This movie set the bar for the "who-done-its" and may very well be the inspiration for the game of "Clue". The death of a rich uncle brings the family to a crumbling and of course, dark mansion for a reading of the will. The uncle who was driven crazy by his greedy family put a stipulation on the will that it could not be opened until 20 years after his death. As the family gathers together along with the family lawyer a second will is discovered in the locked safe with the original will. This mysterious second will claims a second heir if the first one cannot meet the conditions of the first will. The condition set by Uncle Cyrus was the sanity of the heir must be proved by a doctor. You can all guess what happens next, all sorts of spooky goings on that test the sanity of the heir including lawyers disappearing through secret passageways, diamond necklaces being stolen in the middle of the night and lunatics escaping from the asylum and taking up residency in the mansion. A terrific thriller, dark and brooding, terrific overacting by the lead character and inheritor of the fortune, Annabelle West and the brilliant portrayal of the housekeeper named Mammy. The movie is made better by the fact that it is a silent film. I highly recommend watching it with the lights on.
Review of The Cat and the Canary
