The White Cockatoo: A messy inheritance mystery from the archives

Is it worth your time?

Honestly? Only if you are a completionist for 1930s mystery fluff. It’s short, which is its best feature. If you enjoy watching people walk around French hotels looking suspicious while talking about money, you will be fine. If you hate movies where the plot is basically just people standing in doorways whispering, stay away.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that someone forgot to clear off the stage. You have Jean Muir as Sue, and she’s trying her best to look confused and worried, which is fair considering everyone is trying to rob her.

Odd bits and pieces

• The title is The White Cockatoo, but I spent half the runtime wondering if the bird was actually important or just a prop left over from another set.
• The lighting in the hotel lobby is so moody it borders on accidentally noir.
• There is a moment where a character walks past a curtain and I swear you can see the shadow of the boom mic, but I might just be hallucinating from the static.

It’s not quite as chaotic as Whirlpool, but it has that same desperate energy where the writers clearly had a page count to hit before lunch. The dialogue feels like it’s being read off a chalkboard just out of frame.

Ricardo Cortez is lurking around in this one. He has that look like he’s bored with the movie, which, to be honest, I kind of relate to. He’s supposed to be the guy you’re watching, but his eyes keep drifting toward the exit.

The pacing is… well, it’s not really a pace. It’s more of a series of scenes that happen because they have to. Someone dies, someone shouts, someone looks for the money. Wash, rinse, repeat.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in Hides - And Go Seek, though without the actual fun. It’s just people shuffling in and out of rooms. I don’t think they ever actually ate any food in that hotel, they were too busy being suspicious.

If you want a real trip, try comparing the production quality here to Around the World with Douglas Fairbanks. The difference in budget is like comparing a bicycle to a rocket ship. But somehow, this one feels more claustrophobic. Probably because it’s just the same three hallways for an hour.

Is it a classic? No. Is it a disaster? Not really. It’s just there. A piece of history that’s mostly collecting dust. Watch it if you’re stuck on a rainy Tuesday with nothing else to do. Or don't. The world won't end either way. 🦜