A group of potential heirs gather in a forbidding old house to learn which of them will inherit a fortune. Later, they learn that a flesh-rending maniac is loose.A group of potential heirs gather in a forbidding old house to learn which of them will inherit a fortune. Later, they learn that a flesh-rending maniac is loose.A group of potential heirs gather in a forbidding old house to learn which of them will inherit a fortune. Later, they learn that a flesh-rending maniac is loose.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe house used in The Cat and the Canary (1978) was also used in The Omen (1976) (Gregory Peck) as the ambassador's home.
- GoofsOne of the characters -played by Daniel Massey- just disappears from the film without explanation. He is seen after Carol Lynley is attacked in her room but then isn't seen again, isn't murdered, isn't around at the end, and isn't referred to by anyone. Although he is not seen, Harry (Daniel Massey) is referred to by Cicily (Olivia Hussey), who tells the others that Harry is driving her home.
- Quotes
Cyrus West: Good evening, leeches. Take your places. As you know, I am Cyrus West. Now first of all, let me tell you that you're all a bunch of bastards. I know, I know the people you came from. They're all a bunch of bastards. Yes, your fathers, your mothers, your uncles, your aunts, your nephews, your nieces, your sons, your daughters, not to mention a cartload of cousins. All a bunch of bastards except, of course, Mew Mew, and perhaps one or two others. Perhaps I'm the biggest bastard of you all, to bring you here this night, so distant in the future, and to sit here contemplating the interaction of you parasites.
- Crazy creditsThe credits of the film are shown in the form of Cyrus West (Wilfrid Hyde-White) holding up a series of title cards for the crew credits, followed by silent clips of the main characters with the corresponding actors' names but no character names.
- Alternate versionsThe Anchor Bay DVD is the director's cut, which runs 106 minutes.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)
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
- hitchcockthelegend
- Oct 10, 2012
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Katze und der Kanarienvogel
- Filming locations
- Pyrford Court, Ripley, Surrey, England, UK(Glencliff Manor interiors and exteriors)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1