The Cat and the Canary is one of the classic 'old dark house' stories, with its collection of greedy and possibly murderously insane relatives gathered on a dark, stormy night for the reading of a will at the sprawling ancestral pile, an old manor with many a dark corridor and secret passageway. This late '70s movie adaptation also throws in an escaped lunatic and a pair of lesbian lovers (played by Honor Blackman and the very lovely Olivia Hussey) for good measure, but despite all of these potentially fun ingredients, writer/director Radley Metzger somehow concocts a frustratingly dull thriller that gets bogged down by a seriously talky script and lethargic pace.
For the first hour, practically nothing of interest happens: the characters bicker, they watch an old film of long dead testator Cyrus West (Wilfrid Hyde-White) who explains the rules of his will, and Dr Hendricks (Edward Fox) from the nearby asylum jumps through a window (why? I'm not sure) to inform the guests that the dangerous patient known as 'The Cat' has escaped. The murders are a long time coming and really aren't worth the wait, mostly occurring off-screen, and Blackman and Hussey's potentially exploitative relationship doesn't even extend so far as a peck on the cheek.
The final half an hour picks the pace up from incredibly sluggish to just about bearable, but never delivers the thrills and chills one expects from such a film. The whole thing is far too stagy and devoid of excitement. Just about worth seeing, perhaps, for the impressive cast, which also includes the delightful Carol Lynley as heiress-in-peril Annabelle West, but don't expect too much from anyone - the weak script and doesn't give the performers much chance to shine.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.
For the first hour, practically nothing of interest happens: the characters bicker, they watch an old film of long dead testator Cyrus West (Wilfrid Hyde-White) who explains the rules of his will, and Dr Hendricks (Edward Fox) from the nearby asylum jumps through a window (why? I'm not sure) to inform the guests that the dangerous patient known as 'The Cat' has escaped. The murders are a long time coming and really aren't worth the wait, mostly occurring off-screen, and Blackman and Hussey's potentially exploitative relationship doesn't even extend so far as a peck on the cheek.
The final half an hour picks the pace up from incredibly sluggish to just about bearable, but never delivers the thrills and chills one expects from such a film. The whole thing is far too stagy and devoid of excitement. Just about worth seeing, perhaps, for the impressive cast, which also includes the delightful Carol Lynley as heiress-in-peril Annabelle West, but don't expect too much from anyone - the weak script and doesn't give the performers much chance to shine.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.