The White Cockatoo

Except for one brief scene filmed atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific, "The White Cockatoo" was filmed in black and white entirely on Warner Bros. soundstages in 1934 giving it a claustrophobic feeling. However, this works perfectly to maintain that moody mysterious atmosphere in the famous film noirs of the 30s and 40s. Ricardo Cortez checks into a coastal French hotel run by a strange married couple. There he witnesses strange goings on in the hotel courtyard involving a white cockatoo, a stranger who is claimed was never there but is later murdered outside Cortez's room balcony, and Cortez chases the killer into the hotel lobby, where the owners swear no one came. Later Cortez meets Jean Muir who has been a hotel resident for a year since her mother died. She awaits her brother whom she hasn't seen since she was a toddler. Both have half a secret quotation to share to claim big bucks - if they survive to collect it. The title bird unmasks the killer making the entire cockatoo cocktail a delicious mystery that should satisfy fans of the genre and is based on a novel by the late great author Mignon G. Eberhart.

I personally find that black and white movies made are much more interesting since producers like Hitchcock could really set moods and bring you to understand thru shadows gloom or doom. It is certainly a fun movie and I'd rather watch film like these rather than those movies made today without character or subject that captivates your attention from the beginning.

I did like the film. The acting was good and the sets were atmospheric enough. Like many of the 1930s mystery films ("The Thin Man" films, for example), "The White Cockatoo" is convoluted and can be confusing if you're not paying close attention. You may have to watch it twice or backtrack to certain scenes in order for the film to make sense. Worth it though, if 1930s mysteries are something you enjoy.

I ordered this film because I am partial to mysteries. This indeed is a good movie set in a off season hotel. A strange place to have a meeting and the mysterious feeling that people are watching you and every move you make. A secret rendezvous between a brother and sister and a fortune. This movie will hold your interest if you like the old dark house type mystery. I am happy that I bought this to add to my mystery collection..

Fun little dark-house whodunit with a clever plot and a great cast of supporting players. Leading man Ricardo Cortez is excellent as usual, and the all-but-forgotten Jean Muir, who bears a striking resemblance to Gloria Stewart, does a nice turn as a damsel in distress. This one is way above average for a second feature.

I watched this movie at random. I bought a new TCL 65" TV through Amazon and I wanted to see how it looked with a typical thirties detective movie. I picked one with Ricardo Cortez in it.Cortez was a 'Latin Lover'. He was slotted to be the new Rudolph Valentino. Apparently he was good at it although he was in fact a Jew from Austria. He was in one of the original Maltese Falcon films a decade before Bogart got the part.

This is a movie that has had little attention. There are so many villains it is hard to keep track. The good guy gets the girl, but this movie has so many twists and turns are fun to keep track of. And the cockatoo has a role to play, but a weak link in the story.

One of the best murder mysteries I've ever seen.andone of the best movie purchases I've ever made !