The Cat and the Canary: Limited Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1927
Director: Paul Leni
Writers: Robert F. Hill, Alfred A. Cohn, Walter Anthony, Edward J. Montagne
Cast: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall, Gertrude Astor, Flora Finch, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Martha Mattox, George Siegmann, Lucien Littlefield

Release Date: April 22nd, 2024 (UK), April 23rd, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 50 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 With English Intertitles
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"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. Crosby soon disappears in mysterious circumstances, which proves to be just the first in a series of horrifying events that will punctuate a long, dark night of terror – during which Annabelle’s sanity will be called into question again and again." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, “a 4K digital restoration of the original negatives supplied by MoMA.”

The Cat and the Canary comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.4 GB

Feature: 25.9 GB

Considering the limitations of the sources used for this transfer, it looks extremely good. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels look strong throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix with English intertitles. This audio track sounds excellent.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an extra titled Lucky Strike – Paul Leni gives a full-throated endorsement to the product that got him through filming The Cat and the Canary (55 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an extract from John Willard’s original play titled A Very Eccentric Man (3 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an extract from John Willard’s original play titled Yeah, a Cat! (2 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Phuong Le titled Phuong Le on The Cat and the Canary (9 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer and film critic Pamela Hutchinson titled Pamela Hutchinson on The Cat and the Canary (13 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson titled Mysteries Mean Dark Corners (29 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, an audio commentary with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby, a limited-edition O-Card slipcase (2000 copies) and a 32-page booklet with cast & crew credits, an essay written by Richard Combs, an essay written by Craig Ian Mann, and an essay written by Imogen Sara Smith and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Directed by Paul Leni, whose other notable films include Waxworks (Das Wachsfigurenkabinett), The Last Warning, and The Man Who Laughs.

The heirs of an eccentric millionaire gather on the 20th anniversary of his death for the reading of his will.

The Cat and the Canary was the first of four films Paul Lani directed in Hollywood before his untimely death at the age of 44. The Cat and the Canary was the first film adaptation of John Williard’s play of the same name. There have been numerous film adaptations since Paul Leni's film.

The Cat and the Canary is an early example of what is now known as Old Dark House films. These types of films involve some sort of gathering at an old, neglected house. And though these films rely on things that go bump in the night, humor also plays a role. The Cat and the Canary has the core elements that one would expect from an Old Dark House film: an escaped lunatic, secret corridors, and a monster with a hairy arm.

The Cat and the Canary’s greatest asset is not the story that unfolds but the way the visuals tell that story. German expressionist cinema played a significant role for German filmmakers who made the transition to Hollywood cinema. That said, it is easy to see how German expressionist cinema influenced the look of The Cat and the Canary.

Though there were some inventive camera techniques employed in the early days of cinema, more often than not, it was stationary shots that cut from character to character. The Cat and the Canary’s camera is more active than in most silent films; there are shots that glide down corridors and shots of the camera zooming in on characters. The striking use of superimposing and juxtapositioning people and objects is another area where the visuals stand out.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Cat and the Canary does not excel. The well-executed narrative does an excellent job building tension towards a phenomenal finale. The production design is exquisite, and the eye for detail is astonishing. Ultimately, The Cat and the Canary is an extraordinary film and cinematic achievement that is one of silent cinema’s highwater marks.

The Cat and the Canary gets an exceptional release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer