September 2, 1929

Paul Leni was a film director, born in Stuttgart, ( July8,  1885,) and died in LA ( September 2, 1929). He had a secure reputation for creative films in his homeland and was invited to Hollywood in 1927, where his first film there, The Cat and the Canary, was a big hit. Leni has been credited with beginning the genre of movies called the "old dark house," with this, his first American film. Leni also was the first director to add comedic elements to this genre. Not so original, even though it was only 1927, was a character in the movie playing a crazy shrink.

The title The Cat and the Canary, refers to the nervousness a bird feels trapped by cats, and was the title used for the 1922 play on which Leni based his film, a play written by John Willard. None of the actors in the film thrived professionally after the introduction of talk in the movies. Leni died accidentally, and young.