The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936)

Director:

William Clemens

Writers:

Tom Reed (screenplay)
Erle Stanley Gardner (story)
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

Perry and Della are finally married by his old friend, Judge Mary. They plan to go on a honeymoon, but before it can start...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Honeymoon | Judge | Perry Mason | Sleeping Pill

Cast

Warren William	...	Perry Mason
Claire Dodd	...	Della Street
Wini Shaw	...	Eva Belter (as Winifred Shaw)
Bill Elliott	...	Carl Griffin (as Gordon Elliott)
Joe King	...	George C. Belter (as Joseph King)
Addison Richards	...	Frank Locke
Eddie Acuff	...	Spudsy Drake
Olin Howland	...	Wilbur Strong
Dick Purcell	...	Crandal
Kenneth Harlan	...	Peter Milnor
Clara Blandick	...	Judge Mary F. O'Daugherty
Ruth Robinson	...	Mrs. Veite
Paula Stone	...	Norma Veite
Robert Middlemass	...	Police Sgt. Wilbur Hoffman
Stuart Holmes	...	Digley
Carol Hughes	...	Esther Linton
Eddie Shubert	...	Detective Jones
Harry Semels	...	A.G. 'Kicky' Kickopopolos
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Dilson	...	Carl Atwood - Attorney (uncredited)
Don Downen	...	Young Man in Locke's Office (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Second Bailiff (uncredited)
Jack Low	...	Prospective Client in Taxi (uncredited)
John Marston	...	District Attorney Burns (uncredited)
Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Reporter Tiny Brewster (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Officer Riley (uncredited)
Sam Rice	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	Police Detective (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	First Bailiff (uncredited)

Directed by
William Clemens

Writing credits
Tom Reed		(screenplay)
Erle Stanley Gardner		(story)
Erle Stanley Gardner		novel (uncredited)

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernhard Kaun		(uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Jack Saper

Art Direction by
Esdras Hartley

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Drew Eberson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Bryan Foy	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Pictures (controlled by Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.) (a Clue Club picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1936) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros.Pictures) (Inc.)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #2157)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Allen Jenkins, who had played Spudsy Drake in the first three Perry Mason films, is replaced in this movie by Eddie Acuff.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Bill Elliott's character name is spelled "Carl Griffin" in the credits, but a newspaper report spells it "Carl Griffen".

Quotes:

Leah Milnor:I want that article out of Spicy Bits, and I want it out NOW.
Perry Mason:Will you put the gun down please?
Leah Milnor:Have you never read Mc Nae's Guide? That article is malicious rubbish.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter (1991) (TV)

Soundtrack:

You Left Me Everything But You

Perry Mason 4: Married, Sober, Sick & Suspected

After the disgraceful silliness of THE CASE OF THE LUCKY LEGS, Warren William's Perry Mason seems back on firm ground in a film that takes itself much more serious without forgetting to include healthy doses of character humor. What sets this one apart from the others is Perry & Della getting MARRIED (a development completely forgotten in the follow-up that starred Ricardo Cortez) and Perry being the #1 murder suspect, having been to see the victim moments before he was bumped-- a situation he has all too often had to get his clients out of-- including the woman's husband in this case. She had threatened both Perry and her husband with a gun, and would only NOT be a suspect to anyone watching this because it would just be "too obvious"!!

Of WW's 3 Dellas, my favorite, Claire Dodd returns after having been absent from the previous installment. All 3 Dellas in the first 4 pictures have something to recommend them, I just happen to think Dodd is the most attractive (though Genevieve Tobin's was without a doubt the FUNNIEST). Sadly, Allan Jenkins, who played in cop in ...THE HOWLING DOG and "Spudsy" Drake in eps. 2 & 3, is replaced here by Eddie Acuff, who just doesn't seem to "work". Very oddly, Olin Howard returns as Coroner Wilber Strong from ...THE CURIOUS BRIDE, after having played a different doctor in the previous film! (Did anyone at Warner Brothers care about "continuity" in this series??)

The standard routine of set-up, murder, investigation and courtroom expose so far is limited to ...THE HOWLING DOG. In WW's other 3 films, he solves the murders at a dinner party, in his office during a medical check-up, and at the hang-out of the killer before moving on to the street in front of a hotel. The only time we see the inside of a courtroom in this film is when Perry & Della get hitched-- and when she tries to have it annulled. CRAZY!!

The other point of interest for me was actress Carol Hughes (my favorite "Dale Arden" from 1940's FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE) who is almost completely unrecognizable in here due to bright blonde hair and a southern accent.

I love Warren William's Perry Mason-- I DO! And I wish he'd done a lot more of these. But I also wish he'd done more like the 1st one, where at least, despite the huge differences, I could actually recognize the format and the character of the "real" Perry Mason, instead of this rambling comedic chaos WB kept foisting on audiences!