Movie review – “The Cat and the Canary” (1939) ***1/2

Classic old dark house comedy full of elements that were clichés even then: an old dark house located in a swamp next to an insane asylum, a reading of a will with silly clauses (eg becomes invalid if the inheritor becomes insane or is murdered in twelve months), portraits on the wall where real eyes pop in, turning bookshelves, secret passages, a collection of possible murderers, etc. It is still lively thanks to some atmospheric photography and a strong cast, led by Bob Hope (in good wisecracking form – even when the jokes aren’t that strong his timing is always a marvel) and Paulette Goddard (as once pointed out by David Shipman, not a very skilled actor but very pretty, bright and engaging and she teams marvellously with hope). There’s also the always reliable Gale Sondegaard as the mysterious housekeeper and good old George Zucco as a lawyer, plus Douglass Montgomery who has a funny forehead.