The Cat and the Canary

I fondly remember seeing this film in '79, and I was taken by it but this was long before I started demanding quality from the industry. I wish I hadn't seen it again, so I could have preserved the memory of the atmosphere and lightning and secret passageways, the reading of the will -- I could go on. But the sun rises. How can a film that boasts such talent lie on the floor so limply? There is no depth to any of the characters except the house keeper. Playboy to Doctor to Sportswoman to Pet girl to Instant heiress -- stick characters played by bored actors. The leading lady seemed miscast. Sorry, Miss Linley but the accent came and went so many times, it was distracting. Not that Miss Lynley got much help from Randy's adaption. To sum it up -- it was all there, all the spooky/ horror elements, but nothing jelled. There was no chemistry between anything... the movie lied there, the end offered nothing but who the killer was and even that was obvious from the onset. Yes. Yes. Very sad. Sometimes it's best to keep childhood memories in your mind's eye rather then try to relive the moment.......................

What an odd film. A few decent chuckles, a few wonderful camera tricks, but far too much chitchat and a very nasty sadistic tinge.

The "old dark house" thriller idea is hardly given any new energy, and the thunder sound effects often swamp the dialogue, making some sequences a challenge to endure. I agree with other reviewers that this feels like a 70s version of the 30s, with the same costume/lighting ideas as many of the 70s Agatha Christie adaptations (and Olivia Hussey in the cast).

Wilfred Hyde White is great fun from beyond the grave, and a special word for the wonderful sequence where the usually glorious (but here slightly subdued) Beatrix Lehmann walks behind his projection screen, appears on screen, then emerges from behind the other side. Also, a very effective sequence where Ms Lehmann talks about her late employer with her face reflected in his photo.

Far too many characters I found it hard to care about, all written in very poor, sub-Cluedo dialogue. Even Honor Blackman struggles with the poor material she is given. Some sequences are, frankly, silly. Edward Fox leaps through a window instead of knocking on the door. After relating the saga of the escaped loony, Mr Fox instructs everyone to lock up the house and hide in their rooms; this comes despite his having rendered the house insecure by destroying the lounge window.

There is a nasty tinge of sadistic enjoyment to the final sequences, where the barking mad murderer is cornered in his lair. As much of the rest of the film tries (and very occasionally succeeds) in being light-hearted, the unpleasant conclusion, followed by a twee little "happily ever after" coda, seems at odds with the film's intentions.

Very uneven and unsure of whether to laugh or scream, this really isn't very good.

This old theatrical warhorse gets another outing in what is (to date) the only colour version of a classic play.

There are some pleasantly swish performances from a good cast and neat direction from Metzger. Film takes a while to get going but the last reel packs in the action.

Wilfred Hyde-White's appearance on film is a nice touch and he even gets to "host" the end credits. But the best moment is Edward Fox's spectacular entrance and his scene-stealing thereafter : a moment to treasure, especially his delivery of the line "We're just up the road"! (It'll make sense when you watch it).

The Cat and the Canary is directed by Radley Metzger who also adapts the screenplay from the play written by John Willard. It stars Honor Blackman, Michael Callan, Edward Fox, Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey, Wilfred Hyde-White, Carol Lynley, Beatrix Lehmann, Daniel Massey and Peter McEnery. Music is by Steven Cagan and cinematography by Alex Thomson.

Ah the dark house murder mystery, sadly seeming now like a relic of our cinematic pasts. There are many to choose from for those of us who choose to go back in time and cosy up by a warm fire, with drink in hand, to involve ourselves in the standard plot formula of various folk getting bumped off by a scheming murderer during a short time period and under one roof. John Willard's The Cat and the Canary is a well mined source for such fun and fearful frolics, as of the time of writing, this 1979 version stands as the last attempt to transfer the play to the screen.

There is nothing unduly bad about Metzger's movie, it's just that it is rarely inspiring either. The cast is well assembled, with one or two creaky performances aside, the mystery element holds strong, and period flavours are tasteful. But the mansion it's set in is too bright and un-threatening, it's overtly talky as a good hour is used to set up characters and plot dynamics, while there's a distinct lack of acidity in the script. Still, it's never less than fun, and for the innovative reading of the will segment alone this version is worth seeking out by those who decry the demise of the old dark house set mystery thriller. 6/10

If drawing-room-type murder mysteries with a comic touch are your cup of tea, then you can't go wrong with this one. It's not as good as, say, "Murder by Death" or the best Agatha Christie adaptations, and there are some overly talky sequences that exist mainly to showcase the actors and lead nowhere. But it holds your interest, and has some very good acting, especially by Wilfrid Hyde-White in a most unusual cameo. (**1/2)