Silent/Western

THE CAT AND THE CANARY-1927-Newly resorted version (Thanks TCM!) of the seldom seen silent haunted house mystery. It was one of only 4 movies German director Paul Leni made in America (He died suddenly in 1929).

20 years after the death of rich Cyrus West, his will is to be read. The heirs to his fortune are invited to spend the night at his mansion. They include stars Laura La Plante and Creighton Hale. There are suspicious characters, secret panels, clutching hands, all sorts of creepy trappings later borrow by many other films. A must see. Also with Tully Marshall, Lucien Littlefield and Arthur Edmund Carewe.



VALDEZ IS COMING-1971-Burt Lancaster stars as Valdez a Mexican American sheriff who accidentally kills a suspected murderer fingered by a wealthy dirt bag (Jon Cypher). When it turns out the victim was innocent Valdez wants the dirt bag to pay his widow 100 dollars but instead the dirt bag has Valdez tied to a cross and sent into the desert. After he’s freed (by Richard Jordan in his film debut) Valdez goes after the bad guys and kidnaps the dirt bag’s wife (Susan Clark). Frank Silvera plays Valdez’s Mexican friend and Hector Elizondo is in one scene. VIC has a certain “Spaghetti Western” feel to it (and is obviously Sergio Leone inspired) but the revenge story line could have been better. Mystery novelist Elmore Leonard wrote it and it was the directorial screen debut of Edward Sherin, a Broadway director who later went into TV. Lancaster scored better with the stateside LAWMAN made the same year. He and Clark were later in THE MIDNIGHT MAN in 1974. 

Thanks for reading!