The Cat and the Canary is a 1927 American silent horror film directed by
German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni. An adaptation of John
Willard's 1922 black-comedy play of the same name, the film stars Laura
La Plante, Forrest Stanley and Creighton Hale. The plot revolves around
the death of a man, and the reading of his will 20 years later. A woman
inherits her uncle's fortune, but when she and her family spend the
night in his mansion they are stalked by a mysterious figure (scene
pictured). They have also been told that a lunatic has escaped from an
asylum and is hiding in the mansion. The film is part of the genre of
comedy horror films inspired by 1920s Broadway plays. The Cat and the
Canary blends expressionism with humor, a style for which Leni was
notable. It was influential in the "old dark house" genre of films
popular from the 1930s through the 1950s. The film was one of
Universal's early horror productions, and is considered to be the
"cornerstone of Universal's school of horror".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_and_the_Canary_%281927_film%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1952:
An earthquake registering 7.3 Mw struck the southern San
Joaquin Valley in California, causing 12 deaths and an estimated
$60 million in property damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Kern_County_earthquake>
1959:
The inaugural International Mathematical Olympiad, the leading
mathematical competition for pre-university students, began in Romania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mathematical_Olympiad>
1960:
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected the prime minister of Ceylon,
becoming the world's first democratically elected female head of
government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirimavo_Bandaranaike>
1977:
Libyan forces carried out a raid at Sallum, sparking a four-day
war with Egypt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian%E2%80%93Libyan_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
kouign-amann:
A traditional Breton cake made of layers of butter, dough, and sugar.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kouign-amann>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
All words, in every language, are metaphors.
--Marshall McLuhan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan>
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