The Cat And The Canary (1978)

On a dark and stormy night, eight people meet in a secluded country mansion for the reading of the will of a man (Wilfrid Hyde White) who died 20 years earlier. Oh, and there's a homicidal maniac on the loose who's escaped from a mental asylum. Based on the 1922 Broadway play and directed by Radley Metzger (better known for his softcore porn like THERESE AND ISABELLE). This is the fourth film version which was previously filmed in 1927 (a silent film), 1930 (an early lost talkie) and 1939 (a Bob Hope comedy). There's not much style or suspense here but an attractive and talented cast gives it their all which helps hold your interest. I'm a sucker for these dark and stormy night/mansions with secret passageways horror thrillers so I'm probably more tolerant of stuff like this than most people. Also in the overqualified cast: Wendy Hiller, Carol Lynley, Edward Fox, Honor Blackman, Daniel Massey, Michael Callan, Olivia Hussey, Peter McEnery and Beatrix Lehmann.