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The Panther's Claw
USA 1942
produced by Lester Cutler for PRC
directed by William Beaudine
starring Byron Foulger, Sidney Blackmer, Rick Vallin, Herbert Rawlinson, Lynn Starr, Barry Bernard, Gerta Rozan, Thornton Edwards, John Ince, Walter James, Frank Darien, Joseph DeVillard, Jack Van, Willy Castello, Harry Clark, Lew Leroy, Billy Mitchell, Florence O'Brien, Harte Wayne, Pat McKee, Casey MacGregor, Billy Snyder, Dick Rush
screenplay by Martin Mooney, based on the story The Perfect Crime of Mr. Digberry by Anthony Abbot (= Fulton Oursler)
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Wigmaker Digberry (Byron Foulger) is arrested for climbing over a
cemetary wall, and his only excuse is that he was targeted by a
blackmailer called the Panther - who actually has done quite a bit
of (unsuccessful) blackmailing among his acquaintances of late, only all
of his acquaintances have gone to the police while he was the only one to
actually pay up. As the police investigations progress, Digberry is soon
found out to be the Panther himself, but he didn't make up the character
for personal gain but to cover up that he has lent 1,000 Dollars to a
friend towards his wife. The whole thing looks like a shut case - until
opera singer Nina Politza (Gerta Rozan), who was one of the victims of
Digberry's blackmailing scheme, is found murdered in an apartment Digberry
has set her up with ... even though she was supposed to be on a cruise to
Argentina. And she was wearing one of Digberry's wigs, too. Everything
points to Digberry as the killer, apart from the fact that hair was found
in the apartment from another wig, a wig not made by Digberry but his
arch-rival Wilkins (Frank Darien). When Wilkins, a key witness in the
case, is murdered not much later and Digberry is seen not far away from
the scene of the crime and compromising evidence is found in his home, the
DA (Herbert Rawlinson) is set to have him arrested right away, but for the
Chief of Police (Sidney Blackmer) is not so sure as everything just seems
to fit too perfectly - and ultimately, he reveals Nina Politza's greedy
manager (Barry Bernard), who committed the murders disguised as Digberry
(that's the cause for the hair from the wig in Nina's apartment), to be
the culprit.
Not a great film, but an ok murder mystery,
obviously made on the cheap but not without telling a fun little story
full of twists that might not always be entirely believable but keep the
viewer interested nevertheless, plus a certain level of irony makes sure
the whole film remains entertaining without insulting one's intelligence.
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