Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Case of the Black Cat

  • 1936
  • Approved
  • 1h 6m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
851
YOUR RATING
Ricardo Cortez and June Travis in The Case of the Black Cat (1936)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:28
1 Video
26 Photos
Legal DramaSuspense MysteryWhodunnitDramaMystery

A bedridden eccentric millionaire, anticipating his own murder, hires Mason to help him rewrite his will, and the lawyer ends up defending the caretaker's cat.A bedridden eccentric millionaire, anticipating his own murder, hires Mason to help him rewrite his will, and the lawyer ends up defending the caretaker's cat.A bedridden eccentric millionaire, anticipating his own murder, hires Mason to help him rewrite his will, and the lawyer ends up defending the caretaker's cat.

  • Directors
    • William C. McGann
    • Alan Crosland
  • Writers
    • Erle Stanley Gardner
    • F. Hugh Herbert
  • Stars
    • Ricardo Cortez
    • June Travis
    • Jane Bryan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    851
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • William C. McGann
      • Alan Crosland
    • Writers
      • Erle Stanley Gardner
      • F. Hugh Herbert
    • Stars
      • Ricardo Cortez
      • June Travis
      • Jane Bryan
    • 33User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:28
    Official Trailer

    Photos26

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 20
    View Poster

    Top cast33

    Edit
    Ricardo Cortez
    Ricardo Cortez
    • Perry Mason
    June Travis
    June Travis
    • Della Street
    Jane Bryan
    Jane Bryan
    • Wilma Laxter
    Craig Reynolds
    Craig Reynolds
    • Frank Oafley
    Carlyle Moore Jr.
    Carlyle Moore Jr.
    • Douglas Keene
    Bill Elliott
    Bill Elliott
    • Sam Laxter
    • (as Gordon Elliott)
    Nedda Harrigan
    Nedda Harrigan
    • Nurse Louise DeVoe
    Garry Owen
    Garry Owen
    • Paul Drake
    Harry Davenport
    Harry Davenport
    • Peter Laxter
    George Rosener
    George Rosener
    • Charles Ashton
    Gordon Hart
    • Dr. Jacobs
    Clarence Wilson
    Clarence Wilson
    • Mr. Shuster
    Guy Usher
    Guy Usher
    • District Attorney Hamilton Burger
    Lottie Williams
    • Mrs. Pixley
    Harry Hayden
    • Reverend Stillwell
    Earl Askam
    • Desk Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Bruno
    • Construction Foreman
    • (uncredited)
    Don Downen
    • Newsboy
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • William C. McGann
      • Alan Crosland
    • Writers
      • Erle Stanley Gardner
      • F. Hugh Herbert
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews33

    6.3851
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7krorie

    The case of the gray and white-spotted cat

    This movie is called "The Case of the Black Cat" because horror films were popular money-makers at the time of its release and the use of "black cat" in the title made it sound more ominous. An alternate moniker was "The Curse of the Black Cat." Apparently the producers thought that title was too misleading. The Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason story on which it is based was labeled, "The Case of the Caretaker's Cat," which was the title of the TV version when it played on the old Raymond Burr series. The cat and its caretaker owner are at the center of the plot; so that title makes more sense. Why not use a black cat in the 1936 film version? When the movie was being made, the "black cat" reference in the title had not been proposed; that the cat in the story was gray and white spotted determined the kind of cat to use in the picture.

    To most fans of the Erle Stanley Gardner character, the definitive Perry Mason will always be Raymond Burr. The first big screen Perry Mason was Warren William and he made a dandy. His "The Case of the Howling Dog" is one of the very best in the William series. Unfortunately, the three follow-ups in which William played, while entertaining, were not up to the standards of the premiere feature. Ricardo Cortez, said to be a difficult actor with whom to work, does very well with the Perry Mason character, making "The Case of the Black Cat" one of the best translations of Perry Mason from book to screen.

    The initial screen perception of Perry Mason was one of a debonair, skilled, yet at times unscrupulous, counselor-at-law who would use almost any trick to win a case. His courtroom shenanigans were part of the show. Even Raymond Burr began his TV program in that vein, becoming more law respecting and less law bending as the series progressed. Ricardo Cortez assays the role more along the lines of the later Raymond Burr personification of Perry Mason, though still willing to bend the law a bit when it helps his client, in this case a gray and white-spotted cat.

    That the Perry Mason mysteries were not one-dimensional but at times highly complex was one reason for their popularity with amateur armchair sleuths. "The Case of the Black Cat" is no exception. A rich invalid, Peter Laxter, hires Mason to help him rewrite his will. Not long after the will has been changed, Laxter's mansion burns to the ground with Laxter in it. Perry convinces District Attorney Hamilton Burger (Guy Usher) to conduct an investigation. The findings show that Laxter had been dead for some time before the house burned. His heirs become the prime suspects, including Wilma Laxter (Jane Bryan) who runs a waffle house, since she had been disinherited by the new will.

    Another prime suspect is heir Sam Laxter (Gordon Elliott aka Wild Bill Elliott). The caretaker, Charles Ashton (George Rosener), has a cat, Clinker, who meows at the moon so much it keeps Sam Laxter awake. He throws items at the cat, threatening to poison it if the mewing doesn't stop. The caretaker appeals to Mason for help after receiving yet another threat from Sam Laxter, this time in the form of a note. Thus Perry takes the cat as a client and the fun begins.
    6planktonrules

    While Cortez was very enjoyable, the script should have been polished up a bit more.

    "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.
    6blanche-2

    Ricardo Cortez has a go at Perry Mason

    It should come as no surprise that Erle Stanley Gardner, the author of the Perry Mason series, hated the way his hero was portrayed in the movies. Consider this: When he saw Raymond Burr walk in to audition for the part of Hamilton Burger, he told the casting people, "That's Perry Mason." One can just imagine, then, how fond he was of Warren William, Donald Woods and Ricardo Cortez.

    It's not so much the actors, of course, as the emphasis of the films -Warren William, whom I like a lot more than one of the posters on this site, always had a little too much fun, and his character was loosely modeled on Nick in "The Thin Man." Woods was very lawyer-like but lacked spark; Cortez had spark but was more on the smooth, streetwise side than the actual Perry of the books, who was a very intense young man, given to big speeches.

    In this film, Perry is asked to act as attorney for a caretaker's cat named Clicker who isn't black. That's because the title was decided upon after the film was made. The actual Gardner story is "The Case of the Caretaker's Cat," but black cats were hot in movie titles in the '30s. Peter Laxter's will states that the caretaker has his job for life, but one of the heirs wants the cat gone and is threatening to poison it. Laxter has died in a fire, but Perry soon surmises that he was murdered first and has the body exhumed. He also learns that Laxter cashed out a million dollars worth of stock and that a famous set of diamonds are missing. Two more murders follow. Clicker unknowingly provides an important clue to whodunit. The last few minutes of the film are done in flashback so that we can see how Perry put it all together.

    Not bad, but none of these men will ever be Perry Mason after Burr did the role so long on television. It's best to just look at these films as mystery stories and ignore the old, unattractive Paul Drake and the pronunciation of Hamilton Burger as Hamilton Berjer (in the Woods version). And that's the way Erle Stanley Gardner would have wanted it.
    7Bucs1960

    Guilty, your Honor

    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!!!!
    5Handlinghandel

    Entertaining

    I like Ricardo Cortez in everything I've seen him do. He was an excellent actor who never really became a major star. Here, he is a fine Perry Mason. His Mason has a sense of humor. He's stylish. And he's not entirely admirable, which seems to me just right.

    I also like Jane Bryan, who is most appealing as the female member of a troubled household. The other performers are fine, though not memorable.

    It's hard not to wonder why Warner Brothers used a gray and white cat for the title character. Surely it would have been easy to find a cat that would have been both black and well behaved on the set.

    There are a few other inconsistencies. One I noted is that Mason calls the caretaker of this wealthy family at their home. Is it, was it ever, standard to call servants at their employers' primary number? (Sure, my cleaning guy, who's here for two hours every two weeks, gets a call now and then; but he is a painter and this is far from a mansion.)

    More like this

    The Case of the Howling Dog
    6.9
    The Case of the Howling Dog
    The Case of the Curious Bride
    6.6
    The Case of the Curious Bride
    The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
    6.2
    The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
    The Case of the Lucky Legs
    6.5
    The Case of the Lucky Legs
    The Case of the Velvet Claws
    6.0
    The Case of the Velvet Claws
    Murder on a Honeymoon
    6.7
    Murder on a Honeymoon
    The Dragon Murder Case
    6.3
    The Dragon Murder Case
    Cornered
    6.6
    Cornered
    The Steel Trap
    6.9
    The Steel Trap
    The Velvet Touch
    6.8
    The Velvet Touch
    Count the Hours!
    6.2
    Count the Hours!
    Charlie Chan's Secret
    6.9
    Charlie Chan's Secret

    Related interests

    Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak in A Few Good Men (1992)
    Legal Drama
    James Stewart in Rear Window (1954)
    Suspense Mystery
    Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
    Whodunnit
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Reportedly, Erle Stanley Gardner, the author of the books, did not approve of the casting of Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason. He, therefore, was replaced by Donald Woods after doing only one movie. Ironically, many feel that Cortez's performance and this movie, in general, are the best of the series.
    • Goofs
      The so-called "black" cat of the title is, in fact, a gray, brown, and white calico.
    • Quotes

      Della Street: [seated at a booth in the waffle house] Are you tickling my ankle?

      Perry Mason: You think I would?

      Della Street: I know you are.

      [looks down and sees Clinker]

      Della Street: Oh!

      [picks him up, looks at Perry]

      Della Street: I'm sorry, I really thought that was you.

      Perry Mason: Well, it's not a bad idea.

    • Connections
      Followed by The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1936 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Clue Club #9: The Case of the Black Cat
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 6m(66 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.