Laura La Plante
Annabelle West
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Synopsis
Relatives gather in an old mansion to hear a will held unread for twenty years. A young woman inherits the estate under conditions that make her state of mind crucial. Strange events, a second document and reports of an escaped killer turn the gathering into a night in which fear itself may serve someone's financial interest.
Cast
DirectorsPaul Leni
Inspirations
Paul Leni adapted John Willard's stage comedy through the stylised shadows and distorted spaces associated with German Expressionism. The combination of inheritance mystery, nervous comedy and threatening architecture helped establish a durable model for Hollywood's old-dark-house films.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Laura La Plante — Jack Freulich (1880–1936) · Public domain
- Forrest Stanley — Unknown author · Public domain
- Creighton Hale — Uncredited photographer · Public domain
