THE GREENE MURDER CASE On Blu-ray From Kino

 

The second film on Kino's PHILO VANCE COLLECTION Blu-ray is THE GREENE MURDER CASE, made in 1929. 

THE GREENE MURDER CASE was the third Vance novel written by S. S. Van Dine (I have not read this one). The film adaptation is a combination of an old dark house thriller and a serial killer case. The Greene family, forced to live in a large rambling manor due to the conditions of their patriarch's will, is being killed off one-by-one. Upper-class amateur sleuth Philo Vance takes an interest in the proceedings. 

THE GREENE MURDER CASE (directed by Frank Tuttle) is much more stylish and energetic than THE CANARY MURDER CASE. There's a lot more murders (and murder attempts), and there is more vitality to the camerawork and the editing. The identity of the killer is easy to figure out, mainly due to the fact that nearly all the members of the Greene family wind up dead, and there's only a couple left to choose from. The interiors (and exteriors) of the Greene mansion are very impressive, and the movie has a literally hanging on by the fingernails climax. 

William Powell appears more natural and relaxed than he did in THE CANARY MURDER CASE. Eugene Pallette also returns as Sergeant Heath. Jean Arthur also returns from the first Vance film, this time playing a different character. Arthur is the prim and somewhat looked-down-upon young daughter of the Greene clan, and not only does she get more screen time, she gets a far more challenging role. The actors playing the rest of the Greene family don't get much of a chance to make an impression, simply because they get killed off so quickly. Florence Eldridge (the future wife of Fredric March) does stand out as Jean Arthur's catty, sarcastic sister. Old Movie geeks will recognize Brandon Hurst as the Greene's butler. 

The visual and sound quality on THE GREENE MURDER CASE is excellent--it feels as if this movie was made later than 1929. Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw return for another well-done audio commentary. The duo discuss how much better overall the second Vance film is to the first, and why the character of Vance has not had the fame of other literary detectives in modern times. They also briefly talk about Jean Arthur's life and acting career. 

THE GREENE MURDER CASE is a very good early talkie mystery from Paramount. It's also quite vicious for its time, despite the fact that most of the killings take place off screen. The madness of the killer and the amount of deaths in this story makes it feel as if it could have been made decades later. There's one more film on this Vance set--THE BENSON MURDER CASE--and I'll be writing about that one soon. 

THE SQUEEZE (1978)

 

There have been a number of films titled THE SQUEEZE. This one is an Italian-German co-production, made in 1978 and filmed mostly in America. The movie was directed by the prolific Antonio Margheriti, under his pen name Anthony M. Dawson. 

Lee Van Cleef plays Chris Gretchko, an expert safe cracker who has retired and now lives in seclusion on a ranch in Mexico. The son of one of Chris' former partners, a young man named Jeff (Edward Albert), tracks him down and convinces him to take part in one last score. The job consists of robbing a safe full of diamonds located in a New York City warehouse. Chris has suspicions about the deal, and has Jeff set up a place for him to hide out in for a few weeks. Chris also convinces Jeff to get himself arrested for a minor crime in order to be safe in jail while the heist is going on. The heist goes wrong, and while Chris gets away with the diamonds, he's shot in the leg. Chris makes it to the prepared hideout, but he learns once again that when it comes to the criminal lifestyle, absolutely no one can be trusted. 

THE SQUEEZE (which also has several other titles) has a number of plot elements familiar to anyone who has seen plenty of movies and TV shows. Lee Van Cleef is the grizzled, veteran con who has the smarts and know-how to recognize and stay out of trouble, while his younger partner/friend is more emotional and hotheaded. Despite all the precautions and pre-planning, the heist goes badly. (Has there ever been a heist movie where the job goes perfectly, and there are no repercussions??) Van Cleef is an independent con who has his own sense of honor, and he winds up dealing with major criminals who are far more dangerous and deadly than he is. These well-known elements are presented efficiently, but there's nothing really notable about them. 

As a matter of fact, for most of the running time I thought this movie was a bit underwhelming--that is, until the climax, which throws up a couple of double-crosses that I was totally unprepared for. The ending redeems the movie from being a slow-moving but predictable crime drama. 

Lee Van Cleef gets a great role as the no-nonsense Chris. He's backed by a better-than-usual cast for this type of feature, with Edward Albert, Lionel Stander as an old buddy of Chris', Robert Alda as a police inspector, and Karen Black, who makes a major impact in the second half of the film as the kooky woman living next door to Chris' apartment hideout. 

THE SQUEEZE was mostly filmed at New York City and New Jersey locations, and the types of sites used are not the ones familiar to viewers of 1970s productions. The story also takes place in the middle of winter, and because of the weather and the locations THE SQUEEZE has a grittier, more realistic look and tone. The only major action sequence is after the heist, where a car runs into a train causing explosions that ignite a nearby oil facility. (It appears that Antonio Margheriti used stock footage from other films to make this sequence even more explosive.) 

The best thing about THE SQUEEZE is the last part of it, but Lee Van Cleef makes the entire film watchable. One thing you can take from THE SQUEEZE is that sometimes it pays to stick with a movie that you might find not all that impressive. 

THE CANARY MURDER CASE On Blu-ray From Kino

 

Kino Lorber has released on a single Blu-ray disc all three of the Philo Vance movies William Powell starred in for Paramount during the early sound era of Hollywood. Today I'll be discussing the first film made and released of the group, 1929's THE CANARY MURDER CASE. 

THE CANARY MURDER CASE was the first Philo Vance film, but it was actually the second Philo Vance novel written by S.S. Van Dine, the pen name of Willard Huntington Wright. The Vance novels were major sellers in America during the 1920s and 30s, despite the fact that the title character is an elitist snob (more about the literary Vance later). 

I assume Paramount chose THE CANARY MURDER CASE as the debut Vance film because the murder victim is a glamorous stage entertainer named Margaret O'Dell, also referred to as "The Canary". This conniving young woman is blackmailing a number of jealous suitors, and she winds up strangled. The upper-class fashionable Philo Vance (William Powell) takes an interest in the case, due to being a friend of one of the suspects. Vance takes the unusual step of having all of the suspects take part in a poker game with him, the better to figure out which one had the psychology to commit the deed. Even this doesn't seem to solve the case, until the wily Vance makes a major discovery. 

THE CANARY MURDER CASE was originally produced as a silent feature, directed by Malcolm St. Clair. The film was mostly re-shot as a sound picture, under the supervision of an uncredited Frank Tuttle. The result is that the movie is disjointed at times, with some clunky and creaky elements. The legendary Louise Brooks played the Canary, but after her scenes were filmed she took off to Europe, and refused to go back and redo her part for sound. Margaret Livingstone wound up dubbing Brooks, and even replacing her as a body double for some scenes (when one watches this film it's obvious Paramount went to a lot of trouble to make Brooks' time on screen come out efficiently). For years the most famous thing about THE CANARY MURDER CASE was the promotional photos that Louise Brooks posed for it. 

Louise Brooks as The Canary

Brooks only appears at the very beginning of the feature. The rest of the film deals with the investigation of her character's death. William Powell is, as one expects, a dapper and urbane Vance, although here he seems to be trying to get used to being in a talkie. Powell's Vance is much more personable and less egotistical than the literary one. The movie is enlivened by a number of fine supporting actors, such as Lawrence Grant, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Ned Sparks, and Eugene Pallette, who plays Sergeant Heath (this character would in the later Vance films be a sort of Lestrade to Vance's Holmes). Jean Arthur is also in this film, but she has little to do, and she doesn't even get to share a scene with Louise Brooks. 

After I pre-ordered Kino's Philo Vance Collection, I bought the first two of the Vance novels at a very low price. This means that I have actually read THE CANARY MURDER CASE. The movie keeps close to the book for the most part, but it enlarges the Canary's role--in the novel she first appears as a corpse. The movie also changes the identity of the murderer, which must have been a major surprise to viewers who had read the book, which according to internet sources was a best-seller. (I have a theory about why the movie has a different murderer, but if I share it I'll give away the climax of both movie and book.) One thing I realized reading the first two Vance novels is how unlikable the main character is. He's snotty and intellectual, and he knows it. He's a rich guy who has never worked a day in his life, and the reason he involves himself in murder cases is that he can prove how brilliant he is (he doesn't have any real interest in justice, or the personal problems of the victims or suspects). There's nothing all that dynamic or intriguing about Vance's eccentricities, and it's no wonder that the character as a literary figure is all but forgotten today. 

The picture quality of THE CANARY MURDER CASE on this Blu-ray is very good. The sound quality is decent enough, but there are times the dialogue is not easy to make out. One does have to realize that this was an early talkie, and the audio technology was still being mastered. The aspect ratio is the original 1.20:1. This is a Region A disc. 

The film has a brand new audio commentary featuring Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw. It's a good one, with the duo covering a wide variety of topics including the history of American crime fiction, the background and personal life of S.S. Van Dine, and the movie's unusual production history. 

THE CANARY MURDER CASE has been notable due to Louise Brooks' involvement in it, but now film & murder mystery genre geeks get a chance to actually see it. It's important as the first Philo Vance film, and it's great that Kino put all of the first Vance features onto a Blu-ray disc. I'll be writing blog posts on the other two films in the collection soon. 

MUTINY IN OUTER SPACE

 

This is another Tubi discovery, a very low-budget 1960s sci-fi film that I had never heard of. It was written & directed by Hugo Grimaldi & Arthur C. Pierce, and executive produced by the Woolner Brothers. (Grimaldi, Pierce, and the Woolners were involved in plenty of cheap sci-fi/horror flicks.) 

Sometime in the far-off future of the 1990s, a Major Towers (William Leslie) and his young associate travel from the Moon to Space Station X-7. The two men are bringing back precious minerals from the Moon to Earth, but they are also inadvertently bringing back an unknown deadly fungus. The fungus starts to grow all over the station, while Leslie tries to find a way to stop it. Making matters worse is the commander of the station, a Colonel Cromwell (Richard Garland). The Colonel is starting to lose his grip on reality, and he and the Major butt heads. 

MUTINY IN OUTER SPACE was originally released in 1965, but it feels as if it was made 10 years earlier. The movie is in black & white, it has a full-frame aspect ratio, and its budget appears less than the average episode of LOST IN SPACE. The special effects are mediocre, and the direction is lackluster. Most of the movie takes place on the space station, and its interior design is sparse and generic. There's also the fact that while the station is supposed to be quite large, it appears to be crewed by about five people. 

The no-name cast doesn't help either. William Leslie does a decent job as the square-jawed hero, but it's the type of role someone like Kenneth Tobey would have made much more of. The most notable names in the film are Harold Lloyd Jr. (son of the famed silent movie legend) and 1960s American TV veteran Francine York. The actors are not helped by the cardboard characterizations. The story does have the main female cast members as officers of the space agency overseeing things, but the women still don't have much to do other than serve as romantic interests for the men, scream at the creeping fungi, and look worried. 

As for the mutiny referred to in the title, it doesn't amount to much. The creeping fungi does generate some suspense, but the production values are not enough to help out the better aspects of the script. 

While watching MUTINY IN OUTER SPACE I kept thinking about Roger Corman--and not just because he passed away recently. Corman made plenty of movies like this film--but one way or another, he always figured out a way to make those features memorable. MUTINY IN OUTER SPACE really needed a Roger Corman, or a Mario Bava or a Antonio Margheriti. 

ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE

 

ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, a documentary from Severin Films, is a fun, fast-paced look at one of the weirdest and wildest cinematic sub-genres. 

One of the saddest things about Bruce Lee's shocking death in 1973 was that it happened right when the martial arts master was on the verge of becoming a global pop icon due to the release of ENTER THE DRAGON. The Kung Fu craze of the Seventies caused a number of Asian production companies to seek out a "new" Bruce Lee, and the result was a spate of films starring a group of martial artists who were given new names and identities, in an attempt to convince audiences that they were the Dragon, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. 

ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, directed by David Gregory, examines these "Bruceploitation" pictures, and the people and performers behind them. The film gives background on the Hong Kong film industry, and the reasons why so many producers tried to fool people into thinking they were presenting new, unseen Bruce Lee features. What is particularly notable about this documentary is that it has new interviews with some of the men who were tasked to take on the mantle of Bruce Lee--men called Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Liang, and Dragon Lee. 

The documentary makes clear that these so-called clones of Bruce were not just mindless props--they were men who had dreams and aspirations of their own, men who were also trained martial artists. They weren't trying to dishonor Bruce Lee's legacy--they were trying to make a living in a very chaotic industry. 

Just how chaotic the Asian film industry was is shown by the many clips used from various Bruceploitation features. Only a few of these scenes are enough to make one realize how outrageous and how outlandish this sub-genre was. These movies were cranked out at an astonishing rapidity--the Asian film industry was much more interested in quantity rather than quality. 

This film also has plenty of rare behind-the-scenes footage, along with new interviews with such kung fu movie cult stars as Angela Mao, David Chiang, and Sammo Hung. 

ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE doesn't try to make the case that Bruceploitation flicks were an example of cinematic art. But it also doesn't go out of its way to denigrate the sub-genre either. It accepts it and presents it for what it is. Despite all the craziness and goofiness involved in these movies, the fact that so many of them were made--and so many different "Bruces" starred in them--means they must have made some sort of impact. 

I highly enjoyed watching ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE...but more importantly, I learned plenty about a section of film history that I previously had almost no knowledge of. The best documentaries inform, entertain, and cause one to want to learn more about the subject, and this one certainly does. Severin and David Gregory have released another great product for film geeks everywhere. 

THE MASK OF FU MANCHU On Blu-ray From Warner Archive

 

The Warner Archive unleashes on Blu-ray one of the wildest, wickedest Pre-Code thrillers--the 1932 MGM production of THE MASK OF FU MANCHU. 

During the heady days of classic Hollywood, MGM was considered the studio of class and distinction, but in the early 1930s they made some of the more outlandish horror films of the era, such as FREAKS, MAD LOVE, and this film. THE MASK OF FU MANCHU is so off-the-wall and crazy it makes the Sax Rohmer novels written about the title character seem tame by comparison. 

One thing about THE MASK OF FU MANCHU: MGM didn't skimp on any of the tawdry details. The sets, the costumes, and the expressive photography are a sight to behold (the production design can best be described as art deco on opium). One can only imagine how fantastic this movie would have looked in color. 

MGM took advantage of Boris Karloff's newfound horror popularity by giving him the title role. The actor himself thought the whole thing to be ridiculous, so he pitched his performance to the material. The result is that Boris is--dare I say it--almost Lugosi-esque here. Karloff really lets it rip, and the movie is all the more enjoyable for that. Boris is matched in his mad ravings by Myrna Loy as his sinfully slinky daughter. The supporting cast includes Lewis Stone as Fu's nemesis, the very stalwart Dennis Nayland Smith, Jean Hersholt, and a hysterical Karen Morley. 

The movie's production history was as outlandish as the picture itself, with multiple directors, script problems, and censorship issues. THE MASK OF FU MANCHU has gone down in history as one of the most politically incorrect movies ever made by a major American studio, due to its East vs. West racial themes, but the film is so absurdly fantastic that there's no point in trying to take it seriously. 

THE MASK OF FU MANCHU was released on DVD in 2006 by Warners as part of a box set devoted to early 1930s horror classics. That version was uncut, but the edited scenes that were restored had a very noticeable difference in picture and sound quality. This new Blu-ray also has the uncut version, and the once-edited scenes have a better quality to them, and their appearance is not as abrupt. Overall, the visual & sound quality is fantastic--this disc really shows off the exotic splendor MGM put in the project. 

On this Blu-ray, before the film starts, a text statement is shown explaining that this movie is a product of its time, and it may be offensive to some, etc. I understand why Warners felt the need to do this, but I'm sure anyone who would be offended by this film would never see it in the first place, and certainly wouldn't buy it on Blu-ray. 

This disc carries over the audio commentary by Greg Mank that was on the earlier DVD of the film. Greg's talk is fun and fast-paced, and despite having only 68 minutes to do so, he provides all the info, context, and background on what is a very unusual and complicated production. There's also a couple of early 30s Merrie Melodies cartoons (considering the bizarre nature of the film, a couple of Looney Tunes would have been more fitting). 

You can't get any more Pre-Code than THE MASK OF FU MANCHU. Boris Karloff gives one of his most lip-smacking portrayals as the fiendish Fu, and Myrna Loy is truly a dragon lady you're going to die for. This movie certainly isn't for the faint of heart. If you're looking for something that promotes peace, international brotherhood, and understanding, this ain't it.....but if you want a wild, wacky, and provocative ride, this Blu-ray of THE MASK OF FU MANCHU is for you. 

LET IT BE

 

The 1970 documentary LET IT BE is now available, in a restored edition, on the Disney+ streaming channel. The film covers the Beatles' attempts to record a brand new album and plan a concert around it in early 1969--but as fans of The Fab Four know all too well, things got complicated, and the group wound up performing the famed mini-show on the top of the Apple office building in London. 

I had never actually seen LET IT BE. Ironically many Beatles fans never have, simply because it has been unavailable in any official format for decades. Because of this all sorts of urban legends have grown up around the project, such as it made the band look bad, it was depressing, and it was nothing more than a road map to the breakup of the group. LET IT BE had such a notorious reputation that a few years ago Peter Jackson was allowed to go through all the footage that director Michael Lindsey-Hogg shot and create a mammoth eight hour mini-series called GET BACK, supposedly to present the Beatles and the original project in a much better light. 

Having now finally seen LET IT BE, I can say that this movie is much better--and much more positive--than I had been led to believe. I don't think this makes the Beatles look bad at all--if anything, Lindsey-Hogg went out of his way to steer clear from any controversies the group was having (and they were having plenty at the time). Lindsey-Hogg actually doesn't use very much of the Twickenham Studios footage (it was this locale that caused most of the problems on the project). 

There's no narration in LET IT BE, nor are there any onscreen titles, or any attempt to give context or info on what is happening. I assume that Michael Lindsey-Hogg was trying to keep things as "real" as possible, but the off-the-cuff atmosphere of the film matches how the Beatles themselves approached this project--they literally didn't seem to know what exactly they were going to do on any given day, nor did they know how the film was going to wind up. Billy Preston shows up about halfway through the film, almost out of the blue, and there's no set-up to the rooftop concert whatsoever--the Beatles are shown appearing on the roof and immediately playing. 

The movie has been fully restored, and the picture and sound quality is excellent. The best part of the film for me is when the group plays "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" back-to-back. It's chilling how moving these performances are, and it's magical to see these four extraordinary young men, at the height of their powers, performing together as a true band. The Phil Spector versions of these songs sound tepid in comparison. 

What amazes me about LET IT BE and GET BACK is how disorganized this project was. We live in a world now where mega-corporations and entertainment conglomerates carefully control and shape every bit of info that comes out anywhere, and here are the Beatles, the biggest act in the world at the time, engaging in a major multimedia production almost on the fly. For years anything connected to LET IT BE was looked down upon, even by most Beatles fans. Now due to GET BACK and this restored LET IT BE, it will be realized that the group--and their music--were still at the top of their game. (Remember that after the LET IT BE sessions, the Beatles would later that year record ABBEY ROAD, one of the greatest music albums of all time.) The Beatles have nothing to be ashamed about the LET IT BE documentary, and neither do their fans. 

BLUEBEARD (1944) On Blu-ray From Kino

 

The 1944 Gothic noir BLUEBEARD has had plenty of public domain home video releases, due to its being a product of Hollywood's poverty row. The movie now has an official release from Kino Lorber. 

BLUEBEARD, set in 19th Century Paris, was made by the low-budget PRC studio, and it was directed by a low-budget legend, Edgar Ulmer. It stars another low-budget movie legend, John Carradine, as puppeteer/artist Gaston Morrell, whose creativity unfortunately triggers his homicidal instincts. Morrell becomes interested in a beautiful modiste named Lucille (Jean Parker), while the woman's sister (Teala Loring) and a Paris detective (Nils Asther) try to track this "Bluebeard" down. 

Due to Ulmer and John Carradine's notable performance, BLUEBEARD has long had a cult reputation as a poverty row treasure. It's an above average film, obviously one of the better made products from PRC.....but I have to agree with Tom Weaver, who, on one of the audio commentaries on this disc mentions that when he first saw it he was somewhat underwhelmed. I had the same experience. I think I expected some poverty row craziness, and a more emotional John Carradine. BLUEBEARD tries to be more of a somber look at a sensitive murderer who can't stop himself from killing. Carradine's Gaston is a soft-spoken, brooding fellow who the script tries to create sympathy for. Carradine even looks a bit dashing here, although one still wonders why someone as vivacious as Jean Parker's Lucille would be interested in the guy. The lovely Parker, by the way, brings a much needed lively spark to a movie that is rather slow at times. 

BLUEBEARD does have some moody photography from Eugen Schufftan, and a supporting cast that is quite impressive for a PRC picture, with Nils Asther, Ludwig Stossel, Sonia Sorel (who was John Carradine's real-life love at the time), and Iris Adrian, who deserves mention for her cameo as a model who seems to have come to France by way of Brooklyn. Edgar Ulmer certainly put some care into this, and a few elements of it do remind one of MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, but BLUEBEARD might have been better if it played up to the more sensational aspects of the story. 

On the disc case Kino states that the print used is from a 2020 HD master by Paramount Pictures....but the visual quality overall is under average. There's a number of scenes that have visible damage, the picture lacks sharpness, and at times the audio sounds wobbly. This print does have the PRC logo at the beginning and the proper end title. I can only assume that this is the best version of the film that Kino could use. A number of film buffs online have already mentioned this disc's picture quality, due to the high standards one expects from Kino. 

As mentioned there are two brand new audio commentaries. One features the dynamic duo of classic horror film experts Greg Mank and Tom Weaver. Weaver lets Mank take the lead, and Greg gives his expected astute and informative analysis of the film. Mank reveals that BLUEBEARD had a far larger shooting schedule & budget than everyone has assumed, which may cause some to rethink their opinions of it (Ulmer has historically gotten a lot of compliments for making a film like this with supposedly almost no time and no money). The second commentary features David Del Valle, who gives his usual rambling talk that is filled with his usual stories about interacting with various members of the cast & crew. 

I have to say that I expected BLUEBEARD to look much better on this Blu-ray than it does--this is a Kino product, after all. The print used here is watchable enough, and the Greg Mank-Tom Weaver commentary is worth a listen, but some out there may want to wait to make a purchase until they see if a better version comes along. 

THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927) On Blu-ray From Eureka

 

Eureka Entertainment's very first Region A release is an impressive presentation of the Universal 1927 silent mystery-thriller classic THE CAT AND THE CANARY. 

The original film adaptation of THE CAT AND THE CANARY had a great influence upon not just the old dark house genre but the Universal horror series in general. It has all the now-expected cliches of the comedy-mystery thriller--an eccentric old millionaire's will, a group of greedy relatives, sliding panels, secret passageways, and so on--but one must remember that this film and the John Willard play it was based on initiated most of these cliches. Due to Paul Leni's direction, Gilbert Warrenton's cinematography, and Charles D. Hall's art direction, the original THE CAT AND THE CANARY still stands out as a fun show, and an example of how inventive and creative Paul Leni was. The Bob Hope version of the story is more famous, but the silent version is the best overall adaptation. 

Eureka has done THE CAT AND THE CANARY proud with this release. The print presented on this disc is a 4K restoration of the original negatives, and it looks outstanding, with vibrant tinting. The music score, conducted by Robert Israel, is in 5.1, and it is based on music cue sheets created for the original 1927 release. 

The Blu-ray comes with a 36-page illustrated booklet that has three essays on the film written by Imogen Sarah Smith, Craig Ian Mann, and Richard Combs. The trio of articles go into the making and legacy of the film. (There is some overlap in the writers' observations.) There's also two new audio commentaries, one featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman, and the other with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby. The talk with Jones and Newman has more info on the comedy-mystery thriller genre in general, and the one with Lyons and Rigby goes into greater detail about the lives and careers of the cast & crew. There is also some overlap between the two commentaries, but both are worthy to listen to, mainly due to the fact that the four men appreciate the film they are discussing, and enjoy talking about it. 

The disc also has a video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson that gives background detail on THE CAT AND THE CANARY and on those involved in making it, along with interviews with critics Pamela Hutchinson and Phuong Le. Also included are extracts from the John Willard play, and a Lucky Strike ad featuring Paul Leni. The Blu-ray has a reversible sleeve featuring original artwork by Graham Humphreys (see above). 

The silent THE CAT AND THE CANARY has had many home video versions over the years, but this one from Eureka is the presentation the movie deserves. Watching this movie on this Blu-ray makes one wonder what effect Paul Leni would have had on Hollywood history had he not died in 1929. Leni was certainly talented and artistic enough to make the transition to sound and even color. If Leni had lived, the Universal classic horror series might have been very different--and maybe better in some ways? 

I'm happy that Eureka Entertainment has now entered the Region A market, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they have in store for the future.