The Case of the Black Cat

"PERRY MASON'S BACK...and so are the thrills, suspense, and excitement of Erle Stanley Gardner's greatest mystery drama!"

1936 1h 6m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 9

CrimeMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lawyer Perry Mason is summoned to the Laxter mansion in the dead of night to write granddaughter Wilma out of invalid Peter Laxter's will, to keep her from marrying suspected fortune hunter Doug. Peter dies in a mysterious fire and Laxter's two grandsons, Sam Laxter and Frank Oafley, inherit his estate on the condition old caretaker Schuster and his cat Clinker are kept on. When cat-hating Sam threatens Clinker, Perry steps in and learns Laxter's death was suspicious and the family fortune and diamonds are missing. Schuster's found dead in his basement apartment, Laxter's nurse Louise is murdered with Schuster's crutch, and circumstantial evidence brings Doug to trial for Louise's death. Mason's investigation produces a surprise witness who turns the trial around. Written by Sister Grimm

“PERRY MASON'S BACK...and so are the thrills, suspense, and excitement of Erle Stanley Gardner's greatest mystery drama!”

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Cast

Ricardo Cortez
Perry Mason
June Travis
Della Street
Jane Bryan
Wilma Laxter
Craig Reynolds
Frank Oafley
Carlyle Moore Jr.
Douglas Keene
Bill Elliott
Sam Laxter
Nedda Harrigan
Nurse Louise DeVoe
Garry Owen
Paul Drake

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William C. McGann
Writers: Erle Stanley Gardner, F. Hugh Herbert
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 66-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

90 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Perry Mason Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William C. McGann, shot by Allen G. Siegler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frank Magee shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ricardo Cortez and June Travis and Jane Bryan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "PERRY MASON'S BACK...and so are the thrills, suspense, and excitement of Erle Stanley Gardner's greatest mystery drama!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0027428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William C. McGann directs. Allen G. Siegler behind the camera. Frank Magee cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 66-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
290 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Perry Mason Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by William C. McGann, shot by Allen G. Siegler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Frank Magee shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ricardo Cortez and June Travis and Jane Bryan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "PERRY MASON'S BACK...and so are the thrills, suspense, and excitement of Erle Stanley Gardner's greatest mystery drama!".
8IMDB entry: tt0027428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.