The Case Of The Black Cat (1936)

Famous attorney Perry Mason (Ricardo Cortez) is summoned in the middle of the night by an eccentric millionaire (Harry Davenport) who wants to cut his granddaughter (Jane Bryan) out of his will. Shortly thereafter, he is killed in a fire under suspicious circumstances. Based on the novel THE CASE OF THE CARETAKER'S CAT by Erle Stanley Gardner and directed by William C. McGann. The fifth entry in the Warners Perry Mason franchise and the first without Warren William as Mason. The tone in this film is decidedly different than the previous Perry Mason films. The Warren William movies were rich in humor and combined screwball comedy with the mystery. This one is closer to the Gardner books and on the serious side. It's also the first in the series to actually show Mason in the courtroom defending a client. The previous entries had Mason as more of a detective. The title is inaccurate. There is a cat in the movie and he's very important to the plot but he is not black. While the humor is missed, the movie is fast paced and I enjoyed it probably because it's closer to the Raymond Burr TV series I grew up with. With June Travis as Della Street, Garry Owen as Paul Drake, Guy Usher as Hamilton Burger, Craig Reynolds, Nedda Harrigan and Bill Elliott.