The Cat And The Canary (1939)

It renders the absurd plot of The Cat and the Canary (1927) slightly more sensible, halving the time between Cyrus West's death and his will reading and relocating his ghost mansion to the Louisiana bayous, making it easier to believe the mansion has stood empty for ten years except for the presence of poor lonely Miss Lu, and this version ups the comedy with Bob Hope cast as Wally Campbell, the love interest dropping wisecracks left, right and centre as a lunatic called The Cat terrorises a group gathered in the mansion for the will reading.

★★★★☆

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