The Cat and the Canary (1978)

A will is read in a big, old, dark house. The beneficiary can only claim the inheritance if she survives the night. Otherwise, the fortune goes to a secondary beneficiary who will only be named should the first beneficiary die. Anyone could be that secondary beneficiary - and someone is willing to kill to find out who it is.The house is wonderful - lots of rooms and secret passages. I love a house with a sliding bookcase and that's exactly what you get here. The house creates a perfect setting for a murder mystery. Surprisingly, there is some pretty good atmosphere.Much of the movie is meant to be a comedy and that's where The Cat and the Canary falters. Had it been played straight, it might have been more enjoyable.The movie was directed by Radley Metzger. The fact that a porn director was able assemble a cast including Edward Fox, Olivia Hussey, Honor Blackman, and the wonderful Wendy Hiller is amazing. The fact that he was able to pull the whole thing off as well as he did is a miracle.

Some truly scary moments, but the sadism is gratuitous. The cast is fine, but the sentimental closing montage of cast credits is ludicrous given the violent film which has just preceded it. Basically, this is an unnecessary remake which should never have been made. Waste of a fine cast, including Wilfrid Hyde-White as the sadistic patriarch whose will is designed to trigger the bloodletting that ensues; Dame Wendy Hiller as the lawyer who meets a particularly gruesome fate; Honor Blackman and Olivia Hussey as a lesbian couple; and Carol Lynley as the film's ingenue.

There was so much potential in a modern color remake of this old dark house mystery tale, but this one is just so average. The muted colors and static direction give it the look and feel of something filmed for British TV but shown theatrically. More spooky stuff with the escaped lunatic who rips his victims to shreds with his sharp nails would have been vastly appreciated without sacrificing the mystery element. The most striking scene has a woman walking behind a movie screen, appearing on the B&W film being projected and walking off the other side to appear from behind the screen. I wonder how many takes it took the bring this effect off so flawlessly.

This was supposed to be a comedy/mystery/thriller. However, there was no comedy, a little mystery, and few thrills. The story took place in a beautiful old manse, at night, during a violent storm, and a will was read. This was a pat formula film that offered absolutely nothing new. Not a total loss, but no real winner either.