THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927) B/W "silent" 75m dir: Paul Leni
w/Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall, Flora Finch, Gertrude Astor, Arthur Carewe
The original, "silent" version of the classic tale of a young woman who inherits a spooky old house. Wonderfully expressive acting and clever special effects.
From Georges Sadoul's Dictionary of Films: "A great commercial success that had an enormous influence on American horror films in its use of expressionistic devices. Paul Leni (in his first American film) made superb use of sets, lighting, and a camera that seems to glide about the house to create a mood and a real sense of mystery. Only the comic scenes have not survived the passage of time."