Mjeteconer
Just perfect...
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Suman Roberson
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
StrictlyConfidential
IMO - (Unless you're seriously stoned right out of your head) - The only viewers who I believe would find this 90-year-old "silent-era" relic scary would be very young and impressionable children.Set in a typical creaky, old house (on a dark, stormy night) - I found this particular "whodunit" to be more of an unintentional comedy rather than a drama/suspense/horror story.It was certainly a good thing that this film was only 85 minutes long - 'Cause at about the half-way point it was already losing steam, big-time.*Note* - I'm not saying that this film was terrible - 'Cause it wasn't.But, I sure wish that all of the self-appointed "critics" out there would quit watching oldies (like this one) through the haze of rose-coloured glasses.
alexanderdavies-99382
"The Cat and the Canary" is a favourite of mine. Combining elements of Horror with Comedy, this film has many excellent moments.The sets that represent the house in question, are outstanding. I can believe that someone or something is roaming about along those long, dark corridors.The direction by German director, Paul Leni is excellent as he makes full use of the cameras and the lighting.The acting is pretty good on the whole.I rate "The Cat and the Canary" as being on a par with the best from "Universal's" horror period.
Johan Louwet
You might think that you cannot take a horror movie with comedy features serious but here they are welcome in what otherwise would be a pretty standard and perhaps tedious film about a house that might be haunted and where mysterious events happen. Comparing this one to the shorter Midnight Faces which has the same premise is like day and night. The Cat and the Canary beats it in every way. The Cat and the Canary starts of with some impressive visuals about the deceased uncle's feelings about his relatives portrayed in a very symbolic way with cats. A few times we see some nice special effects, impressive for its time. The eeriness of the dark mansion remains constant for start to end. The cast is really versatile and fitting with in the starring roles Laura La Plante as the lucky heir Annabelle West, Creighton Hale as the first not so brave and therefore unintentionally funny Paul Jones and of course Flora Finch as aunt Susan whose hysteric talking would drive any sane person crazy (perfect example is when she is picked up by the milkman and drives him nuts with her chattering about ghosts). Honorable mention to Martha Mattox as housekeeper Mammy Pleasant (that name in itself is the biggest paradox when you see her face) whose presence alone does anyone expect there is something scary about the whole thing. And of course the doctor examining Annabelle looked creepy too. Simple but effective story with wonderful characters.
binapiraeus
As the title clearly suggests, this is a murderous 'game' of the hunter and the hunted... It all starts - where else - in the dark old mansion of a dying millionaire, who draws his will, to be opened only 20 years after his death... So, after all those years have passed, his relatives all assemble in the creepy old house - every one of them, of course, hoping that he or she will be the sole heir to the fortune. But first arrives the old man's attorney, to greet the old housekeeper (Martha Mattox, who specialized in roles like this, and fits perfectly into the spooky atmosphere) - and to find that the safe has been opened recently, and the papers have been tampered with...And then the family members make their appearance one by one; but the feeling between them, of course, isn't very friendly. Finally, the old clock strikes midnight, and the attorney opens the will; and it declares the deceased's niece Annabelle (Laura La Plante) as the 'winner' - under ONE condition: that a physician has to prove her mentally sane! Otherwise the fortune will go to the person mentioned in a second envelope that's still sealed...So we can all imagine what's bound to follow: a night of terror, with the attorney being murdered, tales of the old man's 'ghost' spooking around, a warden coming in and speaking of an escaped lunatic - in short, everything possible is being done to drive the 'canary' Annabelle crazy...This is a CLASSIC among the Classics of the genre, perfectly directed and acted, with a very effective musical score, constant games with shadows on the wall, nice (and very modern for the time) camera effects to enhance the suspense; and of course the whole 'old dark house' repertoire with turning bookshelves, terrifying claws reaching out from behind every corner, dark figures walking through the old halls... And there even is some comical relief, provided by Annabelle's cowardly cousin Paul (Creighton Hale); the entertainment as well as the suspense value - not to speak of the historical importance - of this movie is really immeasurable!
