The Cat and the Canary: A Melodrama in Three Acts

by John Willard

"The Cat and the Canary" takes place at Glencliff Manor on New York's Hudson River in the year of 1921. Mr. Cyrus Canby West, the owner of the estate, has died leaving a will.

Twenty years later, the six heirs who are distant cousins, have been summoned from far away places to be present at the reading of the will.

With the diverse personalities of the cousins and a few other eccentric characters, this makes for a very suspenseful night.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Canon, Mystery, Fiction

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you be frightened to death? Ask a caged canary being stalked by a cat.

A spooky estate near midnight in a large old-fashioned library with dark corners and shadows is where the twenty year old Will of the late wealthy and eccentric Ambrose West is to be read. All six heirs are present plus the executor and voodoo practicing housekeeper, Mammy. Only seven will survive the night.

This classic play first published in 1922 is filled with talk of evil spirits, death warnings and insanity. It also has annoyingly quirky, nasty-mouthed and jealous rival characters plus lots of great quotes for such a short read....like this one:

"I picked up this book without knowing what it was ~~ it seemed to open itself at this chapter ~~ called FEAR."

THE CAT AND THE CANARY is a creepy, fun and fast read reminiscent of an Agatha Christie whodunit.

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting as an early whodunit, as estranged relatives gather at an old dark house to hear the reading of a will of a bitter elder they all hated, and scandal and murder erupting when the inheritor of the estate is revealed. It's a fun premise, and there are some amusing twists to the mystery, but it's very clunky, with a jittery dialogue style, and one note characters where all the men are a machismo male harem battle over one woman (WHO THEY'RE RELATED TO), and all the women are fainting and panicking to the point where the men are withholding vital information from them in the hopes of not furthering the panic. And then there's the black maid named Mammy who communicates with spirits. (sigh). Again, fun from a historical point of view, but it's messily written and hasn't aged well at all.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

A screwball comedy play...yes its a melodrama! For fans of 30s and 40s movies. I believe the movie version starred Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Some amateur actors would have real fun hamming it up!

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young girl inherits a couple of millions but only if she is not mad. So one of the guys next in line tries to drive her crazy.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew the outcome by having seen the 1939 film so many times. I think I have been spoilt by the film which is able to do more with the story without the restrictions you have with a stage play. If I had never seen the film and didn't know the outcome beforehand I probably would have rated it more highly. It was interesting to read the original play at any rate.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the storyline very hard to follow. As a director, I can usually visualize the action in my head as I read, but much of this was confusing and, if I may say, poorly written. Also, several of the characters’ quirks seemed forced, which irritated me.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice little afternoon read. It wasn’t anything mind blowing, but was an enjoyable experience - it reminded me almost of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ in some aspects of you completely strip most of the humor out of it. I’d recommend reading it if you have the time though.

[Carlin Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not often scared when reading. This was one of the few times.

[Sherry Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful but quite outdated now

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly and spooky but i think you boys need to be reminded that the reason you've all been gathered to this house is because you are relatives

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Ambrose West's family gathers for the reading of his will. It all goes to his wife. The others ask if she's sane.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A waaaaay back then read