IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
When an eccentric family meets in their uncle's remote, decaying mansion on the tenth anniversary of his death for the reading of his will, murder and madness follow.When an eccentric family meets in their uncle's remote, decaying mansion on the tenth anniversary of his death for the reading of his will, murder and madness follow.When an eccentric family meets in their uncle's remote, decaying mansion on the tenth anniversary of his death for the reading of his will, murder and madness follow.
- Awards
- 1 win
William Abbey
- 'The Cat'
- (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Charles Lane
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Frank Melton
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Nick Thompson
- Indian Guide
- (uncredited)
Chief Thundercloud
- Indian Guide
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaElizabeth Patterson played the role of Susan in both this and the first sound version of the story, The Cat Creeps (1930).
- GoofsWhen the heirs heading to the house in a boat point out a swimming alligator, protective tape is visibly wrapped around its mouth..
- Quotes
Cicily: It's awful spooky down here. Do you believe in reincarnation?
Wally Campbell: Huh?
Cicily: You know... that dead people come back?
Wally Campbell: You mean like the Republicans?
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1994)
Featured review
"Some Fun!"
This has always been one of my top10 favourite films, since I first saw it in 1972, at least 14 times since. Bob Hope was still a little green at this stage, but you can almost see (and hear) him coming of age in CATC, his comic delivery technique and timing noticeably improved by the end. The spooky atmosphere generated onto the b&w nitrate stock by the Paramount cast and crew was palpable, compare it - if you can stomach it - to the 1979 remake!
8 people are summoned to a will-reading at a rather eerie old house; the one that wins the fortune seems to be going insane as one of her relatives sweetly puts it, whilst another just says she's going out of her mind. There's only 2 nice people here, Hope and Goddard, the rest are more or less on the make. She's the visual jewel in here - as Hope says, "Terrific". The scene with Goddard and the Cat in the library is my all-time Spooky Moment on Film - nowadays all the "artists" involved in the making of "horror" films don't trouble about niceties like Spookiness, but just get on with the Gore. That of course is the problem for most people coming to this, they've probably inured themselves over the years to see disgusting and vile-ent things - so much so that they would laugh at the most savage scene in this where someone gets knifed in the back. The 1927 Laura LaPlante version is good and nicely atmospheric too, but it's difficult comparing chalk and cheese to silent and talking pictures - they're both great comedy films on their own merits.
A wonderful piece of art, topped the next year with an even better follow up, Ghost Breakers.
8 people are summoned to a will-reading at a rather eerie old house; the one that wins the fortune seems to be going insane as one of her relatives sweetly puts it, whilst another just says she's going out of her mind. There's only 2 nice people here, Hope and Goddard, the rest are more or less on the make. She's the visual jewel in here - as Hope says, "Terrific". The scene with Goddard and the Cat in the library is my all-time Spooky Moment on Film - nowadays all the "artists" involved in the making of "horror" films don't trouble about niceties like Spookiness, but just get on with the Gore. That of course is the problem for most people coming to this, they've probably inured themselves over the years to see disgusting and vile-ent things - so much so that they would laugh at the most savage scene in this where someone gets knifed in the back. The 1927 Laura LaPlante version is good and nicely atmospheric too, but it's difficult comparing chalk and cheese to silent and talking pictures - they're both great comedy films on their own merits.
A wonderful piece of art, topped the next year with an even better follow up, Ghost Breakers.
helpful•142
- Spondonman
- Aug 12, 2006
- How long is The Cat and the Canary?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 12 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Cat and the Canary (1939) officially released in India in English?
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