The Case Of The Black Cat (1936)

Starring Ricardo Cortez, June Travis, Jane Bryan, Craig Reynolds, Carlyle Moore, Jr.
Directed by William McGann
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Famed attorney Perry Mason is hired to protect an ornery cat at the center of his latest case, who's been threatened by the heir to a wealthy man's estate.

This film offers a fun mystery based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of the Perry Mason character who would later become probably best known as portrayed by actor Raymond Burr in the classic 1960s television series.  Mason is portrayed by Ricardo Cortez here, who plays him differently than Burr, as more of a smooth operator with a sardonic sense of humor.  But fans of Burr's series should find much to like here with Gardner's familiarly twisting plot aided by a solid supporting cast who create some memorable characters.