Film #1 — 1/1 Haunted House/Building/Room Film; 1/9 Decades
By C. Ramsay
Adapted from the 1922 stage play of the same name, The Cat and the Canary is a melodramatic comedy-horror film that finds a group of relatives—distant in familial relation, personal relation, or both—congregating at the estate of their deceased patriarch for the reading of his will. This document and others associated with it are used to open the story, catching the audience up at the same time as the family members and establishing parameters around the inheritance that make obtaining it dangerous. Enmeshed in the domestic drama is the added stress of an alleged escaped lunatic from a nearby asylum supposedly hiding somewhere on the mansion grounds, leading to increased paranoia and opportunity for sabotage.
Some of the ambience of a stage production is maintained throughout the film while other aspects, unique to the medium of photography, are harmoniously incorporated to distinguish director Paul Leni’s adaptation from simply being a filmed reproduction of the original work. Multiple-exposure shots and superimposition are implemented at various points , effects that a stage play would not be able to accomplish in the same way. In-camera effects and some creative point-of-view camerawork are also relied on as a means to better immerse the audience in the setting and atmosphere, tying our viewpoint to that of different characters and forcing our involvement in the mystery coursing through the night. These same effects further function to disturb the scale of the scenes, adding a touch of nonsensicality that better informs the overall mood.
The exaggerated movements and facial expressions of the cast, not uncommon in silent film to compensate for the silence, are ramped up to a level that simultaneously evokes the film’s association with Broadway, charmingly feeds into the humour, and adds a degree of twitchiness that fosters the distrust festering between the houseguests. Martha Mattox, who plays the caretaker of the mansion, has a particularly keen sense of comedic timing that’s most notable in the way she’ll suddenly pivot from conversations with a gait that makes her appear to be gliding. Most of the sets are fairly modest, shining in their moments of practicality while otherwise allowing the characters and their dramas to occupy the central interest. Similarly, the lighting is distinctly focused on the cast members, who are typically at the forefront of each shot unless it’s beneficial for them to be temporarily concealed in shadow. The background being darker allows it to take on a more amorphous look, especially now with the age of the film, which in turn gives it a slight sense of surrealism. Within the context of this set design, Mattox’ walking style fits in equally to how it stands out, and the other characters can appear as much to be single-mindedly focused or aimlessly wandering ghosts as the supposed one they fear so much.
Though the tension of the mystery is regularly cut by humour, it’s steadily ramped up as the film approaches its climax through the inclusion of action sequences that are initiated as desperation sets in for the characters. In the broader structure of the film, it’s impressive to see that many of the tropes, visual cues, and plot points present are still common in modern haunted house movies. With its stylistic balance and simple but intriguing story, it’s no wonder that the play was as successful as it was and that the film has already had five subsequent adaptations.
Star rating (/5): ★★★
Recommend?: Yes