Mystery & Crime Series 30's & 40's (1 Viewer)

[Rustifer]

Please forgive me. I was simply trying to answer your question.

Just funin' with you, Rob. No prob.

 

[Mysto]

Please forgive me. I was simply trying to answer your question.

Rob - We're just having fun! We want your input. We just don't take offense or anything too seriously but we still pay attention. It's all good!

 

[Rustifer]

This series might be worth the watch just for the cool police cars.

1949 Nash Rambler, I believe. Can't hardly beat a fastback cop car.
(I'm sure I'll be corrected on this.)

 

[Matt Hough]

I watched The Case of the Lucky Legs tonight, the third of the Perry Mason films. I disliked it immensely, not because the murderer was so easy to spot (and it was an actor who also played the murderer in one of the most famous entries in the mystery series field ever made) but because it was more a comedy than a drama, and Perry/Warren William was an overacting buffoon, so arch and flip with everyone that I wanted to slug him.

I was violently disappointed with this. I hope the rest of the entries aren't as exaggerated for comic effect as this one was.

 

[Rustifer]

Thanks for that, Russ - appreciate the explanation! Having written a blog in the past, I'm very much aware of how time-consuming it can be to do a proper write-up. Many of my posts on said blog were 24-25 paragraphs long. Eventually it became a bit too much work, and when actual work got busier (and with the addition of a toddler to contend with) I stopped doing it. This forum has in essence replaced it as a quasi-creative outlet, though I tend to post at a more succinct length, understandably.

I do actually write a fair amount on the forum on a regular basis, particularly in the "What did you watch this week on Classic TV on DVD (or Blu)?" thread. In fact, I posted mini-reviews for every vintage TV show I watched throughout 2018 (which amounted to over 300 hours and 123 different shows) - surely boring the pants off a number of HTF members in the process. I also participate in a bunch of other threads - predominantly on the TV on DVD board, but also the Blu-Ray and Movie ones as well. Hope you eventually branch out if and when the mood strikes you, even if it's just a casual observation or note here and there.

Re: finding threads on other shows or subjects you might be interested in...you can go to the TV on DVD board and type in the name of a particular series (such as Perry Mason) in the Search toolbar and find most things. Quite a few show-specific threads might need resurrecting, however, but most generally get some feedback once someone bothers to bump them up.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

I've read some of your reviews on your home page. You're a good writer, Jeff. I admire anyone who writes in a lucid and relevant manner in this forum.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I've read some of your reviews on your home page. You're a good writer, Jeff. I admire anyone who writes in a lucid and relevant manner in this forum.

Aww, shucks,,,That's very kind of you, Russ - thanks, and right back atcha! Looking forward to reading your next review.

 

[Matt Hough]

I sighed great relief when I watched The Case of the Velvet Claws, the next Perry Mason film in the set. It was more grounded and less silly than The Case of the Lucky Legs, and the mystery was good, too (I didn't guess it). Yes, newly married Della's whining about being abandoned got tiresome halfway through the movie (good lord, woman, your new husband has been accused of murder and the police are on his trail; makes sense he'd be out trying to clear his name and find the real culprit), but at only 63 minutes, it was a quick watch and enjoyable.

 

[Matt Hough]

Watched The Case of the Black Cat with Ricardo Cortez taking over the Mason role. He's fine in the part, more down-to-earth than Warren William and with a slight twinkle in his eye. The mystery was a good one: I guessed one of the two killers, but the other one was a complete surprise which I loved. Perry and Della aren't married in this one which I certainly prefer (I guess from all those years of the television series).

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
"The Case of the Howling Dog" (Warner Bros.1934)

After reading Matt's brief commentary on this particular Perry Mason film, I had the opportunity to watch the movie and decided to elaborate on it. This was my first viewing of one of the famous attorney film series--I am quite the aficionado of the ubiquitous TV show starring Raymond Burr and was curious to see how the two squared up. I quickly found that any similarities between them are far outweighed by the differences.

My initial comparative distinction arrived at the very beginning of the film. In this, Perry Mason's operation appears more as a blue chip corporation rather than the sole but swank proprietor shop of the TV series. Switchboards, secretarial pools, assistants and several operatives festoon the company, with Perry's personal office being of a size large enough to host a community jamboree. In addition, the skeletal William carries a close Basil Rathbone likeness as well as imperious attitude--a perfect image for Los Angeles' most famous barrister but certainly physically different from Raymond Burr's stout frame and slightly more diffident demeanor.
Thankfully, the lovely and efficient Della Street (Helen Trenholme) remains a constant. The relationship between her and Mason (Warren William) still consisted of vague and unspoken passion as if a covert little secret existed between the two.

Perry and Della seemingly ignoring departmental memos regarding in-office fraternization, the always-alluring Mary Astor, Perry's wheels--a 1934 Mercedes Excalibur

Arthur Cartwright (Gordon Westcott) shows up at the attorney's office with the demeanor of a man who has just polished off 18 cups of very strong coffee. Fidgety and chain-smoking, he beseeches Perry to sue his neighbor Clinton Foley (Russell Hicks) for having a dog that howls incessantly at night. Oh, and while he's at it, could Perry also fashion his will? He'd like to inexplicably leave his estate to Foley's wife Bessie (Mary Astor). Huh? A wad of $10,000 cash is offered and Perry handily slips it into his coat pocket. The case has unquestionably been accepted even though undeniably fishy.

What follows is a confusing jumble of swapped wives, a double murder, mysterious letters, an elusive diary and general skullduggery. The murderer seemingly revealed, Perry faces off against District Attorney Claude Drumm (Grant Mitchell), who displays the charisma of a barn owl and the jurisprudence talents of a corn dog. Both attorneys employ an astounding level of witness intimidation with nary a shouted "Objection!" to be heard. Back then, courtrooms were apparently more for entertainment than justice. In the end, Perry wins the day as we knew he would.
"You're a cross between a saint and a devil", simpers Della lasciviously.
"How do you like it?" gloats Perry.

Randoms:
In the spring of 1943, Warren William was finishing up his contract with Columbia Pictures. For the first time in 12 years, he was without a studio contract or movie offer on the horizon. Several projects eventually ensued but ultimately failed. Warren found himself losing weight and experiencing a tiredness like never before. He was also having severe bone pain, infections and headaches. Extensive medical tests were winnowing away he and his beloved wife Helen's life savings. A shy and very private couple, Warren and Helen kept his illness under wraps. In 1947, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and a year later died at the age of 53.
"He was an old man, even at a young age", eulogized one of his co-stars Joan Blondell.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Good stuff as always, Russ and Matt! The Case of the Howling Dog is the only one of these Mason movies that I've watched from that Warner Archive set. I enjoyed it's energy and different take on the character. And you're right, Russ - it's a very different version of Perry we see here. In this movie, at least, it's a refreshing change from the solid if sometimes staid Raymond Burr series. Warren William plays Mason with a skeevier edge than Burr; his Mason's legal ethics seem more borderline.

Thanks for the background on Warren William, Russ. I like his slick, slightly caddish screen persona. Pity to hear how his life was cut short by disease. He has undergone a bit of a renaissance in recent years, as more people (especially younger female film bloggers, it seems) have caught up with his pre-Code work.

 

[Mysto]

Hey Russ - gotta love it. As usual a wonderful effort. Besides who else could use jurisprudence and corn dog in the same sentence.
Been re-watching the next series up for summary. Should be able to get to it this weekend. Cheers.

 

[JQuintana]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but I discovered the Tubi app on my Roku (and phone) and it has a ton of classic oldies.Both movies and TV. I found most of the Sherlock movies I like with Basil.

It's free to watch but it is ad supported. Still better than having to buy, at least for me.

 

[Matt Hough]

I finished up the Perry Mason films this afternoon with The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. Donald Woods was a rather standard, stolid Perry with less sense of fun than his two predecessors, but he still fit the story just fine. I guessed who the shooter was but not the real murderer. So, I ended up really liking five of the six films, a good score.

I guess I may start revisiting some Charlie Chans, but not in order. I'll just skip around so I can get to experience all three actors who played him during the 1930s and 1940s.

 

[Mysto]

Det. Bill Crane & Doc Williams Mysteries
(Crime Club)

Preston Foster

The Westland Case
The Lady in the Morgue
The Last Warning

And yet another wise cracking, hard drinking, detective. The source for these films was a series of 5 novels by Jonathan Latimer (who also wrote several Perry Mason scripts) starting in 1935. Only 3 made it to screen.

This was a series inside a series. Doubleday publishing had a special line of mystery novels called the “Crime Club” series. They came to an agreement in 1937 to let Universal produce some of the stories under the Crime Club logo. Eight in total were produced but only the three Det. Bill Crane stores were a continuing series.

CRIME CLUB

Bill Crane (Preston Foster) worked with several sidekicks in the novels but only one had an onscreen presence, Doc Williams, played by veteran character actor Frank Jenks. Besides this series, Mr. Jenks also appeared in other films on our list – The Falcon in Hollywood and Philo Vance’s Gamble.

Bill Crane’s personality changes a bit in each movie. In the first he was a real jerk. He appears to only want to sleep or drink and didn’t seem to care much. The plot – only six days to exonerate a condemned man and save him from the electric chair. (Remember Charlie Chan in London).The story was OK but too complex to really explore in this short B. It was an alright watch but didn’t have any staying power. I watched it about three months ago and had to re-watch it for this summary because I couldn’t recall anything about it (kinda like Chinese food - an hour later you're hungry again).

Carol Hughes from The Westland Case

In the second movie, Lady in the Morgue, he was toned down a bit, still a drinker/sleeper but perhaps a little more considerate and contrite. A lady commits suicide (Or did she?) Who is she? It seems many people want to know including a couple of gangsters. When they go to view the body she disappears and the morgue attendant is found dead. This is the best of the lot.

Patricia Ellis
Stars in Lady in the Morgue
Here's an introduction clip


The third movie, The Final Warning, just didn’t do it for me. The bad guy is “The Eye”. A name so bad the two heroes make fun of the name in the movie. The solution to a locked room mystery is, to say the least, implausible.

Kay Linaker from the The Final Warning also appeared in five Charlie Chan movies as well as the lead role in one of the Sally Keating Mysteries (The Murder of Dr. Harrigan)

If you run across these, and you like this genre, they may be worth the watch. My recommendation is to watch Lady in the Morgue and if you enjoy it then The Westland Case. (As Russ says – an adult beverage helps because these are lightweights) If they don’t do it for you then I would just give the final movie aptly named “The Last Warning” a pass.

These can currently be watched online from our Russian old film source (Here's the link for the Westland Case)https://ok.ru/video/576353405534

The DVD’s appear to only be available from alternate or grey sources. (Google is your friend)

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Good stuff, Marv! Never heard of this series...

And kudos on upping the cheesecake factor of your posts recently.

 

[Rustifer]

And yet another wise cracking, hard drinking, detective. The source for these films was a series of 5 novels by Jonathan Latimer (who also wrote several Perry Mason scripts) starting in 1935. Only 3 made it to screen.

I'm with Jeff--I never heard of this series, Marv. But once again you pull out of your hat (instead of a rabbit) another interesting review of a mystery series. And if we've taught you anything, cheesecake does wonders for amplifying your commentaries.
I'll add these of Patricia Ellis--it's kinda rare to get va-va-voom photos of 30's actresses.

I'm thinking her male neighbors were praying for sunny days in the back yard.

 

[Rustifer]

Film Commentary
The Falcon in Mexico (RKO-1944)

Let me put all kidding aside--this film sucks. A zucchini garden has a better plot than this movie. A fifth grade stage play in the school gym has more professional acting. And mostly, Tom Conway as The Falcon completely lacks the suave wittiness and style of his brother George Sanders.
There. Now that I've gotten that off my chest...

The Falcon chases the model of a portrait painting to Mexico along with the 'dead' artist Humphrey Wade's daughter Barbara (Martha Vickers). The painting belongs to 'Lucky Diamond' Hughes (Emory Parnell), a rich art collector whom you could find in the dictionary under "Blustery Dork".
In Mexico, Manuel Romero (Nestor Paiva) hooks up with the Falcon as his driver and all around tag along in what RKO considered as comic relief.

Marha Vickers, Nestor Paiva, Emory Parnell

Speaking of RKO, the studio endeavored to use every Hispanic actor and Mexican backdrop it could cough up. The cantina scenes looked about as authentic as my bathroom.
Okay, I digress...there's an entire slew of characters associated with artist Wade Humphrey that may or may not have ulterior motives regarding his estate of now-famous and expensive paintings. The Falcon has a field day bouncing off each one in his relentless search for clues as to whether Wade is still alive. Apparently, chain-smoking is a necessary crutch to his sleuthing finesse. There's Barbara's step mother, resentful of the estate being left to her step daughter. The Innkeeper is a lady with the disposition of a bluebottle wasp and who's kept Wade's old lodgings in creepily museum-like order. And then there's Manuel himself, who turns out to be an undercover Mexican special agent.
Oops, I didn't mean to spoil that aspect for you, but if you're still watching the movie up to that point, you deserve my pity more than an apology. So I may as go all the way and reveal that Wade Humphrey is still alive, but only for about 20 seconds after being discovered.
At one point in the movie, Manuel laments "Sometimes women talk, but they don't say something." Which pretty well sums up the whole film.

Randoms:
Martha Vickers began her career as a model and most likely should have stayed with that profession. Instead, she gets some small film parts and eventually meets Mickey Rooney in 1949. Mickey, not one to let a well-shaped dame slip through his net, invites her to his house for a home-cooked duck dinner. The dish is so damn good that it leads to their betrothal. It's a marriage made in heaven and lasts about an hour and a half.
Warner Bros. signs her up with the hope of making her another big star in their galaxy, but she quickly turns out to be more of a dwarf asteroid. By the mid-50's, her career is mostly toast.

Martha and Mickey in happier days. What mostly caught his attention...

Emory Parnell is by far the most accomplished actor in this film. I remember him best as the screamingly funny paint contractor in Mr. Blandings Build His Dream House.

Emory and Myrna Loy reviewing paint chips--"I'd like more of an egg-yolk yellow, but not too eggy..."

 

[Mysto]

Film Commentary
The Falcon in Mexico (RKO-1944)

Let me put all kidding aside--this film sucks. A zucchini garden has a better plot than this movie. A fifth grade stage play in the school gym has more professional acting. And mostly, Tom Conway as The Falcon completely lacks the suave wittiness and style of his brother George Sanders.
There. Now that I've gotten that off my chest...

Boy are you mean today.
I'll agree that Falcon in Mexico is not a fav but I like ole Tom. George Sanders... I agree, he's not. Which is the reason one went on to play in the big leagues and the other stayed in mostly B's. But I enjoy his more straight forward approach.
I think you were just short a beverage.

Where does this Russ guy live? I'll suave his style!

Thanks for keeping the thread alive with all your great reviews.

 

[Rustifer]

Boy are you mean today.

Jeez, Marv....you've gotten to know me too well. I was mean today---laying in bed at 10:00 a.m. nursing a cold while watching this edition of The Falcon. I was in no mood for churning out an benevolent review--but I felt the need to contribute to the thread. My beverage was a non-mood altering peppermint tea and a couple of Sudafeds. For sure, a couple of chilled vodka martinis may well have given be a more rosy disposition towards Tom Conway. No doubt. Additionally, Wifey was not very merciful after I left a veritable wiccan circle of sacrificial kleenex around my sneezy self, which didn't contribute to improving my attitude. Or hers.

But thanks for your continuing thanks for my contributions. I'm really glad you started this thread as it has given me a new lease on old mystery movies. There's just too many participants in this HTF forum missing out on your efforts here.

 

[Mysto]

Jeez, Marv....you've gotten to know me too well. I was mean today---laying in bed at 10:00 a.m. nursing a cold while watching this edition of The Falcon. I was in no mood for churning out an benevolent review--but I felt the need to contribute to the thread. My beverage was a non-mood altering peppermint tea and a couple of Sudafeds. For sure, a couple of chilled vodka martinis may well have given be a more rosy disposition towards Tom Conway. No doubt. Additionally, Wifey was not very indulgent after I left a veritable wiccan circle of sacrificial kleenex around my sneezy self, which didn't contribute to improving my attitude. Or hers.
But thanks for your continuing thanks for my contributions. I'm really glad you started this thread as it has given me a new lease on old mystery movies. There's just too many participants in this HTF forum missing out on your efforts here.

Interesting - I'm trying to get over a cold as well. I'd recommend something to watch but right now I find it hard to concentrate on anything.
We have almost 30,000 views so I think many people are just lurking.
My next summary will be the last. I believe I have covered all the series out there. Now I can work on some individual movie reviews and maybe start a thread on other mystery stuff. As most of my summaries have been brief overviews - there still is a lot of field to plow.

Get Well my friend!