O Caso do Gato Preto

Very entertaining entry in the Perry Mason series. This is due mainly to the appearance of Ricardo Cortez who brings a whole new persona to the role. Affable and good-natured and with a ready smile, Cortez makes Mason seem easy-going and not dependent on alcohol as was the Warren William interpretation. William almost seemed embarrassed but Cortez is like an old shoe, comfortable in the role. Time and again he manages to come off as sympathetic in thankless roles.

"The Case Of The Black Cat" also has a very imaginative script in its favor, so much so that you won't guess the surprise twist ending. Once you see it you might feel the movie doesn't play fair by introducing hitherto undivulged information, but you will agree it is extremely clever. The cast is comprised of some Hollywood backbenchers but they are a very capable group. This picture is as good as "The Case Of The Howling Dog" which starred Warren William, which I thought was the best of the series. So you could make a pun about cats and dogs - if only I could think of one.

Personally, I am not fond of this film, although Cortez is fine as Mason. The 1930s hosted a brief Warner Brothers series, with three different men in the lead. This is the only movie I have seen from the period.

The plot is convoluted, with a few too many characters. I am assuming that all were in the original story - I would love to see the Burr television take that was apparently shot over twenty years later. Speaking of which, I am one of those who grew up on Burr's Mason, so it is strange to experience another actor in the role.

This film wastes Della and Drake, in my opinion.

Harry Davenport provides his usual supporting role professionalism, albeit in a B movie a few notches below what he was probably accustomed to.

Definitely worth a viewing.

For those of you who were convinced that Raymond Burr was the consummate Perry Mason, please take a gander at Ricardo Cortez in that role. You might be surprised at your reaction. This certainly doesn't mean that Burr was not great in the television series......it just gives us a different take on the character. Cortez, who is wonderful in most of his roles, truly shines as an urbane sophisticated Mason in a typical Erle Stanley Gardner tale of murder and mayhem. The Della Street (June Travis) and Paul Drake (Gary Owen) roles are very different from those portrayed on television and could have been fleshed out just a bit more, but I'm not complaining. It's Cortez, with those bedroom eyes and dark good looks who steals the show. I have seen the other Mason films with Warren William in the lead role and in my opinion it's no contest.

The story line gets a little convoluted at one point but it all works itself out in the capable hands of our hero. It's unfortunate that this was the only outing as Perry Mason for Cortez but it is worth the watch. Catch it on TCM which may be the only place where is will be shown. You'll like it!!!!

Case of the Black Cat, The (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Fifth film in Warner's Parry Mason series now features Ricardo Cortez in the role of the attorney. This time out an old man calls Mason to his house so that he can change his will since he's worried someone in his family is about to kill him. A few days later the old man dies in a fire but after the autopsy it turns out he was dead hours before the fire. This is a pretty solid little crime picture from start to finish and I was surprised to see it didn't suffer any from not having Warren William in the lead. Cortez actually delivers a very strong performance as the attorney and manages to come off looking and sounding like a real detective and someone with a brain in their head. The supporting cast doesn't feature any huge stars but they all fill their roles nicely. One interesting note is that the cat from the title plays a big part in the film but it's a black and white cat. One has to wonder why Warner didn't use a black cat.

"The Case of the Black Cat" is one of a bunch of Perry Mason films that were made in the 1930s. None of these really played very much like the later TV series. The biggest difference is that the films portray Perry as much more of an amateur sleuth--sort of like The Saint or Boston Blackie. Also, he is much more of a character. So, if you are looking for a more urbane version of Mason like the one Raymond Burr portrayed, you may be very disappointed in the films--though they are enjoyable B-movies.

This particular film is frustrating because it had a lot going for it but the script becomes a mess towards the end. Ricardo Cortez is quite good in the lead and it's easy to like him. Also, the plot has some wonderful twists. HOWEVER, you don't see these twists naturally unfold like they would in a well-written script. Instead, there's a courtroom scene at the end where Mason talks and talks and explains all the stuff that SHOULD have been in the film all along. All these secrets that he suddenly pulls out of a hat is just bad script-writing. It's a shame, as it is still a decent and enjoyable flick.