The Cat and the Canary and Ghost Breakers From Eureka

Eureka in the UK has announced the release of two classic Bob Hope comedies onto Blu-ray, The Cat and the Canary and Ghost Breakers. these will be 1080p presentations of both films from scans of the original film elements supplied by Universal with The Ghost Breakers presented from a new 2K master.

The Cat and the Canary (director. Elliott Nugent, 1939) – A decade after the death of an eccentric millionaire, his remaining relatives gather for the reading of the will at his abandoned mansion set deep in the Louisiana bayous. His niece Joyce (Paulette Goddard) is named the sole inheritor, but under the condition that she does not go insane within the next 30 days. The timid Wally (Bob Hope) vows to protect Joyce who must spend the night in the haunted mansion along with her jealous relatives, a creepy maid and a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from a nearby sanitarium.

The Ghost Breakers (director. George Marshall, 1940) – Larry Lawrence (Hope), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter (Goddard), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend. There’s romance, comedy and chills as Hope and Goddard contend with earthly and un-earthly foes—and try to keep from ending up as ghosts themselves.

Extras are –

• Brand new audio commentary tracks on both films with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby
• Kim Newman on “The Cat and the Canary” and “The Ghost Breakers”
• “The Ghost Breakers” 1949 radio adaptation
• Trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork
• A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann [2000 copies]