This week’s mystery movie has been the 1939 Paramount picture “The Cat and the Canary,” and yes, we did the 1927 version as a mystery movie in March. With Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, John Beal, Douglass Montgomery, Gale Sondergaard, Elizabeth Patterson, George Zucco, Nydia Westman and John Wray. The screenplay was by Walter DeLeon and Lynn Starling from the play by John Willard. Photography was by Charles Lang, art direction by Hans Dreier and Robert Usher, costumes by Edith Head, music by Ernst Toch, Andrea Setaro musical advisor, and interior decorations by A.E. Freudeman. The producer was Arthur Hornblow Jr. and the director was Elliott Nugent.
“The Cat and the Canary” is available on DVD from Amazon.
Writing in the New York Times (Nov. 23, 1939), Frank S. Nugent said:
Since mystery melodramas laid in old dark houses are mostly nonsense anyway, Paramount has had the wit and wisdom to produce a nonsense edition of John Willard’s old shocker, “The Cat and the Canary.” Streamlined, screamlined and played to the hilt for comedy, the new version is more harebrained than hair-raising, which is at it should be.
(Note: The New York Times recently moved its archive of film reviews behind the Times Machine paywall and makes them hard to find. Searches for “The Cat and the Canary” using the title, the names of the stars and the name of the director came up empty. The only way to locate this review was to go page by page. Not good, New York Times, not good at all.)
For Monday, we have two mystery gents. The fellow on the left, alas, has been cropped out due to his lack of mysteriousness, but we will see him later in the week.
Update: This is Frank Melton and Milton Kibbee.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery officer.
Update: This is John Wray.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gent No. 1), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery gents), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery gent No. 2) and Megan, Lee Ann and Thom (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guests).
For Wednesday, we have these concerned mystery guests.
Update: This is Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery officer), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guest No. 2 and Tuesday’s mystery officer) and Jenny M. (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For Thursday, we have a mystery duo.
Update: This is Gale Sondergaard and George Zucco.
And here’s the fellow who was cropped out Monday because he lacked sufficient mysteriousness.
Update: This is Charles Lane, cropped out of Monday’s photo because of his utter lack of mysteriousness.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Pat in Michigan (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest No. 2), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Don Danard (Wednesday’s mystery guest No. 2), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery women), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For Friday, we have Dorothy Lamour and Bing Crosby in “The Road to the Bronson Gate.”
Update: This is Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sarah (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent — perhaps my favorite Dr. Moriarty), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Suz Slutzky (mystery movie and Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Just a wild guess: It Happened One Night?
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An interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not. “It Happened One Night” is one of those pictures that I don’t think I could ever pull off as a mystery movie. Like “The Wizard of Oz” or “Casablanca.” Just too well known.
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I’m voting for Frank Melton as the man at left.
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The gent on the right looks a lot like Arthur Kennedy, but I doubt he would appear on a Monday.
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You’re right. He wouldn’t. 🙂
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Milton Kibbee on the right.
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Larry Kent beside him and Boris Karloff the mystery guest in THE WALKING DEAD.
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Wrong previous guess. Frank Melton and Bob Hope with Kibbee in THE CAT AND THE CANARY. Sneaky!
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The fellow on the right of the picture …. Milton Kibbee.
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Milton Kibbee and Frank Melton in The Cat and the Canary.
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While our names came out alphabetic,
The order was not too prophetic.
I sat down to think
And write something clever.
But I had a drink
And wrote down whatever.
Megan 🙂
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I’m so used to writing “Megan, Lee Ann and Thom” that having your names in any other order causes a brain freeze!
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John Wray.
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Milton Kibbee is the #2 man from monday and today it is John Wray, which makes this THE CAT & THE CANARY 1939.
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Movie: The Cat and the Canary (1939)
Monday: Frank Melton and Milton Kibbee
Tuesday: John Wray
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Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson & Douglass Montgomery.
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Nydia Westman, Elisabeth Patterson, and Douglass Montgomery.
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For Wednesday, we have Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery in “The Cat and the Canary”.
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Spring Byington on the left today? Haven’t a clue to the others!
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Elizabeth Patterson: The Cat and the Canary.
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THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1939)
Monday: Frank Melton & Milton Kibbee
Tuesday: John Wray
Wednesday: Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson, Douglas Montgomery
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Today, it’s Elizabeth Patterson in the middle of the trio. Don’t know the other two.
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Douglass
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This is Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson, and Douglass Montgomery in “The Cat and the Canary” from 1939.
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Wednesday: Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson and John Beal in “The Cat and the Canary” (1939)
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The Cat and the Canary (1939) w/Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Gale Sondergaard, Elizabeth Patterson, Nydia Westman, Milton Kibbee…
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The Cat and the Canary 1939
Mon – Frank Melton and Milton Kibbee (maybe Bob Hope’s shoulder?)
Tues – John Wray
Weds – Nydia Westmond, Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery
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The Cat and the Canary 1939
Mon – Frank Melton and Milton Kibbee (correction: Charles Lane’s shoulder, so he must be due to show up soon.)
Tues – John Wray
Weds – Nydia Westmond, Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery
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Gale Sondergaard, Hollywoodland resident, with George Zucco, and Mr. Charlie Lane.
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Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco; Charles Lane.
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Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco & Charles Lane.
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The Thursday Mystery folks are Gail Sondergaard, George Zucco and Charles Lane.
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Thursday: Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco, and Charles Lane
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Gale Sondergaard and George Zucco, along with Charles Lane.
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I knew yesterday was Elizabeth Patterson, but today’s appearance by George Zucco identifies this picture as 1939’s “The Cat and the Canary.” Where’s Bob Hope?
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Is that Gale Sondergard, George Zucco and Charles Lane in The Cat and the Canary?
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Better late than never… Monday: Frank Melton and Milton Kibble, Tuesday: ???, Wednesday: Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson & Douglass Montgomery, Thursday: Gale Sondergaard & George Zucco + Charles Lane. Movie: The Cat and the Canary (1939). Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard will round it out on Friday.
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Paulette Goddard and Bob “Toluca Lake” Hope today.
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Well, Elizabeth Patterson and George Zukor(?) and Gale Sundergard must be The Cat and the Canary.
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Thurs trio are Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery – our film this week is The Cat and the Canary
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Thurs duo are George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard
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Thurs gent with the glasses is Charles Lane
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Friday we have Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope
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Tues officer must be John Wray
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Monday’s photog is Milton Kibbee – and next to him might be Frank Melton
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So, the Mystery Movies is “Ghost Breakers”. I saw this when I was just a kid and The Zombie scared the hell outa me!!!!!
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Friday: Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope in “The Cat and the Canary” (1939)
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Paulette & Bob enter the picture.
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Paulette Goddard & Bob Hope.
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I think I may have it – The Cat and the Canary? Wednesday: Elizabeth Patterson and Douglass Montgomery; Thursday: Gale Sondergaard; and Friday: Charles Lane.
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Oops! My mistake. I thought it was “The Ghost Breakers” wherein Noble Johnson shows up as a Zombie.
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