Retro Poster: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927)

20 years after Cyrus West's death, family members gather at his mansion for a reading of the will. Laura La Plante, who stars as Cyrus' niece Annabelle, learns that she is the only beneficiary of her uncle's will. The catch? A doctor must declare her sane in order to receive the fortne. As luck would have it, an escaped mental patient who thinks he's a cat, has taken refuge in the mansion, planning to rip apart his victims as a cat would a canary. One of the more interesting factors in this 1927 silent film, is the use of many cinematic elements that are recognizable as a mainstay of today's slasher films. For instance, the camera switches to POV shots when the killer is walking through the mansion. The cat and mouse (or in this case, cat and canary) analogy is used to describe how the killer chases his victims. It's an interesting film and despite being silent with subtitle screens, still manages to be tense and atmospheric today. "The Cat and the Canary" is available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix Instant Watch.