The Cat and the Canary (1927) is an American silent horror film adaptation of John Willard's 1922 black comedy play of the same name. Directed by German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, the film stars Laura La Plante as Annabelle West, Forrest Stanley as Charles "Charlie" Wilder, and Creighton Hale
as Paul Jones. The plot revolves around the death of Cyrus West, who is
Annabelle, Charlie, and Paul's uncle, and the reading of his will
20 years later. Annabelle inherits her uncle's fortune, but when she
and her family spend the night in his haunted mansion they are stalked
by a mysterious figure. Meanwhile, a lunatic known as "the Cat" escapes from an asylum and hides in the mansion.
The Cat and the Canary is part of a genre of comedy horror films inspired by 1920s Broadway stage plays. Paul Leni's adaptation of Willard's play blended expressionism with humor, a style Leni was notable for and critics recognized as unique. Leni's style of directing made The Cat and the Canary influential in the "old dark house" genre of films popular from the 1930s through the 1950s. The film was one of Universal's early horror productions and is considered "the cornerstone of Universal's school of horror."[1] The play has been filmed five other times, with the most notable in 1939 starring comedic actor Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.
original 1927 quad poster
The Cat and the Canary is part of a genre of comedy horror films inspired by 1920s Broadway stage plays. Paul Leni's adaptation of Willard's play blended expressionism with humor, a style Leni was notable for and critics recognized as unique. Leni's style of directing made The Cat and the Canary influential in the "old dark house" genre of films popular from the 1930s through the 1950s. The film was one of Universal's early horror productions and is considered "the cornerstone of Universal's school of horror."[1] The play has been filmed five other times, with the most notable in 1939 starring comedic actor Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.
| Directed by | Paul Leni |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Paul Kohner |
| Screenplay by | Alfred A. Cohn (also adaptation) Robert F. Hill (adaptation) Walter Anthony (titles) |
| Based on | The Cat and the Canary by John Willard |
| Starring | Laura La Plante Forrest Stanley Creighton Hale Flora Finch |
| Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Warrenton |
| Editing by | Martin G. Cohn |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 9, 1927 (US) |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film / English intertitles |
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