The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) User Reviews (34)

Forget that it's supposed to be Perry Mason and love it!

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 19 August 2007]

"The Case of the Curious Bride" is one of the Perry Mason films of the 1930s that starred Warren William as Perry. Erle Stanley Gardner hated these films with a passion. His 1930s Perry in the books was a passionate young man given to intense speeches. He mellowed later on, of course, and it was Gardner himself who saw Burr at the audition for Hamilton Burger and said, "That's Perry Mason." (The original star of the series was supposed to be Fred MacMurray.) So it's easy to see why Gardner despised everything about this particular Mason incarnation.

Regardless of how Gardner felt, this film is a lot of fun, thanks to a breezy performance by Warren William, who flirts shamelessly with every woman who crosses his path and fools the DA time and time again. The dialogue is fast and witty, and Curtiz keeps the action going at a breakneck speed. Allan Jenkins is Paul Drake like you've never seen him - Perry calls him Spudsy -- and Della is the beautiful Clare Dodd. Margaret Lindsay is the woman Perry is defending, who comes to him with a marital problem, i.e., the husband she thought was dead is alive - at first. Later, he winds up dead, in the person of...Errol Flynn in his first American appearance - and his wife is accused. Flynn doesn't have much to do except appear in flashback. For some reason, instead of Los Angeles, the story is set in San Francisco - more atmosphere, perhaps.

William seems to have had the same approach to this character as he had for Philo Vance and the Sam Spade character he played in Satan Met a Lady, but he's so delightful, it doesn't matter. He always looks like he's having a blast, and the audience does too. Hard to believe that until he hit B movies in the mid-'30s, he generally played heavies, but he did, and played them well. When his leading man days were over, he continued in character roles until his death in 1948. How great that we can see his talent now on Turner Classic Movies.

This film is a great reminder that during the Depression, Hollywood gave audiences films that to enjoy and watch to forget their troubles for awhile. I'm not in the Depression per se; I'm just depressed, but "The Case of the Curious Bride" put a smile on my face. It will yours, too.

Warren William will make you forget the vagaries of the plot...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 25 September 2021]

... since the premise of the crime does not make sense, and the behavior of both Perry (William) and the DA are outright illegal and unethical. (Sometimes one is not necessarily the other).

Rhoda Montagne (Margaret Lindsay), recently married to the wealthy Carl Montagne (Donald Woods), is allegedly "curious" if a particular person is alive. Except she isn't curious when she calls Perry and does the obvious old "a friend of mine wants to know" routine. Her allegedly dead husband has returned from the grave and has been bothering her for lots of money or he threatens the scandal of bigamy. Now this guy's racket makes no sense. He marries women, fakes his own death, and waits for them to marry rich men and then pulls the bigamy routine? How does he know, during the Great Depression, that any of them will marry a rich guy? This is a scam that might never pay off.

Well Rhoda's not dead husband turns up dead again - this time for real - stabbed in his apartment. Rhoda is arrested for the crime. But even her arrest is full of hijinks. Perry first hides the suspect then turns her over to be "arrested by the press", who then don't have to turn her over until they finish their interview? The police and DA work to hide Rhoda from her attorney, Perry, in spite of a habeas corpus order UNTIL they get a confession. Law & Order prosecutor Jack McCoy would shake his head and knock all of their heads together Three Stooges style.

And yet it works. Because the mystery of who actually did do it is a pretty good yarn. Because Warren William as the always suave never mussed never plussed attorney moves gracefully through his paces. Because Allan Jenkins as Perry's ever loyal muscle is a not very bright yet humorous delight. And because of the coroner who loves his work - "I'll be seeing you" - is always his greeting to everybody.

A couple of surprises - Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods were paired several times because they had some chemistry together. But this time the wooden Donald Woods uses his stiffness to surprise you with the outcome. Also, speaking of stiffs, Errol Flynn is mute in a bit part as the murdered man. Did director Michael Curtiz, who directed Flynn in a total of twelve films, look under the sheet and say "kid, you've got something"?.

Fast paced comedy thriller

[Spondonman · 8/10 · 27 January 2008]

There seems to be a wide divergence of opinion on the quality or otherwise of this one, whether it's poor and dull or witty and fast. I plump for the latter, even though Warners' portrayal of the lawyer left something to be desired, turning him into potentially yet another run of the mill private eye for the b market. But the production values in this were pretty high and it was directed by Michael Curtiz with panache.

Woman comes to Perry Mason played again by William Warren for help because her first husband she thought dead has come back to shake her and her new rich husband down. Her first husband gets his instead, from then on the game is on to find whodunit and why, with some witty if sometimes improbable plot twists along the way. From the outset with Perry and his laconic coroner friend buying lobsters for the creation of a new gastronomic sensation to Errol Flynn's flashback appearance it carries you along on a tide of incessant lighthearted repartee and swift soft focus fade out's and in's. Typecast Allen Jenkins plays Perry's helper the brash and loyal Spudsy in what must be one of his finest performances ever, he weaves in and out of the story as a perfect counterpoint to his boss. Favourite bits: The all-too-short scenes in Luigi's restaurant on that "nutty night"; Perry and the coroner's continual smart ass one liners; the cosy relationship depicted between Perry and the newspaper men; Jenkins getting knocked out by the 2nd husband; Flynn's bit.

It should be a great watch for fans of b&w 30's detective films (and maybe screwball comedies too), I certainly have always enjoyed this 2nd entry in the series. But not to be taken too seriously.

well done, fast paced "who-dunit"

[cinema_universe · 27 October 2002]

Of all the "Perry Mason" films of the 1930's (there were six films, produced from 1934 to 1937), this one has to be the best. -- At least, it's MY favorite.

Warren William, who played Mason in more of these films than anyone else, elevates this short murder mystery from programmer to an 'almost-A' feature.

Claire Dodd, as Della Street, is little more than window dressing, as were all of the "Della's" in these early Warners' Perry Mason films. Allen Jenkins gives one of his standard (but good) blustery performances as Mason's side-kick, Paul Drake (called "Spuds" Drake in this film, and a complete opposite of TV's dapper Paul Drake, played by William Hopper). The best supporting role was that of Olin Howard as the coroner, who is also Perry's good buddy, and frequent dining partner. The veteran character actress, Margaret Lindsay is the "Curious Bride" of the title.

The real surprise (the first time I saw this) was seeing Errol Flynn doing a "bit" part in a flashback sequence at the end of the film. Flynn has a non-speaking part as Margaret Lindsay's first husband. This flashback scene is narrated by the Curious Bride's current husband, played by Donald Woods (who would later play Perry Mason in another of these Warner Brothers efforts, though not anywhere as entertainingly as Warren William).

The use of soft-focus fades for every scene change, at first seems to help move the story, but can also be a bit irritating.-- Overall though, this is a well photographed film, --both the nicely composed interiors, and the outdoor urban location shots of 1935 San Francisco (although the Mason stories are mostly based in L.A.).

Directed by Michael Curtiz, this swift-moving murder mystery has the feel of many of Curtiz's bigger-budgeted Warner films, and is easily the best of the Mason series. At the same time, it is not too unlike the other 5 Mason films that Warners produced.

Unfortunately, Warren William could not play Mason in all of these films, but overlooking that fact, all six of the Warners "Perry Mason" films, including "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop", "The Case of the Velvet Claws," and "The Case of the Lucky Legs" are very faithful to the source material, and all are entertainingly done.

By the way-- because all of these films were adapted from original Earl Stanley Gardner stories, all of these titles showed up in the 1950's, produced as episodes in Raymond Burr's "Perry Mason" TV series. It's very interesting to see the different treatment these stories were given on TV.

--D.--

Perry Mason, gourmet cook

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 20 April 2005]

Michael Curtiz, one of the most prolific directors Hollywood had, is at the helm of this film, based on one of Erle Stanely Garner's stories, featuring Perry Mason, the famous lawyer. With a screen play by Tom Reed, this film offers a glance at some of the best players working in films in the Hollywood of the thirties.

Warren William, is Perry Mason, a man who knows a lot about the law, as well as what to cook for dinner. Mr. William is at his best playing the lawyer-detective. Margaret Lindsay, is the lady at the center of the crime that Perry Mason is trying to solve. Ms. Lindsay was a beautiful actress who adds a touch of class, as well as mystery to her take on Rhoda Montaine.

The rest of the cast assembled to back the principals was made up of some of the best character actors of the era. Donald Woods is seen as Carl Montaine. Clarie Dodd plays Perry's secretary Della Street. Allan Jenkins is Perry's assistant Spudsy.

A little gem of a film for lovers of the genre.

"You like women a lot, don't you Perry?"

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 18 July 2017]

Second in the Perry Mason film series starring Warren William as the famed lawyer/detective. It's arguably the best in the series. This time around Perry is asked for help by an old flame and winds up investigating her estranged husband's murder. Fun entry with a weird thread involving Perry's cooking hobby. William is having fun as he usually seemed to be. Allen Jenkins is a hoot as Perry's sidekick. Claire Dodd is an enjoyable Della Street. Errol Flynn has a "blink and you'll miss him" appearance in a flashback. This was his inauspicious feature film debut. One of Humphrey Bogart's wives, Mayo Methot, has a small part. The rest of the fine cast includes the always lovely Margaret Lindsay, the always bland Donald Woods, and the always grumpy Barton MacLane. It's a good-looking film, attractively photographed by David Abel with nice direction from the great Michael Curtiz, who would go on to much bigger and better films, including many starring Flynn.

Say nothing and plenty of it

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 19 August 2007]

(There are Spoilers) After making headlines by getting an hatchet murderer off in the courtroom defense attorney Perry Mason, Warren Williams,is planning to sail off to China and check out some new recipes to add this his collection of exotic Chinese foods for him to cook up. It's at Luigi's Restaurant on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf that Perrys traveling plans suffer a major setback when he runs into an old flame of his Rhoda Montaine, Margaret Lindsey.

Rhoda is very upset in the fact that her late husband is very much alive and blackmailing her in threatening her marriage to multi-millionaire C. Philip Montaine, Charles Richman, son Carl, Donald Woods,to be annulled. It in fact turns out that Rhoda's late husband Gregory Moxly, Errol Flynn, is indeed very much alive when he's reported spotted on a San Francisco street. Moxly's coffin is exhumed and it's found that he had a wooden Indian replace him in the pine box. Perry getting a telegram, with the senders name mysterious ripped off, to where Moxly could be found finds him dead with a stab wound in his back and his client Rhoda, who's keys were found at the scene, as the prime suspect in his murder.

In an effort to save Rhoda from being both indited and convicted in her now late-late husbands murder Perry has her turn herself over to the custody of the local newspaper "The Enquirer" until he can get all the fact together in the case. Rhoda not listening to Parry in keeping absolutely quite to the D.A and police is later tricked by the District Attorney Stacey, Henry Kolker, into signing a statement that she was at the scene of her husbands murder thinking that it will help her case but in effect put her one step away from being convicted.

Perry Mason now having his hands full uses all his skills as a defense attorney as well as private investigator to get to the bottom of Moxly's murder. Perry finds out that Moxly has been pulling this sort of underhanded stunt, faking his death and later blackmailing them, for years to some half dozen women that he married. Moxly married women whom he tricked into thinking that he later died and then when they remarried a rich new husband he suddenly popped up blackmailing them into not revealing himself as their legal husband thus keeping their marriage as well as husbands money from being legal!

The ending is a bit of a letdown****SPOILERS**** in the fact that Moxly's death was not really a murder with almost everyone in the cast, who's suspected of killing him, at the scene of his demise. This all makes Perry a bit reluctantly take on the person who was there with Moxly at the time of his accidental death as a client. Instead of cooking his signature classic seafood dish "Crab A'la Bordeaux" and ignoring Rhoda back at Luigi's Perry has not only postponed his trip to China but is now committed to stay in San Francisco for at least another year in the new criminal case he unwittingly picked up there at the restaurant.

P.S There's also the fact that by the time the case that Perry is to take on is over a trip to China wouldn't be such a great idea in the first place with the China/Japanese war about to break out with the Marco Polo Bridge incident in July 1937.

When They're Asking For a Friend, They're Asking For Themselves

[boblipton · 7/10 · 19 September 2021]

Margaret Lindsay approaches Warren William to ask him a question for a friend. It's always for a friend, isn't it? She's about to be married and wants to make sure her first husband is dead. While William goes in search of a bottle of Chablis '21, Miss Lindsay disappears. When the coffin of her first husband is opened, it contains a wooden Indian.

The second Perry Mason movie has him in San Francisco, still a sharp, urbane, sophisticated man, and a bit of a shyster when it comes to defending his clients. It's a nicely tangled little mystery under the direction of Michael Curtiz, with the snap and crackling pace that had become a standard for Warners programmers during the pre-code era, and which had not quite vanished.

Great fun. What a corpse!

[Svengali-2001 · 10/10 · 7 July 2000]

The man who played Captain Blood in 1935, plays a corpse in what, 1935. How can this be? If Kevin Costner made a great corpse in the Big Chill (and still is a great corpse) then Errol Flynn's cameo as a corpse has got Kevin beat hands down. Really this is a great little film and the reason why the films of the thirties and forties beat the ones of the nineties. These blokes knew how to crackle and the dames knew how to fizz. I'd give my eye teeth to see the many films that the studios have allowed to disappear or be destroyed because I bet there are lots of gems like this one. Warren William is so different from Raymond Burr, but in his tragically short life he brought some great entertainment. Add another 10 stars for Allen Jenkins. Terrific all round flick.

Perry Mason 2: Too Much Fun?

[profh-1 · 6/10 · 24 February 2009]

I just watched THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE again, the 2nd Perry Mason film. Once more with Warren William in the lead, but with a different Della, and with Allan Jenkins now playing "Spudsy" Drake instead of a police inspector. Perry now has a virtual army of friends & cronies, all of whom seem to be too happy to be hanging around in his sphere. It's almost like a Doc Savage story, except in this case, "Ham" is the hero! There's also a District Attourney who seems genuinely eager to have Perry brought up on charges of murder, or at the very least, disbarred!

Michael Curtiz, one of the most successful & popular directors in Hollywood history, did this installment, and frankly, it's got SO MUCH style & character & humor-- TOO much, I think, it seems Curtiz is trying to hard too distract the audience, focusing on almost everything EXCEPT the murder mystery. I'm reminded, a bit, of how I heard that when Orson Welles did TOUCH OF EVIL, he wound up taking an "average" crime story and threw his entire repertoire of skills at it in an attempt to turn it into a "work of art". At least in the restored version, I think he succeeded... In the case of ...CURIOUS BRIDE, I've seen this at least 3 times (AND read the book-- the only Earl Stanley Gardner novel I have read to date), and I find it almost impossible to follow the plot of this thing!

From what I remember of the novel, it was much simpler, much more straight-forward, and much easier to follow along with-- much like the 1st film, THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG. That was complex-- but complex in a "murder mystery" sort of way. This thing just seems to be getting in its own way trying to be too clever.

Perry's Old Flame

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 1 July 2009]

Besides being in the series of Perry Mason films that Warner Brothers did with the urbane Warren William in the title role, The Case Of The Curious Bride is famous for being the American debut film of Errol Flynn. Flynn has no dialog in the film, he's first seen briefly as the corpse and then in flashback the actual murderer relates how Errol got himself dead. Two films later and Flynn, a complete unknown was co-starring with Olivia DeHavilland in Captain Blood and the rest is cinema history.

Don't expect to see the business like Raymond Burr interpretation of Perry Mason here. Warren William is quite the romantic here with steady girl friend Della Street played by Claire Dodd and a few old flings constantly showing up. One of those is Margaret Lindsay who is now married to rich young Donald Woods, son of Charles Richman who ain't too crazy about his son's marriage. When Flynn shows up after people thought he was dead making veiled threats of course Lindsay turns to another old flame in Warren William for help.

Then when Flynn gets killed she really does need his help. Though the case never gets to trial, Perry earns his fee in finding out the real killer.

Warren William has some kind of record, he played the hero/protagonist in three movie series, The Lone Wolf, Perry Mason, and Philo Vance. He's not the Perry Mason a couple of television generations grew up with, still his interpretation is different.

A Gourmet Dinner ala Cinema Mystery

[BaronBl00d · 8/10 · 3 July 2009]

Warren William reprises his role as Perry Mason for the second time in The Case of the Curious Bride. This time around Perry must deal with a woman - a young girl that was acquainted with Perry Mason when a child - who wants to marry but has a husband alive now that was supposedly dead four years ago. Just as in the first Mason mystery, we get a pretty taut mystery with lots of red herrings and some fine character performances. This film though is much more fun than The Case of the Howling Dog for two very important reasons: 1)Michael Curtiz(director of films like Casablanca) directs this go round and makes some vast improvements on directorial style, acting changes, and redesigning William's portrayal of Mason. In the first film Warren William was almost stuffy and starch collared, but here William is having a whole lot of fun(very much like his Philo Vance). He is a gourmet chef, a womanizer, a one-of-the-boys, and a witty talker. Curtiz really lets William open up; I am sure to the chagrin of author Erle Stanley Gardner for the even bigger departure from his character's real persona. Nonetheless, Warren William makes this picture work and gets help from Margaret Lindsay as the woman in peril, Claire Dodd as his Friday/Juliet Della Street, and Allen Jenkins in for comic relief as Spudsy Drake. Errol Flynn does have a BRIEF role as the dead man - only really gets to act BRIEFLY in a flashback scene. My favorite character is the mortician friend of Mason's named Wilbur Strong and played by screen stalwart character actor Olin Howard. He is very funny and reprises his role in the next Mason film The Case of the Lucky Legs. Of the four Mason films starring Warren William as the pragmatic Perry Mason, The Case of the Curious Bride is the best in my opinion.

"Better look in the coffin, Wilbur. We'll finish our coffee at the morgue."

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 23 July 2018]

There are a lot of different film genres I enjoy, but one I've enjoyed as long as I can remember (at least 45 years) is 30s/40s-era detective/murder mysteries. For reasons I can't explain, the early Perry Mason movies have, until the other night, remained unknown to me. I love the Thin Man, Falcon, and the Saint - Perry Mason ticks all the same boxes. Mix a decent little murder mystery with a bit of nice comedy, snappy dialogue, an appealing cast, and a well-shot, nice looking film and you'll end up with film that will most likely work on me. The Case of the Curious Bride may not be the best of the bunch, but it is a whole lot of fun.

The plot involves a worried woman named Rhoda. She tracks down Perry with a story of "friend" who has recently remarried, but is worried her first husband may not be dead after all. What should the "friend" do? It doesn't take a detective to see that Rhoda's in trouble. Perry agrees to help, but before he can do much, Rhoda's first husband turns up dead - for real this time. With Rhoda the chief suspect and Perry's reputation on the line, he's got to find the real killer.

The Case of the Curious Bride has a couple things going for it. First, Warren William's Perry Mason is a joy to watch. Similar to Nick Charles, Mason is a worldly sort - capable of everything from cooking a gourmet meal to solving a murder to just about everything in between. And he does all with style and grace. His barbs, directed at the police or whoever gets in his way, and his overall wit are real treat. He's quite a character.

The second is Director Michael Curtiz. His direction, even in a relatively "small" picture like The Case of the Curious Bride, is spot-on. The direction is snappy, without a single wasted scene. Curtiz deftly gives the film a light, airy feel that works. The mix of comedy, mystery, and action is handled expertly. He was a real underrated professional.

Overall, a real treat that I easily rate a 7/10.

At best, sub-par

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 27 August 2007]

This is one of several Perry Mason films made in the 1930s starring Warren William. In this case, an old girlfriend is accused of killing While this film bears almost no similarity to the Perry Mason TV series, this isn't why I didn't particularly like the film. The main problem is that the film had a limp and poorly written script--with a lot of really awful dialog and logical errors. It was as if the studio just didn't care and rushed this into production. Even as a B-movie, this film has an awful script. Part of the reason I know the script is bad is that Warren William made some dandy "Lone Wolf" detective films and this one just doesn't even come close in quality or watchability.

So, if the movie is a dud, why did I keep watching the film. Well, I am a bit of a film history fan and I wanted to see two interesting supporting players--Mayo Methot and Errol Flynn. Methot was the wife of Humphrey Bogart and she rarely got significant roles--here she got a bigger than usual part. Also, while Flynn became a huge star, this film was made just before his breakout film, CAPTAIN BLOOD (also 1935). I was actually surprised that he received such high billing or billing at all, as his part lasted about 5 seconds and he didn't even speak. The studio must have realized they had a star and so they lied and made it look like a Flynn film--a common practice among the wily studios of the day.

So, unless you want to see Flynn or Methot, don't bother. Giving the film a 4 was probably charitable.

FUN!!! Dizzy, fast-paced and silly -- I loved it!

[Effie · 20 January 1999]

This is the only Warren William Perry Mason movie I've seen so far, and I thought it was a lot of fun! It gallops along at a breakneck pace, partly thanks to its super-kinetic (and rather disorienting) editing. William and Dodd bring a really delicious tongue-in-cheek camaraderie to the roles of Perry and Della, while Mayo Methot (was she already married to Bogart?)has a lot of fun with the small part of Florabelle. The coroner is not to be missed, by the way!

It is fascinating to see what a different interpretation of the character of Perry Mason William gives; he seems to be drawing as much on his previous performance as Philo Vance as on anything in the books. Naturally, this makes him nothing at all like Raymond Burr's Mason. (And he's in San Francisco, by the way, not Los Angeles.) I certainly missed the gravitas and moral authority that Burr gave the part, but William is hilarious and highly professional, pulling off a performance not unlike that of a drunken tightrope walker working without a net with aplomb and smooth daring-do.

The murder (of Errol Flynn, no less!) is incidental.

second Perry Mason movie

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 13 December 2020]

Celebrated defense attorney Perry Mason (Warren William) gets another win. He encounters former flame Rhoda Montaine. She has a case for him from a 'friend' who is looking to get remarried. Her dead first husband Gregory Moxley turns out to be alive. In reality, it's her own self and she has already remarried the wealthy Carl Montaine. Moxley is found dead and Rhoda is wanted for murder.

I never saw the TV show. I can't comment on any differences. It's interesting to see this long running character early in his development. It's also Errol Flynn's first appearance in a Hollywood film with a minor role. I like the premise although it's a little chaotic. I'm not familiar with these characters and that probably cost me a little here. The lead actor is fine although he's not someone I recognize. It's a fun little whodunnit case. There is some basic legal maneuvering and police work. It's good.

Number Two improves upon the first Perry Mason flick . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 17 August 2015]

. . . as it dispenses with the tedious courtroom climax, which was already a hackneyed film convention by the mid-1930s. But THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE introduces racist Asian and Native American stereotyping, shows Mr. Mason to be just as cavalier when his former lover's neck is on the line as he had been with a stranger chick on the hot seat in THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG, and reduces Errol Flynn's role to about four seconds of saying nothing while giving up the ghost (a performance that could have been phoned in by any nameless extra on Warner's lot). Add to that a complicated murder scene as crowded as Union Station due to happenstance on top of odd congruence compounded by simultaneous coincidences, and this tale seems stuffed tighter with artificial contrivance than a goose with Foie Gras. THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE is not even aptly titled, as the bride obviously did not have a curious bone in her body. What newlywed would allow her groom to die by sudden illness and get buried in a closed casket, without a look-see by herself or anyone she knew?! And what serial bigamist goes to the trouble of wedding a couple hundred poor chicks, with a plan that ONE of them can be blackmailed five or ten years later when she remarries a billionaire?! These sort of con artists crave instant gratification, targeting the Rich and Stupid, and breaking their banks before tying any wedding knots!

The Curious Bride

[guswhovian · 7/10 · 11 August 2020]

Perry Mason investigates when an old flame is suspected of killing her former husband, who was long thought dead.

The second film in Warner Brothers Perry Mason series, The Case of the Curious Bride is an improvement on the Case of the Howling Dog. Warren William is really wonderful in this, handling the comedic bits perfectly. Margaret Lindsay is beautiful, while Claire Dodd and Allen Jenkins make good Della Street's and Paul Drake's.

The mystery itself isn't too bad, and Michael Curtiz's direction is good as always. Errol Flynn, in one of his first Hollywood films, has a bit part. Olin "make me a sergeant in charge of the booze" Howland plays the coroner.

Curtiz's Perry

[michaelchager · 7/10 · 30 October 2023]

First National as a specialty brand within Warners dissolved in 1936. Here in its last year you get top Warners crime actors in a Curtiz film. Claire Dodd and Flynn have minimal parts. Margaret Lindsay is gorgeous in her Orry-Kelly in jail and is perfect. Allen Jenkins is unleashed and in one scene dressed in Chinese silk garb. Beautiful San Francisco pre-Golden Gate Bridge is featured. The great Thomas E. Jackson who is usually the detective is here a scribe. Warren Hymer gets crunch time minutes at the end. Wini Shaw does a wonderful musical number. Mayo Methot is perfect scamming the police that she is a grieving widow. What good is a confession if it wasn't taken by Barton McLane? Warren William navigates freely through Curtiz's world of interesting people and settings - at the morgue, an airport phone booth, a Chinese kitchen, a night club, a gourmet meal at the jail. Curtiz's Perry is no loner but is one step ahead of events and always in good humor.

Bright cast, snappy direction in excellent comedy-mystery

[csteidler · 8/10 · 9 September 2013]

Perry Mason, Celebrity! A whirlwind opening sequence flashes a headline across the screen: "Perry Mason Wins Brilliant Battle of Wits." To celebrate his latest magnificent courtroom victory, Mason and team sweep into a posh restaurant, where the hero waltzes right into the kitchen and starts chopping food, to the delight of the entire kitchen staff.

Warren William is charming, energetic, a bit cocky and rather brilliant as the famous lawyer-detective in this zippy series mystery.

He is aided by Allen Jenkins, at his best as the assistant whose loyalty is invaluable but who would like some of the credit. Claire Dodd is good in a small role as Mason's secretary Della—or is she his girlfriend? She's certainly the only character who can order Mason around, telling him (for example) to go take a shower.

Margaret Lindsay is the "curious bride" of the title, an old friend of Perry's who brings him this new case: she was married four years ago, she says, but her husband disappeared. Now she wants to remarry and needs to prove that that first husband is dead—but she has her doubts. The plot thickens, needless to say, and includes a murder, an empty coffin, and a variety of conversations with the coroner.

Nice directorial flourishes add flair—from showy camera zooms to clever little touches (like the shot of a sign on a door– COUNTY MORGUE – that pans down to a floor mat: WELCOME).

The pace is also very fast, so fast that you can't quite keep up—at least not with Perry Mason, who not only thinks and talks fast but bounds up stairs two at a time.

Sharp dialog and a fairly complicated plot keep things interesting, but it's the enthusiastic cast that make this one especially entertaining.

"Hey, ever feel like stranglin' your wife?"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 19 August 2007]

I never thought about the history of Perry Mason prior to the classic TV series starring Raymond Burr, so catching this on TCM today was a nice treat. The character is handled in a much lighter vein than Burr's portrayal, and I got the feeling that Warren William would also have made a good Nick Charles in the 'Thin Man' series if William Powell hadn't been tapped for that role. One of the neat things about "The Case of the Curious Bride" is that William is given a suitably sophisticated and glib character to parry with in the form of Coroner Wilbur Strong, nicely portrayed by Olin Howland. Of course, there's the comic relief character as well (Allen Jenkins as Spudsy Drake), a mainstay in mystery series of the era, along with a secretary (Claire Dodd as Della Street) who's not so secretly pining for his attention. If one isn't paying attention, this Perry Mason looks more like he might have been a detective solving the case instead of a lawyer defending his client.

The story itself is a little baffling in that we're asked to believe that a man who's been missing and presumed dead for four years (Holy cow - that's Errol Flynn!) has suddenly turned up to blackmail his former wife who's remarried. Not only that, but he had done it before! I had to wonder what kind of guy has that kind of time on his hands in order to pull off a stunt like that. The entire movie is used to set up the payoff in the finale as Mason maneuvers suspect Carl Montaine (Donald Woods) into describing the accidental death of Gregory Moxley (Flynn). In that regard, the picture resembles a Charlie Chan flick, in which the Oriental detective describes how he came to his conclusion about a murder suspect, only with this story the resolution comes from the suspect himself.

Come to think of it, the movie had as many suspects as a typical Chan film too. Not only was there Carl Montaine as a late entry, but his new wife Rhoda (Margaret Lindsay), along with the Pender siblings Oscar (Warren Hymer) and sister Doris (Wini Shaw). It got a little confusing after a while, I'm glad Mason was able to keep things sorted out.

Best advice given by Mason to suspect Rhoda Montaine - "Say nothing, and plenty of it!" You know, I liked that. Then there was that crying jag between Mason and sidekick Spudsy over the teargas gambit - pretty hilarious to see Mason break character like that. One of the best though was that great sight gag early in the story - a 'Welcome' mat on the way into the city morgue - Gotta love it!

Another radio play put to film

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 4/10 · 15 April 2022]

In The Great Depression, dirt-poor 'Muricans huddled around the Victrola listening to radio plays and waited for FDR to tell them more soothing lies. The one percenters scraped together their five pennies to spend Saturday afternoon in a dark theatre.

If you closed your eyes and just listened to this movie, you'd be hard-pressed to discern whether it was one of those old radio mysteries or a film. It's boilerplate murder plot didn't grab me. Perry Mason is played by the under-rated Warren William. Errol Flynn - right before breaking out as Captain Blood - turns up as a corpse.

Some days I'm in the mood for that rat-a-tat 30s delivery. This wasn't one of those days. It got on my nerves.

Fast-Paced Perry with Plenty of Bright Dialogue Grafted on to a Thin Plot

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 13 July 2008]

Although Warren William had already played Perry Mason in Alan Crosland's The Case of the Howling Dog (1935), and would continue to play the attorney/detective in The Case of the Lucky Legs and The Case of the Velvet Claws, it's this second outing that all classic film addicts are anxious to view, chiefly because it marks the Hollywood debut of Errol Flynn.

Actually, although Errol's role is important, it's also quite small. He doesn't speak but appears very briefly in a flashback. It's Warren William who steals all the limelight and is given all the brightest lines. With the exception of Olin Howland, the other characters are in the movie simply to supply William with "business"—and this being an "A" production—plenty of it. Even the title heroine, nicely played by Margaret Lindsay, disappears for most of the action. We also see very little of Della Street. It's Mason who makes things happen all the way, as he strides through the vast backlot and studio sets at a frantic pace, trading verbal blows right, left and center.

The speed of the narrative is ingeniously reinforced by a snappy quick-zoom/focus-out editing style (which was picked up in a popular TV series 20 years later). Other credits are likewise highly professional, but, despite all this cinematic dexterity, I feel the movie tends to outstay its welcome. The plot is too thin, and Lindsay's dilemma is not made sufficiently dramatic.

A dull script is lifeless even when directed by Michael Curtiz...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 1 July 2009]

A bland script makes THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE more of a curiosity rather than a good Perry Mason film. WARREN WILLIAM is the famous sleuth and CLAIRE DODD is a blond Della Street, the secretary always one step ahead of her boss. This time the action centers on the mysterious death of a man called Gregory Moxley (ERROL FLYNN in what amounts to a bit role). He is talked about but not seen until the last few minutes when the mystery is wrapped up.

MARGARET LINDSAY is the damsel in distress who calls upon Mason to help solve the mystery.

What makes this curious is why they didn't write the Moxley role into the script, given that they had Flynn under contract and would soon be grooming him for stardom. He makes his debut as a corpse lying on the floor beneath a sheet! DONALD WOODS has the leading supporting role, but the story is never involving enough to maintain suspense. ALLEN JENKINS overplays his Paul Drake role.

Surprisingly, Michael Curtiz was the man behind the camera--but the script is the real problem.

well directed cleverly written" b" picture.

[cardcaddy-1 · 8/10 · 2 December 2005]

this is a well directed film with clever dialog and a not so great story line . the acting is more than adequate. Allen Jenkins , warren William , warren hymer and Olin Howard play their stock characters with their usual aplomb.i was especially interested in the scenes of san Francisco in the early thirties without the bay or golden gate bridges.the screen writers obviously enjoyed themselves ie.naming a flop house hotel in south san Francisco the "fremont hotel" as a play on the plush "fairmont" hotel on knob hill.the film also is noted as Errol Flynn's first appearance in an American film wherein he played a stiff which some might consider a precursor of his acting style.