# The Cat and the Canary (1927 film)

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The Cat and the Canary is a 1927 American silent comedy horror film directed by the German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, an adaptation of John Willard's 1922 black-comedy play of the same name.
Cast and Crew :
| Cast ||
| Role | Actor |
| | Laura La Plante |
| | Forrest Stanley |
| | Creighton Hale |
| | Flora Finch |
| | Gertrude Astor |
| | Arthur Edmund Carewe |
| | George Siegmann |
| Crew ||
| Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures, Netflix |
| Director | Paul Leni (d. 1929) |
| Producer | Paul Kohner (d. 1988), Carl Laemmle (d. 1939) |
| Screenwriter | Alfred A. Cohn (d. 1951), Robert F. Hill (d. 1966), Walter Anthony (d. 1945) |
| Cinematographer | Gilbert Warrenton (d. 1980) |
| Composer | Hugo Riesenfeld (d. 1939) |
| Production designer | Charles D. Hall |
| Based on available information, the latest crew member that is relevant to international copyright laws died in 1988, meaning that this film may be in the public domain in countries and jurisdictions with 35 years p.m.a. or less, as well as in the United States. ||
Carl Laemmle PRESENTS The CAT and the CANARY
From the Stage Play by JOHN WILLARD
Adaptation by
ROBERT E. HILL & ALFRED A. COHN
Scenario by ALFRED A. COHN
Story Supervision by
EDWARD J. MONTAGNE
Titles by
WALTER ANTHONY
Photography by GILBERT WARRENTON A.S.C.
Art Director CHARLES D. HALL
Film Editor MARTIN G. COHN
Supervising Film Editor
LLOYD NOSLER
Directed by
Paul Leni
A
UNIVERSAL PRODUCTION
COPYRIGHT, MCMXXVII,
BY
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
CORPORATION
CARL LAEMMLE PRESIDENT
PLAYERS
On a lonely, pine-clad hill overlooking the Hudson, stood the grotesque mansion of an eccentric millionaire——
Medicine could do nothing more for Cyrus West, whose greedy relatives, like cats around a canary, had brought him to the verge of madness——
Last Will and Testament of Cyrus West. To be opened twenty years after my death.
Cyrus West
This envelope is never to be opened if the terms of my will are carried out.
Cyrus West
——and for twenty years, it was said, the tormented ghost of Cyrus West wandered nightly through the deserted corridors.
But on the night when the will was to be read, there was something more tangible than a ghost in the house.
"I have come to read the will of Cyrus West. Have any of the heirs arrived yet?"
"No, Mr. Crosby."
"You must have been lonely here these twenty years, Mammy Pleasant."
"I don't need the living ones."
"I locked this safe twenty years ago——and now a moth comes out!"
"Who has been in this house?"
"No one but I——and his ghost."
"No ghost could have opened these envelopes——"
"Nobody knows the combination of that safe but——you!"
"Harry Blythe!"
"It's good to see you again after all these years!"
"Surely you remember your little protege, Charlie Wilder?"
"Hello, Cousin Harry!"
"Isn't it about time you forgot your family quarrels?"
"Why don't you drive in?"
"Not for a million bucks!"
"Why?"
"GHOSTS!"
Aunt Susan and her niece, Cecily.
house!" spooky a what "Gosh what a spooky house!"
"You're Paul Jones, aren't you?"
"What was that explosion we just heard?"
"I was driving along when I heard a shot——"
"I was driving along when I heard a shot and a bullet whizzed right by my nose."
"I was driving along——"
"I was driving along——"
"I was driving along and a bullet——"
"As I was saying——it missed me!"
"It is midnight——you must read the will."
"We've got to wait for Annabelle West."
"Annabelle?"
"Why, Paul! I haven't seen you since nurse dropped you on your head."
"She's certainly the image of Cyrus West, and I'll bet she's crazy, too!"
"It isn't time to be catty——wait till we see who gets the money."
"You've had twenty years to get ready for this meeting. It's a wonder you couldn't be here on time!"
"That clock hasn't struck in twenty years——since the old man died."
PAUL JONES MILLIONAIRE
"My relatives have watched my wealth as if they were cats, and I——a canary——"
"——they have nearly driven me crazy because they believe I am mad."
"——Therefore, my entire estate goes to my most distant relative, bearing the name——"
"——OF WEST!"
PAUL JONES MILLIONAIRE
"Annabelle, I am glad you won even though I lost."
"You're to open this envelope in his room tonight before you retire——it was his last wish."
"I'm going——I didn't want the crazy fool's money, anyway!"
"What is in that envelope she gave to Annabelle?"
"Perhaps it will tell what became of the famous West diamonds."
"——but there is an embarrassing condition attached to this will——"
"A physician is named in the will who must examine the heir and positively establish his or her sanity."
"If you are proven mentally unfit by the doctor who comes tonight, the estate goes to the one named in the envelope in my pocket."
"I beg your pardon——"
"What was the last thing you said?"
"He said, the heir must be proven sane or the estate goes to the one mentioned in the envelope in his pocket."
"He dictated that paragraph because he knew that all his relatives thought him crazy."
"Now I know he was crazy."
"This is an evil omen——something terrible will happen here tonight."
"If you ever need me for anything, Annabelle, let me know."
"Please don't go, Paul——don't leave me alone with these people!"
"I'm sure Mammy Pleasant will be glad to serve you something if you'll go into the dining room."
"I'm sure a cup of tea would comfort Aunt Susan."
"Please excuse us——Mr. Crosby wants to discuss the conditions of the will."
"You are just like your uncle——in a cage, surrounded by cats."
"What did the old woman mean, saying that something terrible would happen tonight?"
"Just an old superstition. When somebody's picture falls, it's a sign of——death!"
"I thought I had an appointment——now I'm sure of it!"
"An escaped lunatic is at large——I'm looking for him."
"Well, what are you doing here?"
"He's either in this house or on the grounds."
"I tracked him to your driveway gates."
"Leave it to me——I'll lock the doors and windows."
"What are you trying to give us——a bedtime story?"
"If you ever saw this lunatic you wouldn't think it was a bedtime story!"
"He's a maniac who thinks he's a cat, and tears his victims like they were canaries!"
"What's the big idea——trying to scare the women to death?"
"I'm just doing my duty."
"He may be hiding in the house. You'd better show me around."
"Nobody leaves this house tonight!"
"This envelope contains the name of the heir in case you are adjudged insane——"
"The one named in this envelope has opened it, knows the conditions and may do you harm!"
"In case your sanity is questioned by the doctor who comes tonight, you ought to be warned who your successor is."
"——the name is——"
"Mr. Crosby disappeared!"
"Don't look at me as if I were crazy——I tell you Mr. Crosby disappeared!"
"Mr. Crosby disappeared!"
"Just when he was about to tell me the name——he disappeared with the envelope!"
"I knew that envelope would disappear!"
"Pretty lucky for Annabelle that envelope disappeared."
"Will you please shut up!"
"Where was Crosby when you last saw him?"
"Just where Paul stands now."
"Didn't I tell you? She's as crazy as Cyrus West!"
"Why don't you look for Mr. Crosby, instead of staring at me!"
"I'll bet she knows where Crosby is right now."
"But I tell you I don't know——he disappeared."
"Where is Mammy Pleasant while all this is going on?"
"Perhaps Annabelle arranged for her disappearance, too."
"Your rooms are ready."
"I'll not leave this room until I know where that envelope is!"
"Who is that girl?"
"Annabelle West——our little cousin."
"Haven't you found anybody to put in your strait-jacket yet?"
"No——but I will before I leave."
"Thank you, Guard——I know you will protect us."
"Nobody has slept in that bed since the death of Cyrus West——twenty years ago."
"I'm scared to death——let me stay here with you."
"What are you doing here?"
"I——I——was looking for——Mr. Crosby."
"Mr. Crosby wouldn't be here——under the circumstances."
"Don't forget the letter about the West diamonds."
"I feel sociable tonight——may I come in?"
"D-d-don't you be f-frightened——I—I'm in the house."
"I'm not at all clever, Annabelle——but I care a lot for you."
"And I like you, too, Paul."
"If I had been named in the will, Annabelle, I would have offered the fortune to you."
There is a button above the fireplace in this room. It is cleverly hidden but the famous West diamonds are worth your patience. Find it!
Cyrus West
"Come and sleep in my room."
"I'd like to see anybody get in here."
"I'd like to see anybody get out of here."
"I always look under the bed but I've never found anything yet."
"You're not what Aunt Susan expected, but come out anyway."
"I came in here to protect you from the ghost!"
"All men are alike, only some are worse. Now you get out!"
"Have you ever seen anything that looked like a ghost in this house?"
"There may be one standing behind you now!"
"HELP!"
"She's ab-so-lute-ly crazy!"
"This wall seems sound."
"This is a matter for the police."
"Nobody answers——the wires have been cut."
"I'm going for the police."
"I'm going for the police."
"Let me go——you'd better stay here."
"It must have been the maniac who killed him. I'll go for the guard."
"What's this all about, Paul?"
"Don't interrupt me——I think I'm thinking!"
"The solution of this mystery is in the envelope in Crosby's pocket."
"The person named in that envelope is the one who murdered Crosby."
"I'm going to take that envelope out of Crosby's pocket."
"And I'm going with you."
"SUSAN!"
"SUSAN!"
"SUSAN!"
"HELP!"
Crescent 101
"HELP!"
"G-G-G-GHOSTS?"
"I am the doctor."
"What makes you so nervous tonight?"
"First, Mr. Crosby was murdered——"
"Murdered——before I came?"
"——then a hand, like a claw or a spider, came out from the wall and stole the necklace I was wearing."
"You mean to say that a hand came out of the wall and stole your necklace?"
"——and now Paul and Aunt Susan have disappeared."
"May I have a glass of water?"
"Annabelle!"
"I can't find Aunt Susan!"
"Are you related to this young lady?"
"I'll report on this case in the morning."
"Did I hear you say that a man was murdered?"
"Ghosts are murdering people in the Cyrus West house!"
"It's about time you climbed on a milk wagon."
"Don't be smart——I tell you they're ghosts!"
"All right——we'll soon find out what it's all about."
"Give me a hand, Guard——here's your—maniac!"
"Look out for him! He's the guy named in the second envelope!"
"He hired me to help put the girl in the bughouse, so he could get the money!"
"He killed Crosby——the body is in the cellar now——and I'll bet you'll find the necklace on him!"
"Everything's all right, Annabelle. The guilty man is caught."
"Annabelle, the mansion is yours, but you don't want to live here alone, do you?"
FINIS
The Cast
This is repeated at the request of picture patrons who desire to check the names of those players whose work has pleased them.
"It's a Universal Picture How did you like it? Write me your opinion."
Carl Laemmle
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
Copyright law abroad tends to consider the following people authors of a film:
* The principal director
* The screenwriter, and/or other writers of dialogue
* The composer/lyricist (if the film is accompanied by sound)
* The cinematographer
* By extension, the authors of any works that may serve as the basis for a film's plot
The longest-living of these authors died in 1988, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 35 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse