The White Cockatoo

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source: The White Cockatoo

The White Cockatoo

Routine whodunit, more complex than most. Seems Sue (Muir) travels to a French village to meet her long lost brother, so that once their identities are confirmed, they'll share a big inheritance. Trouble is people start turning up dead at their hotel, while Sue seemingly overcomes physics by appearing in more than one place at the same time. So what's going on. Unlike the Hollywood custom of the day, there's no amateur sleuth operating here. Instead guest Sundean (Cortez) stumbles around along with the French cops. Reviewer GManfred is right: the narrative lacks suspense. I think it's mainly because there are too many angles at play at the same time. In short, too many subplots detract from needed whodunnit focus. Instead, there's dark Gothic atmosphere, along with a single wind recording that blows throughout. Anyway, Muir looks pretty, Donnelly acts ditzy, while the Cockatoo qualifies for SAG membership. But anything memorable, it's not.

Wind whistles throughout this picture from start to finish, presumably to bring some much-needed atmosphere and an aura of mystery to a pedestrian WB second feature set in an empty seaside hotel on the French coast; see other reviewers for a plot summary. It gets off to a good start but falters halfway through and becomes a potboiler-style drama, relying shamelessly on contrivance before stumbling to a questionable conclusion. "The White Cockatoo" features an attractive cast, though, and stars genial, good-natured Ricardo Cortez (he of the sunny disposition), and lovely Jean Muir. On hand also are Ruth Donnelly as a ditzy schoolteacher, as well as Addison Richards, Minna Gombell and Walter Kingsford. The cockatoo in question is hardly noticeable, which makes you wonder why it's used in the picture's title. The main takeaway is the lack of suspense and tension, which detracts greatly from the overall enjoyment of a picture designed to mystify and frighten.