The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935)

Frank Patton is the promoter of the Lucky Legs Contest. The problem is that he always skips town before paying the $1000 to the winner. Mr. Bradbury, suitor of Cloverdale winner Margie, ... See full summary »

Director:

Archie Mayo

Writers:

Brown Holmes (screenplay), Ben Markson (screenplay),

Stars:

Warren William, Genevieve Tobin, Patricia Ellis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren William	...	Perry Mason
Genevieve Tobin	...	Della Street
Patricia Ellis	...	Margie
Lyle Talbot	...	Dr. Doray
Allen Jenkins	...	Spudsy
Barton MacLane	...	Bisonette (as Barton Mac Lane)
Peggy Shannon	...	Thelma Bell
Porter Hall	...	Col. Bradbury
Anita Kerry	...	Eva Lamont
Craig Reynolds	...	Frank Patton
Henry O'Neill	...	District Attorney Manchester
Charles C. Wilson	...	Police Officer Ricker (as Charles Wilson)
Joseph Crehan	...	Detective Johnson
Olin Howland	...	Dr. Croker
Mary Treen	...	Spudsy's Wife

Storyline

Frank Patton is the promoter of the Lucky Legs Contest. The problem is that he always skips town before paying the $1000 to the winner. Mr. Bradbury, suitor of Cloverdale winner Margie, hires intoxicated Perry Mason to find Frank. Perry knows the scheme that Patton is using and has Spudsy find him, but Frank is dead when Perry arrives. The how is a surgeons scalpel, but the who is not yet known.

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Plot Keywords:

perry mason | contest | fraud | frame up | airplane | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Caso das Pernas Bonitas

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names, if any): George Chandler (Pilot), Lillian Worth (Blonde), Stanley Mack (Gas Man) and William Bailey.

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Quotes

Detective Johnson: Who was that on the phone?
Della Street: Well, it was the garbage man. I told him to bring up enough for four.

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Connections

Followed by The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Just an Ordinary Human"
(uncredited)
Music by Al Jacobs

User Reviews

"Bradford. Bradbottom. Bradley. .."

As one other reviewer noted, The Case of the Lucky Legs seems to be a bit more concerned with laughs than mystery. I concur. Mason is portrayed as a lush with tendencies to make a pass at virtually any woman he meets. His assistant Spudsy Drake played by Allen Jenkins almost borders on farce at times as he tries to pick a fight in an airport and has things thrown at him by his wife. These are just two scenes where director Archie Mayo goes for much more broader humour than seen in the first two Mason films in the series. Perry gets sick on a flight, passes a cold to everyone he meets, and does his final summation in his offices to a slew of people while being given a physical as well. These comedic touches don't really detract from the film and make it a pretty entertaining film when added to the mystery - a lesser one than previously used in the two earler mason films. This time Perry must try and a help a Colonel Bradbury and the winner of a legs contest who have been swindled and duped by a conman who takes a powder after the contest with all the loot from the contest. Mason keeps mixing Bradbury's name throughout the whole film after meeting him from his floor bed in his office after a late night bender. Warren William again is the epitome of suave wit and charm releasing one-liners with great accuracy. His performance and, I might add, his worth as an actor, greatly aid this film and the other three he starred in as the lawyer Perry Mason. For the third film we have a third actress playing Della Street(Genevieve Tobin). She oozes witty charm and fits William's style almost perfectly. Jenkins, Barton Maclane, and Olin Howard reprise their roles for this third installment. Humdrum Lyle Talbot has the leading man role in the mystery as the love interest of the contest winner, played by a gorgeous Patricia Ellis. She has a fine set of attributes - nice legs too! Character actor Porter Hall plays Colonel Bradbury with some nice subtle comedic touches. This is a very entertaining film as really are all of the four films in the series starring William.