18 The Cat and the Canary ( 1927 )

This  is  the  most  famous  of  all  the  dark  creepy  house  murder  mysteries  and  has  been  filmed six  times.  An  eccentric  old  man  dies  leaving  a  will  not  to  be  opened  for  20  years. When the relatives  gather  his  fortune  is  left  to  a  girl  Annabelle  ( Laura  La  Plante )  on  contrived conditions  that  she  stays the  night  in  the  house  full  of  jealous  relatives  and  is  still  sane  by the  morning,  otherwise  the  fortune  goes  to    Aaaargh  !  - at  that  point  the  solicitor  is  pulled away by  a  creepy  hand  that  pops  out  of  the  revolving  bookcase.

Although  made  by  Universal  Pictures  it  was  directed  by  Paul  Leni  , poached  from  German Expressionist  cinema  where  he  made  Waxworks . It's  clear  from  his  use  of  shadow  and  illusion  to  indicate  disturbed  minds  that  he  was  bringing  something  new  to  the  Hollywood  party  here.

It's  not  that  easy  to  follow  the  plot  but  it  holds  your  interest.

Laura  La  Plante  ( as  Annabelle  West )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Laura   was  Universal's  biggest  star  at  the  time  and   moved  over  into  the  early  talkies  but  the newer  stars  soon  eclipsed  her. She  made  her  last   film  in  1957. She  died  in  1996  aged  91.


Gertrude  Astor  ( as  Cicely )

Sex :  In  the  film's  most  comic  scene  the  shy  hero  Paul  is  trapped  under  the  bedroom  shared by  Cicely  and  her  aunt  while  they  are  undressing. He  and  we  get  a  glimpse  of  Gertrude's legs  and  bare  feet.

Death : Survives

Gertrude  was  very  tall  and  usually  used  in  comic  parts. Her  skills  as  a  character  actress  allowed  her  to  maintain  a  career  down  to  the  early  sixties. Her  last  appearance  was  in  The  Man  Who  Shot  Liberty  Valance. She  died  in  1977  aged  90.