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The Cat and the Canary

Play trailer Poster for The Cat and the Canary 1939 1h 12m Mystery & Thriller Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Ten years after the death of millionaire Cyrus Norman, his will is to be read out to his six relatives, including Joyce Norman (Paulette Goddard) and Wally Campbell (Bob Hope). Organized by Norman's lawyer, Crosby (George Zucco), the six meet at Norman's eerie New Orleans Gothic mansion. During the reading, the superstitious housekeeper declares that someone will be dead by midnight. Wally fears for Joyce when she is declared the sole inheritor, but all are alarmed when Crosby turns up dead.

Critics Reviews

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Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 09/19/2020
3/4
Hope established the wisecracking, cowardly persona that would serve him well throughout his career (as well as influence countless other comics, Woody Allen chief among them). Go to Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) 10/20/2010
4.5/5
While it's not as stylistically impressive as the 1927 Paul Leni silent, it's probably an all around more successful film. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Seanax.com 06/11/2010
(Bob) Hope and (Paulette) Goddard have marvelous chemistry and Hope is completely amiable, using wisecracks to cover up his discomfort and fear. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thom G @RT30917670 06/01/2024 The Cat and the Canary is an outstanding horror thriller, with plenty to entertain viewers, deserving its rank as a classic. See more Valerii Ege D @RT37895442 08/28/2023 A good version of Mystery House. A legacy on stake but there is a killer in the house. Someone needs to die. And some, will solve the secret. Who is going to die? See more Rick R @RT01654519 03/11/2023 bob hope has an a+ cast around him. Paulette Goddard is a favorite of mine. A vary entertaining movie. See more 10/05/2020 Lots of fun. A pretty much perfect haunted house comedy/thriller. Bob Hope was perfect. This would be a great haunted house film to show kids at Halloween. See more 07/14/2019 Mezclando gèneros Bon Hope. See more Thomas M @TMProofreader 01/27/2019 The best comedy movie ever made! See more Read all reviews
The Cat and the Canary

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Cast & Crew

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Elliott Nugent

Director

Bob Hope

Wally Campbell

Paulette Goddard

Joyce Norman

Gale Sondergaard

Miss Lu

John Beal

Fred Blythe

Douglass Montgomery

Charles Wilder
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The Cat and the Canary

The Cat and the Canary (1939) The Cat and the Canary (1939) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Ten years after the death of millionaire Cyrus Norman, his will is to be read out to his six relatives, including Joyce Norman (Paulette Goddard) and Wally Campbell (Bob Hope). Organized by Norman's lawyer, Crosby (George Zucco), the six meet at Norman's eerie New Orleans Gothic mansion. During the reading, the superstitious housekeeper declares that someone will be dead by midnight. Wally fears for Joyce when she is declared the sole inheritor, but all are alarmed when Crosby turns up dead.
Director
Elliott Nugent
Producer
Arthur Hornblow Jr.
Screenwriter
Walter DeLeon, Lynn Starling, John Willard
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 10, 1939, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 8, 2010
Runtime
1h 12m
Sound Mix
Mono