"THE CAT AND THE CANARY."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19173, 2 December 1927, Page 14

"THE CAT AND THE CANARY."

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL. For those theatre patrons who enjoy a good mystery story, above tho average, and containing a lion's share at thrills, chills, laughter, and all tho other thigß usually mentioned in the advertisements, the New York critics recommend "The Cat and the Canary." And not only the New York critics but Dominion ones as well are unanimous "in regarding this picture as tho cream o£ mystery cntertainmont. The production will be presented at the Liberty Theatre on Monday next, with Miss Laura La Plante heading an all-star cast. Tho much-abused term, all-star, is used in this connexion literally. All the artists are famous on the screen, and all are consummate masters and mistresses of theii art, so the picture, which, in its wcirdness and wonder, might so easily hava descended into tin regions of cheap and ,sensational melodrama, is kept on a high plane throughout. The story is immensely entrrtaining. ving eerie mystery with a generous share of pure corredy, and a lavish measure of very bloodcurdling and jumpy thrills, tho sort cf thrills that do not belong to the same house as tho western variety, but the genre that consist in secret panels, hidden jewels, eccentric wills, haunted houses, moving shadows, clanking chains; thrills that are cheerfully redolent of childhood's "ghost stories," but in "The Cat. and the Canary' that are cloaked in the guise of si em drama, and may not be laughed at. Thej are familiar thrills but nevei hackneyed, for the director, Paul Leni, :s a German artist, especially brought to Hollywood by Universal to make unusual dramas, and he has used all those eninrntly successful trick camera effects and technical gadgets that are such a prominent feature of Ger man films. Thus, ths wncJe picture, photography, acting, derVcopment of the -apric ious and baffling clot, are fat above thu averago American mystery comedy-drama. Langdon Post, in the No*w York "Evening World," suggests rhnt the brilliant tuctcss of the picture is due entirely to the photography and directs. While Mips T.a Plante, Arthur Edrrum-1 Carewe, Martha Mattox, and Forre.-u Stanley supph all (he drama and the light love nforv t'nu runs through the phce. it is Creighton Hale and that reliable o'd veteran, Flora Finch who furnish the ieccmry comedy reliei The box plans for "The Cat and the Canary" I are now open at The Bristol Piano Company, where seats may be reserved.