The Case of the Lucky Legs Movie Review 1935

Yes, there was a Perry Mason before Raymond Burr. Erle Stanley Gardner's sleuthing litigator's first appearance was 1934's "The Case of the Howling Dog," which initiated Warner Bros' "A"-grade (but soon-to-be "B"-grade) series. More akin to Nick Charles than to Gardner's character or to his later TV incarnation, the "Lucky Legs" Perry is a high-living, interminably hungover tippler who winces and wisecracks as he unravels the case of the corpse of a crooked con man. William, who left shortly after the series was downgraded to "B" status, plays the esquire; Tobin plays his smart-mouthed secretary, and Ellis is the tomato suspected of murder.

Distribution

Rex Miller, Rte. 1, Box 457-D, East Prairie, MO 63845, Phone: (573)649-5048

Available on VHS
Running time 76 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Mystery & Suspense, Private Eyes, Beauty Pageants

Cast

Warren William, Genevieve Tobin, Patricia Ellis, Lyle Talbot, Allen Jenkins, Barton MacLane, Peggy Shannon, Porter Hall

Director

Archie Mayo

Producer

Henry Blanke, First National, Warner Bros.