The House of Fear (1945)

Directed by: Roy William Neill

Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his assistant Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) travel to Scotland to investigate a series of murders, each preceded by the victim receiving an envelope filled with orange pips.

Kitty Cameo: In one scene Watson is alone in the large, dark mansion on a stormy night and his imagination, as usual, runs away with him. He imagines villains on every side and starts shooting at anything that moves. At one point he sees a statue moving on a piano and fires. A tabby cat runs away screeching as a vase shatters to pieces. “Sorry, all in the line of duty!” Watson explains.

The House of Fear - tabby cat sitting on piano by vase of flowers

It’s clear there is a string leading to the cat which appears to be attached to the animal somehow. One would think the string would have been used to pull the vase apart, and this may very well be the case, although since the top of the vase falls backwards it was likely pulled from behind. It’s possible the visible string was used to incite the cat to run.

The House of Fear - tabby cat running from vase of flowers on piano with wire showing
The House of Fear - tabby cat running away from breaking vase of flowers on piano
The House of Fear - tabby cat running away from breaking vase of flowers on piano animated gif

Final Mewsings: Cats don’t appreciate trigger-happy sidekicks.

Many thanks to Ted Davis for letting us know about the cat in this movie!

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