The Iron Claw (1941)

Miserly old Anton Benson once recovered a treasure in gold from a sunken Spanish galleon, and in his greed murdered anyone who got in his way of keeping it. Now his family is gathered at ... See full summary »

Director:

James W. Horne

Writers:

Basil Dickey (screenplay), George H. Plympton (screenplay),

Stars:

Charles Quigley, Joyce Bryant, Forrest Taylor

Cast

Cast overview:
Charles Quigley	...	Bob Lane
Joyce Bryant	...	Patricia Benson
Forrest Taylor	...	Anton Benson
Walter Sande	...	Jack 'Flash' Strong
Norman Willis	...	Roy Benson
Alex Callam	...	James Benson
James Metcalfe	...	Culver Benson
Allen Doone	...	Simon Leach
Edythe Elliott	...	Milly Leach
John Beck	...	Gyves
Charles King	...	Silk Langdon
James C. Morton	...	Casey
Hal Price	...	O'Malley

Storyline

Miserly old Anton Benson once recovered a treasure in gold from a sunken Spanish galleon, and in his greed murdered anyone who got in his way of keeping it. Now his family is gathered at his estate, Bensonhurst, and they are all searching for the treasure, which is hidden somewhere on the estate. Also looking for the gold is a masked killer called The Iron Claw, who murders one member of the family and lets the others know that they'll be next.

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Plot Keywords:

serial

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Taglines:

With flailing fists and blazing bullets, one man defies the fiendish law of the Iron Claw!

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Genres:

Crime

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Siderenia nyhta

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

289 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. The Shaft of Doom 2. The Murderous Mirror 3. The Drop To Destiny 4. The Fatal Fuse 5. The Firey Fall 6. The Ship Log Talks 7. The Mystic Map 8. The Perilous Pit 9. The Cul-de-sac 10.The Curse of the Cave 11.The Doctor's Bargain 12.Valors of Evil 13.The Secret Door 14.The Evil Eye 15.The Claw's Collapse

User Reviews

Not one of the best serials.

If anyone has seen the intriguing still of the heroine in the clutches of the creepy-looking "Iron Claw", let me assure you that this serial doesn't live up to that.

It's a 15-Chapter serial (about 4 1/2 hours, running time) about

a treasure in gold that's hidden the home of a miserly old man. His family (including the Iron Claw) is out to steal it from him. The first few chapters are pretty boring, with the family listening thru keyholes on each other, and the traditional "serial thrills" (cars going off cliffs, etc) are missing from this film. And, the heroine's fake "scream" (which is, unfortunately, all thru this film) drives you crazy after awhile.

All-in-all, the whole film is "muddled" and is an embarrassment to James Horne. Pass this one up and watch Quigley's classic "The Crimson Ghost" instead!

Norm