In New Mexico, the agent Jerry Manning (Dennis O'Keefe) hires the leopard of the sideshow performer Charlie How-Come (Abner Biberman) as a publicity stunt for his girlfriend Kiki Walker (Isabel Jewell) in her show in a night-club. However, her jealous rival Clo-Clo (Margo) frightens the animal with her castanets and the leopard flees from the night-club.

When the mother of the local Teresa Delgado (Margaret Landry) forces her to go late night to buy cornmeal in a distant store and the girl is killed by the leopard. Manning joins the hunting party organized by the Police Chief Roblos (Ben Bard) and the expert Dr. Galbraith (James Bell) to hunt down the animal.

Then the youth Consuelo Contreras (Tula Parma) is slaughtered in the cemetery and Manning suspects that the girl was murdered by a man. Then Clo-Clo is murdered with the same characteristics looking like a leopard attack. When the animal is found murdered in the countryside, Manning is sure that the deaths are the work of a serial-killer.

"The Leopard Man" is a dramatic and suspenseful low-budget horror movie with a gloomy cinematography and a predictable story. There are weird situations, like the dark humor of Teresa's little brother playing with the shadows or Clo-Clo rattling her castanets like a snake, or the dark procession in the end, and it is worthwhile watching this B-movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem-Leopardo" ("The Leopard Man")