The Black Cat (1941)

Set in the old dark Winslow house, The Black Cat is a frightening mystery thriller starring Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi and Alan Ladd. A wealthy but embittered matriarch makes a deathbed recovery only to be murdered by someone in the greedy clan gathered for the reading of her will. The family is frustrated to learn that nobody receives a penny until the very last of the old lady's multitude of beloved cats perish. Along with the family and servants, an eager real estate agent and a single-minded antique dealer have arrived to pounce on what seemed to be a sure-fire, moneymaking opportunity. Trapped in the mansion by a raging storm, one by one, people and cats turn up dead. The only thing that remains more mysterious than the revolving doors and passageways scattered throughout the grand estate, is the identity of the murderer.

• comedy
• horror
• mystery