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Horror in Black and White: ‘The Cat and the Canary’ (1927)
Welcome back to another entry in “Horror in Black and White,” a weekly series celebrating the monochromatic horror that shaped the genre and still gives us chills to this day. Up this week: The Cat and the Canary (1927), our first featured silent film!
Directed by Paul Leni, based on the play by John Willard, The Cat and the Canary helped establish one of the earliest tropes in the genre as its main players gather at the home of their deceased relative to hear the reading of his will twenty years after his passing.
The opening sequence is absolutely gorgeous as a gloved hand wipes away cobwebs and dust to reveal the film’s title before the opening titles explain that the deceased, Cyrus West, spent the latter part of his life like a bird in a cage surrounded by hungry cats.
Leni’s film, which is actually more sepia-toned than black and white, uses all of the tricks in the expressionist handbook as the film gets underway superimposing images over one another to create a creeping feeling of dread in the viewer.
That dread is intensified as West’s former maid, who seems to have lived in her former employer’s house for two decades on her own after the man’s passing wanders the halls, waiting for his lawyer and family to arrive.
They do, in turn, and each seems more menacing than the last save for the comically clumsy Paul Jones (Creighton Hale) and the beautiful and innocent Annabelle West (Laura La Plante).
Annabelle, of course, is named the estate’s sole beneficiary, but there are requirements, not the least of which is remaining in the house and submitting to an exam by a physician to determine if she is sane.
Before long, a murder has been committed, priceless jewels have been stolen and everyone is a suspect!
Walking the tightrope of dark comedy and horror, Leni and his cast each give memorable performances as their archetypal characters.
As previously mentioned, La Plante is rather radiant as Annabelle, though she, as was and is so often the case, is given little to do other than react to the horrors going on around her, and Hale is hilarious and charming as Paul.
Meanwhile, Martha Mattox and Tully Marshall almost seem in competition for the creepiest people in the house as the maid, Mammy Pleasant, and West’s lawyer, Crosby.
Gertrude Astor, the first woman to sign a contract with Universal Studios, is glamour personified with her perfect curls and makeup as cousin Cecily opposite Flora Finch’s frumpy and matronly, though admittedly high-strung, Aunt Susan.
What’s so amazing about The Cat and the Canary, however, is just how influential it has been on the genre. Certainly James Whale (Frankenstein) and Tod Browning (Dracula) were inspired by the film’s imagery, but they were hardly the last.
In fact, one could almost argue that its DNA can be found in almost every film about haunted houses and treacherous family that followed including The Old Dark House and not-so-surprisingly, Scooby-Doo.
Don’t let the fact that the film is silent deter you either. The version currently available for streaming has a pitch perfect score and William Anthony’s titles do an excellent job of filling in the few points the actors are unable to convey.
When it opened in September of 1927, The Cat and the Canary was declared a box office success and lauded by critics.
In fact, the film, and the play upon which it is based, was so well-loved that it was adapted five more times in the decades that followed including the 1939 version, which brought the text’s comedy to foreground, starring Bob Hope.
The Cat and the Canary is available for rent on Amazon and FlixFling starting at $2.99, and it’s perfect for a cold winter evening with the lights down low.
Check out the a clip from the film below and for more Horror in Black and White, check out last week’s entry with The Bad Seed!
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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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