Amazon delve deep into the lucky-bag of forgotten films and return with this curiosity, the remake of the remake of The Cat and the Canary. This isn’t your grandmother’s film though, director Radley Metzger only made one non-pornographic film during his lengthy career, and for some reason appears to have been able to summon up an illustrious cast for this country-house murder mystery set in 1934 (in the same house featured in 1976 blockbuster The Omen). Cyrus West (Wilfred Hyde White) dies, and his inheritance is a matter of great interest to a number of parties, including Honor Blackman, Olivia Hussey, Peter McEnrey and Annabelle (Carol Lynley). Foul play gets in the way, and when Dr Hendricks (Edward Fox) comes flying through a plate-glass window to advise of a maniac on the loose, surviving the night becomes the top priority. Metzger handles his cast reasonably well, with Fox in particular unfettered by any sense of restraint in the most barking performance of an otherwise distinguished career.
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