The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Erle Stanley Gardner (story)
Tom Reed (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 April 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

After giving the District Attorney another stinging defeat, Perry plans to take a vacation in China...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | District Attorney | Restaurant | San Francisco California

Cast

Warren William	...	Perry Mason
Margaret Lindsay	...	Rhoda Montaine
Donald Woods	...	Carl Montaine
Claire Dodd	...	Della Street
Allen Jenkins	...	Spudsy Drake
Phillip Reed	...	Dr. Claude Millbeck
Barton MacLane	...	Chief Detective Joe Lucas
Wini Shaw	...	Doris Pender (as Winifred Shaw)
Warren Hymer	...	Oscar Pender, Doris' Brother
Olin Howland	...	Coroner Wilbur Strong
Charles Richman	...	C. Phillip Montaine
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Toots Howard, 'Inquirer' Reporter (as Thomas Jackson)
Errol Flynn	...	Gregory Moxley
Robert Gleckler	...	Detective Byrd
James Donlan	...	Detective Fritz

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #685)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

In The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), one of Errol Flynn's earliest films, his role consisted of lying on a marble slab as a corpse. There was also a flashback sequence towards the end of the film showing how Flynn was killed. The film in question has appeared at least twice on Turner Classic Movies during Errol Flynn festivals despite his very limited (certainly less than two minutes) screen time.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the first scene at Fisherman's Wharf, Perry is picking out crabs, and he says, "Joe, we've decided upon these four antagonistic anthropods." Crabs are arthropods; there is no such thing as an anthropod.

Quotes:

Perry Mason: She's more of a legitimate fake than I thought she was.

Movie Connections:

Version of "Perry Mason: The Case of the Curious Bride (#2.5)" (1958)

Soundtrack:

On a Dark and Stormy Night

Fast paced comedy thriller

There seems to be a wide divergence of opinion on the quality or otherwise of this one, whether it's poor and dull or witty and fast. I plump for the latter, even though Warners' portrayal of the lawyer left something to be desired, turning him into potentially yet another run of the mill private eye for the b market. But the production values in this were pretty high and it was directed by Michael Curtiz with panache.

Woman comes to Perry Mason played again by William Warren for help because her first husband she thought dead has come back to shake her and her new rich husband down. Her first husband gets his instead, from then on the game is on to find whodunit and why, with some witty if sometimes improbable plot twists along the way. From the outset with Perry and his laconic coroner friend buying lobsters for the creation of a new gastronomic sensation to Errol Flynn's flashback appearance it carries you along on a tide of incessant lighthearted repartee and swift soft focus fade out's and in's. Typecast Allen Jenkins plays Perry's helper the brash and loyal Spudsy in what must be one of his finest performances ever, he weaves in and out of the story as a perfect counterpoint to his boss. Favourite bits: The all-too-short scenes in Luigi's restaurant on that "nutty night"; Perry and the coroner's continual smart ass one liners; the cosy relationship depicted between Perry and the newspaper men; Jenkins getting knocked out by the 2nd husband; Flynn's bit.

It should be a great watch for fans of b&w 30's detective films (and maybe screwball comedies too), I certainly have always enjoyed this 2nd entry in the series. But not to be taken too seriously.