The Cat and the Canary (1927)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

People are voting emotionally.

One of my all time favorites.

Good concept, poorly executed.

Rich old Cyrus West's relatives are waiting for him to die so they can inherit. But he stipulates that his will be read 20 years after his death.Although not the first film set in a supposed haunted house, The Cat and the Canary started the pattern for the "old dark house" genre. The term is derived from English director James Whale's "The Old Dark House" (1932), which was heavily influenced by Leni's film, and refers to "films in which murders are committed by masked killers in old mansions." I found the film somewhat slow and hard to watch, but this may have been my frame of mind at the time. There is clearly a sense of humor here, and intrigue, with secret passageways and a killer on the loose in a mansion full of heirs. As mentioned above, this influenced "The Old Dark House", but also many other films... more than I can even list here.I would recommend this film for historic value, but beyond that I would say to look for one of the many remakes (there are at least three or four). Added talking or color might make the film more accessible.

As silent films go, this one is probably more entertaining than most for modern viewers. The B&W visuals are interesting, even if predictably drab and bleak. Most of the plot takes place inside a "mansion", ironic given how dilapidated the place looks. Immensely high ceilings lend a touch of the Gothic. And light and shadow are played for all they're worth.The story is cliché-ridden but kinda fun. A wealthy old man has left his fortune to one of six people, all of whom gather at midnight in the spooky old house to hear the will read. After a promising first Act, the middle Act treads water as characters scurry around in a state of semi-fright, scared of the mansion's "ghosts".A ghastly looking hand with long fingernails reaches out to steal a necklace from a fair maiden's neck, in one sequence. And, in another, one person is found dead. The film's ending is less disappointing than I had initially feared. But still, a lot is left unexplained. The plot inserts humor at various points throughout, which helps, given the lengthy runtime. The Aunt Susan character is a hoot.Bleak production design is typical for films of that era. Ditto those drab glad rags that pass for costumes. I have yet to watch a 1920s film wherein the visuals did not look like precursors to the 1930s Great Depression.Acting is predictably melodramatic and hammy, maybe deliberately so. Exaggerated facial expressions, bug-eyed responses, and lots of animation in general emphasize that this film is mostly visual.Nothing is to be taken seriously here. "The Cat And The Canary" is an early example of a whodunit mystery, set in a spooky old house, played as semi-comedy. As such, except for the lagging middle Act, the film is reasonably entertaining.

Remade about five times, this is the grandfather of haunted house films. But, fear not, gentle viewer, not all tis scary here. This plays more as a comedy than a horror or thriller. Oh, there are a few moments when the lady viewers may swoon and require a hand fan or a handkerchief, but as a whole, you'll be smiling.About as good of a silent film as your likely to see, especially with this subject matter, the director has a great eye for setting the stage for a spooky night in a haunted mansion. There are some excellent overlapping shots, especially of the aged, sickly homeowner in a "cage" of medicine bottles surrounded by giant, snarling black cats. Long hallways, stormy night, billowing curtains, creeping shadows, hidden rooms, hidden passages, old cobweb-covered gears running the show on the other side of the walls, and the complimentary maniac complete with fake bulging eye and monstrous bulldog teeth stalking the unsuspecting guests---what more could you ask for? The old man died, leaving a will that requested all those who might stand a chance to inherit any of his loot should return to the old house 20 years to the day after his death for his lawyer to handle the estate. A handful of distant relatives arrives, including the sole inheritor, Annabelle, plus nerdy Paul, Aunt Susan, Cecily, and two other idiots. We also are haunted with the spectral image of the very much alive Mammy Pleasant who would make Frau Blucher cry. Then, naturally, during the course of the evening, an escaped mental patient has made his way to the grounds of the estate and could be inside, followed by his pursuer, a burly hospital security guard with a hat that reads "Guard." I would have enjoyed this even more if it was played totally straight, but there is plenty o' comedy here. Can't say enough about the cinematography and atmosphere. I would have thought a great ruse would have been to use Paul as the killer, since he seemed the nerdiest and most frightened of the bunch(he even hides in the girls' bedroom and gets jammed in the backside with a bedspring for his trouble). But, there are plenty of other red herrings to go around, and you will find yourself counting who is present and who is not during different scenes to see if you can figure out the killer before the film's action packed fight at the end. If you are already a fan of silent films, then this would be a good film to introduce to your friends, spouse, or children if they are reluctant to "read" a movie. Tons of fun.

German director Paul Leni seems, from my personal experience with his films, to be one of the more lighthearted directors to apply expressionist horror techniques to his films. At first glance this might make his films appear as somewhat routine, but there has to be something said for taking horrific subjects and turning them into comedy or adventure, as he's done here in this much-imitated mystery/suspense vehicle derived from the Broadway hit. He exists in roughly the same tradition as the French "Grand Guignol" -- the elaborate setup makes it possible for the audience to have fun with being "chilled." In this case, we have what would today be a very standard haunted house situation. Relatives of an old man who went insane return to his mansion 20 years later to hear the reading of his Will. As part of the Will's conditions, the person receiving the inheritance (who turns out to be a character played by lovely Laura La Plante) must be adjudged sane by a doctor, so someone in the group is trying to drive her insane or make her appear insane so that they can win the money.It's very obvious to the audience from the beginning that there are no real ghosts, so the fun in the movie is largely watching the way that the characters are scared by the possibility. There is one character, played by Creighton Hale (who later made B movies for AIP and other companies) who is just completely there for comic relief, and yet he is also the only man in the movie who's sincere and wants to help Annabelle (La Plante). A lot of elements in the movie were probably cliché already by the time it came out, but others were inventive.I didn't find the film visually as exciting as some other films in the same genre such as Roland West's "The Bat" or James Whale's "The Old Dark House". Also the performances are pretty much by rote. However there's just a kind of breeziness to the whole thing that makes it fun. And a couple of scenes were very well done visually, such as the scene with Annabelle's pearls being stolen. The use of the looming title card there would be an ideal example of how title cards were used to enhance film artistry rather than as a limitation. In fact that scene in particular very much reminded me of the way Alfred Hitchcock shot the very beginning of "To Catch a Thief" with the jewelry theft. None of the images are quite as disturbing today as those in Whale's and West's films.