The Case of the Howling Dog

Wow, can't top the "Lightning" review, but here's more about the movie itself. I believe this was the first in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William.

What's odd is that this film has no other cast members in common with the subsequent films and in fact the whole tenor of the movie is quite different. In this film Perry has a huge office and staff of detectives. He makes no quips. Has no comic-relief sidekick. And the mystery itself is actually quite good.

Later films gave him a goofy detective sidekick ("Spudsey"), made more of the romance between Della Street and Perry, and had much less mystery in the plots. The appeal of these movies is Perry's string of one-liners he gives to the police, witnesses, etc.

But give this first film a look. There's no comic relief, but the plot is very involved and interesting.

"The Case of the Howling Dog," made in 1934, was the first Perry Mason film, and it's from an actual Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason novel. One way you can tell is that it's not an easy plot to follow. Mason becomes embroiled in defending a woman (Mary Astor) for the murder of her husband. Meanwhile, her husband and the dead man's wife are missing. And then there's that howling dog.

A really excellent story, but Erle Stanley Gardner loathed what the movies did to his passionate young Depression lawyer. Perry here has a huge office and is too big to take certain cases; Della is there, but not Paul Drake or even Gertie the switchboard operator. Warren William is a clever, serious Perry, and gives the impression of a lawyer to be reckoned with. He also has occasion touches of humor, though if memory serves, there's a lot more humor in the later films.

As one who read the original Perry Mason books, the character matures and becomes less given to speeches about the law - William would perhaps have been better as the later Perry, though Gardner himself never would have chosen him. He wanted Fred MacMurray until Raymond Burr walked in to read for the role of the D.A. He then said, "That's Perry Mason." Despite some of the stilted dialogue, this is still a very good story and well worth seeing. Mary Astor is lovely as the defendant.

As one of the comments pointed out, the very talented Lightning the Dog is uncredited, but to say more would give away the plot. Let's just say Lightning is a fine actor and leave it at that.

This was the first Perry Mason film ever made, with Warren William as Mason, who is superb in the part, much better than Raymond Burr, who always annoyed me so much I could not watch the later Perry Mason films. Mason's assistant Della Street is here played by Helen Trenholme, a beautiful and talented choice, but she inexplicably left the film business after making this and one other film in 1934, and that was it. The best performance in the film is by Gordon Westcott, as a distraught client in a state of high anxiety and 'aggravated melancholia'. Unfortunately, he died not long after in a polo accident, which deprived the screen of a real talent. The direction is excellent, with lots of retreating dolly shot 'pullbacks' to add dynamism to the action. Mary Astor does well, but then when did she not? Hats off to Lightning the Dog, who is seen howling splendidly like a wolf in the initial shots of the film. I'd like to have one like that around the house, wouldn't you? Lots of character, not anybody's poodle, not a wimp. The plot of this film is wonderfully complex, a true brain-teaser. This is a Perry Mason film with serious intent, and not a pastiche. It is well worth watching.

Perry Mason sprang into screen life through 6 Warner Bros. films made from 1934, one year after his inception in book form by Erle Stanley Gardner. The movie series started out well, but as with so many other detective series of this type gradually petered out in quality almost film by film until fizzling out a few years later. Also it's not like Raymond Burr's Perry Mason I grew up with, Warren William has a vast organisation behind him, contrary to his future occupation as the Lone Wolf!

Complicated story of a dog's howling driving a neighbour crackers leads to a sorry and sordid tale of multiple murder - and the howling is central to the plot too. You have to concentrate to follow the history of partner-swapping (after all, some of the Foley's and Cartwright's weren't even married!) but all is wonderfully resolved by Mason by the end. William was perfect for these kind of roles, his efficient and reassuring presence of mind imparting to cast and audience from the beginning that all will be eventually all right, even if in this case only if you don't say anything without him being present! How come Mary Astor landed the part of the woman with the shady past and inability to tell the truth so often? Allen Jenkins as a flatfoot doesn't get much of a part, but at least he got a chance to show off a rather natty moustache.

Well worth watching and a pleasant opener for an attorney with a long career ahead of him.

Case of the Howling Dog, The (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Warren William plays Perry Mason in Warner's first film in the series. In the film, an apparent crazy man shows up at Perry's office complaining about his neighbor's dog who keep barking through the night. The following day the man making the complaint disappears and the dog and its owner are dead. A woman (Mary Astor) takes the blame but Perry thinks there's more to the story. This film really isn't too much different than the countless other mysteries of the period. The first fifty-five minutes has Mason investigating the case and then the final fifteen take place in the court room. The story is pretty difficult to figure out but it leads to a very good ending when the case is finally unraveled. William is his typical good self and Astor makes for a good client, although she isn't given a lot to do. Allen Jenkins and Grant Mitchell co-star.