Rent The Cat and the Canary (1927)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Paul Leni (The Man Who Laughs) directs one of the most important and influential films in the early history of American genre cinema, which perfected the 'old dark house' formula and set the stage for the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s. Twenty years after the death of millionaire Cyrus West, his surviving relatives are called together in a decaying mansion on the Hudson River. There, they gather to hear West's lawyer Roger Crosby (Tully Marshall) read his last will and testament and discover that West has left everything to his niece Annabelle (Laura La Plante). That is, at least, on the condition that she is judged to be legally sane. As the family settles in for the evening, tensions rise when they are informed that a murderer nicknamed the Cat has escaped from a nearby asylum and is suspected to be somewhere on the grounds. Crosby soon disappears in mysterious circumstances, which proves to be just the first in a series of horrifying events that will punctuate a long, dark night of terror - during which Annabelle's sanity will be called into question again and again. Based upon the 1922 stage production by John Willard, 'The Cat and the Canary' is a perfect blend of horror and black comedy and stands at the apex of a cycle of films adapted from mystery plays throughout the 1920s. It later inspired James Whale's 'The Old Dark House' and has been remade several times - but never bettered. - Actors:
- Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall, Gertrude Astor, Flora Finch, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Martha Mattox, George Siegmann, Lucien Littlefield, Hal Craig, Billy Engle, Joe Murphy
- Directors:
- Paul Leni
- Producers:
- Paul Kohner
- Writers:
- John Willard, Robert F. Hill, Alfred A. Cohn, Walter Anthony, Edward J. Montagne
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Horror, Thrillers
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 22/04/2024
- Run Time:
- 86 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Silent
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Brand new audio commentary by author Stephen Jones and author / critic Kim Newman
- Brand new audio commentary by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby
- Mysteries Mean Dark Corners - brand new video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson
- Pamela Hutchinson on 'The Cat and the Canary' - brand new interview with writer and film critic Pamela Hutchinson
- Phuong Le on 'The Cat and the Canary' - brand new interview with film critic Phuong Le
- A Very Eccentric Man and Yeah, a Cat! - extracts from John Willard's original play
- Lucky Strike - Paul Leni gives a full-throated endorsement to the product that got him through filming 'The Cat and the Canary'
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Reviews (1) of The Cat and the Canary
Comedy Horror (spoiler). - The Cat and the Canary review by Steve
The original and the archetypal haunted house comedy-thriller. It establishes nearly all of the genre conventions. It's not exactly horror because there is ultimately no supernatural element, but it uses typical motifs from the fright film, particularly its wonderful expressionist look and the spooky sets full of shadows and cobwebs and secret passages.
The much imitated set up is very cute. A family meets in an old castle to hear the reading of a will. The fortune goes to the lead, Laura La Plante, but only if she is considered sane by the psychiatrist who will arrive in the morning. Otherwise it will go to... and then a hairy hand comes out of the wall to snatch away the family lawyer. But whoever it is, they have until dawn to drive the heir clear out of her mind!
Then there are some hidden diamonds and a killer who has escaped from a psychiatric hospital. La Plante looks a little matronly for a horror star now, but thankfully she gives a restrained performance while being scared witless. Creigthon Hall plays the frightened fop who saves her, without being irritating. And there is a long list of the usual suspects.
It works as an exciting thriller, but the comedy (and farce) is effective too and doesn't slow down the action. This is still an enjoyable film which never drags and is told with visual flamboyance by German director Paul Leni making his American debut. When Creigthon Hall is hiding under a bed watching a jazz babe get undressed it's possible to wonder if the horror film has moved on at all!