Paularoc Review of The Case of the Lucky Legs

The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935)

Witty, fun movie with the ever watchable Warren William

[7/10 · 29 March 2015]

It is certainly understandable why Erle Stanley Gardner much disliked the Perry Mason movies of the 1930s particularly the portrayal of Mason by Warren William. In this movie, William's portrayal of Mason is simply not that of Mason in the books. However, if one does not think of the Mason character in the books or as depicted by Raymond Burr, then this movie works very well as a comedy/mystery and is highly enjoyable. Warren William's rendition of Mason is that of a debonair often hungover, fast talking attorney. Genevieve Tobin plays Della Street as a wise-cracking, irreverent and loyal secretary and Allen Jenkins' "Spudsy" (!) Drake portrayal is that of a likable, often unintentionally funny doofus. The story is about a "most beautiful legs" pageant and the murder of its crooked promoter. The promoter has run off with the prize money put up by local businessmen in the city of Cloverdale. One of the local supporters hires Mason to find the young woman who won the Cloverdale pageant who was cheated of the prize money and has disappeared. Mason finds the promoter dead, stabbed with a scalpel. Plenty of suspects but no court room scene - Mason is more of a private detective than attorney. But that's okay because this is a comedy first and a mystery second. Tobin is a riot as Della and William is great fun in the Perry role. When I first reviewed a William Mason movie (The Case of the Howling Dog), I was very negative about it - hung up on how it didn't accurately portray Mason. But I got over that and much enjoyed this movie - great fun and recommended.