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Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:09 pm
by Kitty
I love this one. It's a comedy/horror from Universal (with that wonderful globe opening, complete with the aeroplane circling around it) that never takes itself seriously.
Eccentric millionaire Cyrus West dies and orders his will be opened 20 years after his death at midnight. (What all his wealth was doing all those years is never said.) The last of the West family name, Annabelle, (played by Laura La Plante) is the lucky one to get his estate, under the stipulation that she be examined by a physician to make sure she is of sound mind. If she is not of sound mind, another envelope is to be opened stating the heir. She is given an envelope that she instructed to open only when she retires for the night.
When the alternate heir is about to be revealed privately to her, Crosby, the man to tell her, 'disappears' with the envelope containing the information. This is the first time we see the very badly manicured hand of the villain. Eek! At least clip your nails, dude.
The envelope that was given to Annabelle with instructions to read when she is retiring for the night tell of a button above the fireplace where the famed lost West diamonds are hidden. When she finds them, she weirdly puts them on and goes to bed with them on. BIG SURPRISE! They are stolen by Werewolf Hand. So much happens in this must see.
It's a spooky-haunted-house type movie that is always fun and has excellent camera work. The atmosphere is wonderful, and I just think this is a great movie for those who don't like silent movies. I also love the sepia tone of this one.
Oh, and Flora Finch plays money hungry Aunt Susan. The lady who plays the creepy housekeeper is very good, and I think she would have been a good female Lurch from the Addams Family.
Anyway.... Watch it... Love it... Share it.

Re: Cat and the Canary

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:04 pm
by donnie
That sounds like a good one! I'll definitely have to check it out.

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:58 pm
by Kitty
Did you ever watch this? I realized I originally posted this a year ago yesterday!

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:53 pm
by donnie
Oh, man, I forgot completely about it, and I don’t know why. I’ll watch this soon. Thanks for reminding me about it!! :)

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 8:06 pm
by donnie
Ok, I finally got around to watching this. I loved it! What fun... It has just the right mixture of spookiness and comedy, and keeps you guessing every minute. I quite agree about the atmosphere and the camera work. The sets are wonderful, and the lighting may be the best I've seen in a silent film. (How did they get Laura LaPlante's eyes to glow like that?)

As with any good whodunit, I guessed completely wrong about who was doing what and why. :) My favorite character was the delightfully creepy Mammy Pleasant (what a name!) played by Martha Mattox—but all the cast was excellent. I also enjoyed Creighton Hale as Paul; he was entertaining to watch. I was trying to figure out who the actor who played the milk wagon driver was. He's not listed in the credits, but I believe he's the comic actor who played Andy Gump.

Yes, I don't know of anyone who wouldn't get a kick out of this one, silent film fan or not. Thanks for cluing me in on it! :)

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 8:21 pm
by Kitty
I'm so glad you liked it! It's a gem, for sure.

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:05 am
by donnie
I hoped you watched the one with the original 1927 music played by the Mont Alto Orchestra. :)

I also liked these things at the end of the film:

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:11 am
by Kitty
I don't know if I watched the one with the original music---it was so long ago! Those end credits are neat!

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:59 pm
by dachshundonstilts
I'll have to watch that sometime too. Do I write to Carl Laemmle's next of kin?

Re: Cat and the Canary (1927)

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:44 pm
by donnie
dachshundonstilts wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:59 pm
I'll have to watch that sometime too. Do I write to Carl Laemmle's next of kin?
:lol: I believe that will be acceptable—under the circumstances.