Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Juana
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
Geraldine
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Patti-Gaston
This movie set the bar for the "who-done-its" and may very well be the inspiration for the game of "Clue". The death of a rich uncle brings the family to a crumbling and of course, dark mansion for a reading of the will. The uncle who was driven crazy by his greedy family put a stipulation on the will that it could not be opened until 20 years after his death. As the family gathers together along with the family lawyer a second will is discovered in the locked safe with the original will. This mysterious second will claims a second heir if the first one cannot meet the conditions of the first will. The condition set by Uncle Cyrus was the sanity of the heir must be proved by a doctor. You can all guess what happens next, all sorts of spooky goings on that test the sanity of the heir including lawyers disappearing through secret passageways, diamond necklaces being stolen in the middle of the night and lunatics escaping from the asylum and taking up residency in the mansion. A terrific thriller, dark and brooding, terrific overacting by the lead character and inheritor of the fortune, Annabelle West and the brilliant portrayal of the housekeeper named Mammy. The movie is made better by the fact that it is a silent film. I highly recommend watching it with the lights on.
Lechuguilla
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.
Tender-Flesh
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.
whpratt1
Enjoyed this film from the very beginning to the very end and loved the great acting of all the actors along with plenty of laughs. This was a rather spooky film with secret panels, hands with long pointed fingers grasping at your neck and people running around in an old mansion. In this film various people have been summoned to this haunted house by a lawyer who is going to read the Last Will & Testament of a rich Cyrus West who wanted his will read twenty years after his death. Cyrus West knew that his relatives were like Cats and a Canary looking for him to die in order to obtain his great wealth. Laura La Plante,(Annabelle West) and Creighton Hale, (Paul Jones) gave great performances, don't miss this great film Classic from 1927.
