Paul Leni (The Man Who Laughs) directs the influential silent masterpiece The Cat and the Canary – a perfect blend of horror and comedy that refined the “old dark house” formula, set the stage for the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and inspired a long list of remakes and imitators for decades to come.

Twenty years after the death of millionaire Cyrus West, his surviving relatives are called together in a decaying mansion on the Hudson River. There, they gather to hear West’s lawyer Roger Crosby (Tully Marshall) read his last will and testament and discover that West has left everything to his niece Annabelle (Laura La Plante). That is, at least, on the condition that she is judged to be legally sane. As the family settles in for the evening, tensions rise when they are informed that a murderer nicknamed the Cat has escaped from a nearby asylum and is suspected to be somewhere on the grounds – marking the beginning of a long, dark night of terror, during which Annabelle’s sanity will be called into question again and again.

Based upon the 1922 stage production by John Willard, The Cat and the Canary stands at the apex of a cycle of silent films adapted from mystery plays throughout the 1920s. It later inspired James Whale’s The Old Dark House and has been remade several times – but never bettered.

The Masters of Cinema series and the Showroom Cinema are proud to present The Cat and the Canary from an astonishing 4K restoration by MoMA. The screening on Saturday 27 September will include a contextual introduction by Craig Ian Mann, producer for Eureka and its Masters of Cinema series.

Director Paul Leni
Year 1927
Duration 1h 47m
Language English
Cast Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley