interesting archival documentary that explores the genesis, production, and reception of Track of the Cat, as well as the cinematic legacy of its creator, William Wellman. Included in it are clips from interviews with Robert Mitchum, Tab Hunter, and William Wellman Jr., amongst others. Presented in four parts. In English, not subtitled. (73 min).
  
  1. Remembering William Wellman
  2. A New Kind of Western: The Writing of Walter van Tilburg Clark
  3. Black Diamond
  4. Tracking the Cat

• Robert Mitchum, The Reluctant Star - an outstanding archival documentary about the life, career, and legacy of Robert Mitchum. Included in it are clips from interviews with Robert Mitchum, director Edward Dmytryk, Deborah Kerr, Jane Greer, and Ali MacGraw, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (60 min).

Track of the Cat Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Any film that has William Wellman's name attached to it instantly raises expectations very, very high, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, Track of the Cat, a project Wellman cared a lot about, underwhelms because it tries too hard to be an arty film first and then everything else. It has the reputation of an unconventional western, but it is essentially an elaborate stage play of the kind that various method actors appeared in during the 1950s and 1960s. I think that it would have been a vastly superior film had it been done like Day of the Outlaw, a great noirish western, which was completed just a few years after it. Imprint Films' Blu-ray release is sourced from an old, slightly rough, but still quite good organic master, supplied by Paramount Pictures.