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This film version of greedy relatives gathering for the reading of a will has been crucified in some corners as a pale shadow of the original, or if not the original the Bob Hope version. While certainly no classic this is a fun retelling of the story that works because the cast is so enjoyable to watch and because the old story works even if its done half way decently.

This was the first version of the story that I ever saw. Endless reruns on HBO years ago have burned portions of this film into my mind, but I didn't mind since the film was just a good time passer.

No, its not perfect. The 1970's retro feel that it has doesn't really work and makes the film feel like it doesn't belong anywhere. There were several films in the 1970's set in the 20's, 30's or 40's that suffered similar fates, particularly if they had any European connections. This is not the place to discuss it, but when you see this film you'll understand what I mean.

And you should see this since its good but far from great. Is this the version if you can only see one go at the story? No, that would probably be the Bob Hope version, but if you want something for a rainy Sunday that won't tax the brain, this is it.

7 out of 10 on the pure enjoyment scale.

I'm not overly fond of seeing remakes of movies that I hold in high esteem, such as Paul Leni's excellent silent film "The Cat and the Canary" (1927), but the 1979 British remake (actually the fifth filming of John Willard's 1922 stage play) has such an impressive cast that it was hard for me to resist. And, as it turns out, this most recent incarnation is as fun as can be; an amusing and at times pretty darn scary updating. In what is a now-classic setup, a group of relatives convenes in England, at Glencliff Manor on a stormy night in 1934, to hear the reading of Cyrus West's will, while outside the house, an escaped homicidal maniac stalks the neighborhood. Here, West's attorney, Dame Wendy Hiller, screens the 20-year-old filmed testament of the old man (Wilfrid Hyde-White, whose grumpy recitation for his latter-day "leeches" and "bastards" easily steals the show) to a group of millionaire wanna-bes that includes yummy Carol Lynley, lesbian cousins Honor Blackman and Olivia Hussey, and American songwriter Michael Callan. Radley Metzger, in his sole horror outing in a career more known for various erotic entertainments, directs this film with style to spare, and his screenplay is clever and at times even sparkling. Callan gets the lion's share of the script's comical one-liners, and his quips regarding "putting on heirs," "where there's a will, there's a way" and "kissing cousins" are actually very funny. But don't get me wrong; despite the screenplay's cleverness, this "CATC" does dish out the scares, especially in the film's final 1/2 hour, when that maniac (who reminded me a bit of a bloodied-up Keith Richards, of all people!) gets into the house and things turn pretty nasty. All in all, a surprisingly well-done remake. Now...when is somebody finally gonna release a Region 1 DVD of the 1939 Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard "CATC"? That's what I want to know!

This old theatrical warhorse gets another outing in what is (to date) the only colour version of a classic play.

There are some pleasantly swish performances from a good cast and neat direction from Metzger. Film takes a while to get going but the last reel packs in the action.

Wilfred Hyde-White's appearance on film is a nice touch and he even gets to "host" the end credits. But the best moment is Edward Fox's spectacular entrance and his scene-stealing thereafter : a moment to treasure, especially his delivery of the line "We're just up the road"! (It'll make sense when you watch it).

If drawing-room-type murder mysteries with a comic touch are your cup of tea, then you can't go wrong with this one. It's not as good as, say, "Murder by Death" or the best Agatha Christie adaptations, and there are some overly talky sequences that exist mainly to showcase the actors and lead nowhere. But it holds your interest, and has some very good acting, especially by Wilfrid Hyde-White in a most unusual cameo. (**1/2)

The Cat and the Canary is directed by Radley Metzger who also adapts the screenplay from the play written by John Willard. It stars Honor Blackman, Michael Callan, Edward Fox, Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey, Wilfred Hyde-White, Carol Lynley, Beatrix Lehmann, Daniel Massey and Peter McEnery. Music is by Steven Cagan and cinematography by Alex Thomson.

Ah the dark house murder mystery, sadly seeming now like a relic of our cinematic pasts. There are many to choose from for those of us who choose to go back in time and cosy up by a warm fire, with drink in hand, to involve ourselves in the standard plot formula of various folk getting bumped off by a scheming murderer during a short time period and under one roof. John Willard's The Cat and the Canary is a well mined source for such fun and fearful frolics, as of the time of writing, this 1979 version stands as the last attempt to transfer the play to the screen.

There is nothing unduly bad about Metzger's movie, it's just that it is rarely inspiring either. The cast is well assembled, with one or two creaky performances aside, the mystery element holds strong, and period flavours are tasteful. But the mansion it's set in is too bright and un-threatening, it's overtly talky as a good hour is used to set up characters and plot dynamics, while there's a distinct lack of acidity in the script. Still, it's never less than fun, and for the innovative reading of the will segment alone this version is worth seeking out by those who decry the demise of the old dark house set mystery thriller. 6/10

This had nice British cast and a remake of an old film that had been remade several times after the original silent production.

Just look at the names: Edward Fox, Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey, Carol Lynly, Daniel Massey, Wilfrid Hyde White, Honor Blackman, Michael Callan - maybe not huge names, but all fine actors.

This adaptation was too talky for me, especially for a murder story. It starts off promising in the first half hour but really peters out with all the gab and not nearly enough suspense or action. It looked like a modern English TV drama with a little profanity added. I was disappointed to see two very pretty faces of the 1960s, Lynley and Blackman, not look very good on the facial closeups. All the makeup they had on looked almost grotesque.

While most noted for his adult films, Radley Metzger proved he's not limited to the ol' in-and-out with this fourth remake of the oft-filmed reading-of-the-will format play. The plot is fairly typical stuff (a bunch of heirs, a will with loads of cash to be handed down, a history of insanity in the family), but a good cast, some clever plot twists and Metzger's usual adept hand at visual imagery (check out the shot where the maid recites a monologue through the reflection on a picture of the old man) make this a welcome change of pace to the dreary and remarkably similar Agatha Christie murder mysteries of the same time period.

By the film this film was made (late 70s), this type of set-up was well past its sell-by date. The original play is considered a 'classic' and has been influential but frankly it is badly dated now. A deeply contrived and unconvincing plot, an assortment of unbelievable, unappealing and frankly inbred characters and a lot of clunky, expositional dialogue make this a leaden hour and a half.

To compensate for the tired plot, the makers introduce some 70s gimmicks. A pointless Lesbian couple only succeeds in making lesbianism look dull. There's also a nasty line in sadistic mutilation which unusually is inflicted only on the female guests. One woman is gruesomely tortured to death, another assumed to be so, and a third scheduled to be so. This 'kills off' any pretence the film has for being a comedy. The delight with which the camera voyeuristically pans over the instruments of torment is actually disturbing.

With the exception of Wilfred Hyde-white, who does a good turn as Cyrus West, none of the actors really shines. They all appear lost in this huge house. One really yearns for a likable central character like Bob Hope in the 50s version. A few good gags and less torture would go a long way to making this watchable.

Cyrus West has a huge fortune to leave. Twenty years after his death he still holds the strings to his family, he arranges for his family, solicitor and faithful housekeeper to gather for the reading of his will. It's 1934 and Glyncliffe Manor plays host. Cyrus was considered an eccentric, ahead of his time, he presents his bequest via moving pictures, presenting his legacy from beyond the grave. His fortune is left to the beautiful Annabelle, just because she shared the same surname, West. Wanting to put a bittersweet twist on the affair Cyrus added a proviso, should the heir die or be judged insane in a twelve hour period the legacy would go to a second heir. Events that evening are made all the more complicated when Doctor Hendricks bursts in with a warning, an escaped psychopathic killer is on the loose, he believes he's a cat, killing his victims with his bare hands. Annabelle has a tough night ahead, a killer on the loose and a greedy grouping of dubious relatives.

I'll start off by saying I think it's a really great movie, I prefer this to the previous version. It was produced more so as a horror/thriller then a supernatural thriller. It does have some moments of humour which work, mostly coming from Paul Jones.

Annabelle is set up nicely as the victim, she is made sweet, nice, kind, such a contrast to most of the others who are shown as greedy, devious, even murderous. Paul being the exception.

The acting is solid as opposed to awesome, it's the two seniors that I enjoy most, Wilfred Hyde White and Beatrix Lehmann, both are so much fun, quite underrated gems. Honor Blackman too is excellent, she's tough but rather creepy. Carol Lynley played the English Rose really well, I had no idea she was a native New Yorker.

This film was not Edward Fox's finest moment, I think he's guilty of overacting somewhat, he's definitely enjoying himself, just a little too much.

There are some excellent moments in this film, some of the best ones include, the disappearance of Mrs Crosbie, the theft of a slumbering Annabelle's necklace and of course the finale. That torture room was a rather nasty creation, although nobody lost any blood after being shot.

Another good moment, the attack on Susan was ruined a little as it ended in a somewhat cartoon sketch.

Mrs Pleasant says to Annabelle 'The Canary in a cage almost dies of fright when the cat walks around the cage. Dies a thousand deaths, although it's quite safe.' It's a great analogy for the film, with the house acting as the cage, and the killer, the cat.

Such an underrated film. 9/10

This movie follows the story from previous versions and play presentations. Looks like a lot of out of work actors including but not limited to Honor Blackman, Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey, and Carol Lynley.

The story starts with an unnecessary introduction of what is to come with a hanging cat.

Just as a play only one person talks at a time. Each character is introduced and their peccadilloes explained. The dialog shows to be an attempt at humor. It also clings closely to one-liners as the Bob Hope version (1939) set in the 1920s. One added plus is that the credits showed the faces of the actors with the names; it is rare but keeps you from having to second guess who plays whom.

1934, 20 years after old Cyrus West (Wilfrid Hyde White,) very a rich old man kicks the bucket, his will is about to reveal his heir. If the recipient proves to be insane or also kicks the bucket, then there is a second heir. To make things more complicated there may be a loose lunatic that escaped from a nearby asylum; they call him the cat.

Remember as Bismarck said "a little caution outflanks a large cavalry"

This is a preposterous film. Olivia Hussey looked stunning although this alone does not make a film. I found it rather stupid, too slow and uneventful. Basically it is a thriller set in the thirties. It is not very thrilling. It is not violent. The secret passages around the house are cool. Best avoided really.

What an odd film. A few decent chuckles, a few wonderful camera tricks, but far too much chitchat and a very nasty sadistic tinge.

The "old dark house" thriller idea is hardly given any new energy, and the thunder sound effects often swamp the dialogue, making some sequences a challenge to endure. I agree with other reviewers that this feels like a 70s version of the 30s, with the same costume/lighting ideas as many of the 70s Agatha Christie adaptations (and Olivia Hussey in the cast).

Wilfred Hyde White is great fun from beyond the grave, and a special word for the wonderful sequence where the usually glorious (but here slightly subdued) Beatrix Lehmann walks behind his projection screen, appears on screen, then emerges from behind the other side. Also, a very effective sequence where Ms Lehmann talks about her late employer with her face reflected in his photo.

Far too many characters I found it hard to care about, all written in very poor, sub-Cluedo dialogue. Even Honor Blackman struggles with the poor material she is given. Some sequences are, frankly, silly. Edward Fox leaps through a window instead of knocking on the door. After relating the saga of the escaped loony, Mr Fox instructs everyone to lock up the house and hide in their rooms; this comes despite his having rendered the house insecure by destroying the lounge window.

There is a nasty tinge of sadistic enjoyment to the final sequences, where the barking mad murderer is cornered in his lair. As much of the rest of the film tries (and very occasionally succeeds) in being light-hearted, the unpleasant conclusion, followed by a twee little "happily ever after" coda, seems at odds with the film's intentions.

Very uneven and unsure of whether to laugh or scream, this really isn't very good.

This third screen version of "The Cat And The Canary" is an enjoayble film, although the pacing is stodgy (at least in the 102-minute version I watched). The plot is clever in its main deception, but as a whodunit it falls below the works of Agatha Christie for one simple reason: there are zero clues given to the viewer as to the identity of the villain! Strong cast all around, with hammy in the best sense of the word Wilfrid Hyde-White the standout (certainly in comparison to the 1939 version Gale Sondergaard is the one who is sorely missed). Also worth noting are the clearly lesbian relationship between Honor Blackman and Olivia Hussey, and the very sexy nightie in which Carol Lynley appears in the final section of the movie. **1/2 out of 4.

There was so much potential in a modern color remake of this old dark house mystery tale, but this one is just so average. The muted colors and static direction give it the look and feel of something filmed for British TV but shown theatrically. More spooky stuff with the escaped lunatic who rips his victims to shreds with his sharp nails would have been vastly appreciated without sacrificing the mystery element. The most striking scene has a woman walking behind a movie screen, appearing on the B&W film being projected and walking off the other side to appear from behind the screen. I wonder how many takes it took the bring this effect off so flawlessly.

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.

Radley Metzger manages to gather quite a decent cast in this 1978 iteration of John Willard's play. Wilfred Hyde-White plays a recently deceased millionaire who has gathered his potential heirs to hear his will - delivered by him via film. What follows is a Cluedo-esque sequence of events as each suspects and conspires against the other until only the one who will inherit the devious old man's fortune is left (or not!). The cast gel quite well, but the screenplay is far too wordy; the pace too slow and so much more could have been made of the original, far more quirky characterisations. Still worth a watch, though - Honor Blackman and an ever-imperious Dame Wendy Hiller add bags of class to the proceedings.

In 1934, blonde fashion designer Carol Lynley (as Annabelle West) and an assortment of greedy relatives gather at "Glencliff Manor" to hear the taped reading of wealthy Wilfrid Hyde-White's last will and testament. Relatively soon, we learn Ms. Lynley is to inherit everything, but not without stipulation. First, she must remain alive and sane after one night in the deceased's spooky old mansion. As a storm rages outside, the suspicious cast is joined by psychologist Edward Fox (as Hendricks), who informs them a homicidal killer known as "The Cat" has escaped from the local insane asylum. That's a recipe for murder and mayhem…

This fairly tepid re-make of the 1927 "silent" classic was likely inspired by the success of films like "Murder by Death" (1976). Lynley and Michael Callan (as Paul Jones) could be described as the leads. As a stand-in for Buddy Rodgers (make that Ben Lyon), Peter McEnery (as Charlie Wilder) figures prominently, and Daniel Massey (as Harry Blythe) doesn't. Lawyerly Wendy Hiller (as Allison Crosby) arches her eyebrow. Elderly housekeeper Beatrix Lehmann shows how unflatteringly the film's extreme close-ups can exaggerate a face. And, Honor Blackman and Olivia Hussey somehow manage to make a lesbian subplot unexciting.

***** The Cat and the Canary (11/78) Radley Metzger ~ Carol Lynley, Michael Callan, Peter McEnery, Edward Fox

I recently saw this on video, and let me say it is one of the best thrillers I have ever seen! Its got chills, some laughs, spooky atmosphere, and Pussy Galore! I mean, it has Honor Blackman, who played Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. She is wonderfully twisted in this.

The story is rather simple. The relatives of a dead millionaire are called to his mansion on the 20th anniversary of his death. Via 8 mm film, the dead man names his heir to the assembled group. The sole heir must spend the night in the house with the group and be deemed sane the next morning. To add to the jealousy of the losers and the creepy house, the local insane asylum curator drops by to say a homicidal maniac has escaped and is hiding out in the area. All these things add up to a great story and climax. I really liked the clever way the end credits are displayed too. I gave this 9 out of 10. Truly enjoyable.

Certainly has an old fashioned gothic feel with a dark and stormy night in a isolated manor with a madman on the loose ! While the acting appears somewhat insipid and the scares are few, the movie did keep my attention, worth watching once !

I found this to be very slow and boring. The acting was also quite bad. The storyline certainly had potential but I did not enjoy watching this at all. There was zero character development so I just didn't care about any of the characters or what happened to them.