The Cat and the Canary

"A CHILL-AND-CHUCKLE CHASE!...A FORTUNE AT STAKE AND A MONSTER AT LARGE!"

1939 1h 13m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 87

ComedyHorrorMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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 CHILL-AND-CHUCKLE CHASE!...A FORTUNE AT STAKE AND A MONSTER AT LARGE!”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Bob Hope
Wally Campbell
Paulette Goddard
Joyce Norman
John Beal
Fred Blythe
Douglass Montgomery
Charles Wilder
Gale Sondergaard
Miss Lu
Elizabeth Patterson
Aunt Susan
Nydia Westman
Cicily
George Zucco
Lawyer Crosby

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Elliott Nugent
Writers: Lynn Starling, Walter DeLeon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Elliott Nugent, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ernst Toch. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Archie Marshek shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard and John Beal carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A CHILL-AND-CHUCKLE CHASE!...A FORTUNE AT STAKE AND A MONSTER AT LARGE!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0031143 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Elliott Nugent directs. Charles Lang behind the camera. Ernst Toch scores. Archie Marshek cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Elliott Nugent, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ernst Toch. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Archie Marshek shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard and John Beal carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A CHILL-AND-CHUCKLE CHASE!...A FORTUNE AT STAKE AND A MONSTER AT LARGE!".
8IMDB entry: tt0031143 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 87 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "cat", "alligator", "louisiana", "based on play or musical".