Over 150 black cats auditioned to be in a horror film

On Black Cat Appreciation Day, we remember the legendary black cat audition of 1961 when over 150 Black Cats auditioned to be featured in a horror film.

As captured by photographer Ralph Crane, 152 cats lined up at what is now Raleigh Studios, hoping to be cast as the eponymous character in a film adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat.

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According to TIME, many hopefuls were dismissed due to splotches of white fur, but seven all-black felines were selected as understudies for a veteran cat actor who had already been cast in the main role.

SInce they were cast to be featured in a horror film, these seven cats were selected for having the most vicious looks!

Black cats got a bad rap for being unlucky in the Middle Ages, as rumors began to spread that witches would use cats, often black ones, as familiars.

Some believed that a witch could turn herself into a black cat, and then some of those people ended up coming to America, bringing the superstition with them.

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Hence, black cats have often been featured in horror stories and Halloween decor!