bensonmum2 A seemingly innocent, harmless man, Everett P. Digberry (Byron Foulger), gets caught up in blackmail, extortion, and murder. The DA suspects Mr. Digberry isn't as innocent as he appears. Can the police find the real criminal before the DA presses charges?The Panther's Claw is a very misleading title, evoking menace and horror. A more apt title (both literally and figuratively) would be The Kitten's Paw. The movie is more of a comedy with some weak mystery elements (I knew the killer's identity the moment he appeared on screen) than harrowing as title would lead you to believe. Despite the misleading title, The Panther's Claw is a decent little movie. Fortunately, some of the comedy works and at times is quite funny. Most of the credit has to go to Byron Foulger (I just wrote about him and his appearance in Honey West). He's good. The best I can say about the rest of the cast is they're serviceable. No one really stands out. Being a PRC film, it has that dark and dirty look I've come to expect. Lighting must have been beyond PRC's limited budgets. And the sets look as if they were furnished from a local second-hand store. The movie is only 70 minutes long and, generally, flows well. Unfortunately, there are a couple of plot points that left me scratching my head. Like, how did the killer's suit end up in Digberry's closet? Or, why wasn't Digberry more forthright and honest with the police from the beginning? Would have saved himself a lot of trouble. But in the end, this isn't brain surgery and it's enjoyable enough to deserve at least a 5/10.

kevin olzak Anthony Abbot's fictional detective, Police Commissioner Thatcher Colt, inspired only two little known Columbia features, 1932's "The Night Club Lady" and 1933's "The Circus Queen Murder," so after a decade's passing, Poverty Row's PRC took a crack at the character with "The Panther's Claw," intended to be only the first in a new series that came to naught. Replacing two-time Colt Adolphe Menjou with dependable Sidney Blackmer (an excellent choice), the often comic story is derived from Abbot's 1940 short story, "About the Perfect Crime of Mr. Digberry." In keeping Digberry (Byron Foulger) at the forefront, Blackmer's Colt is reduced in stature, conducting a too leisurely investigation as other annoying suspects get an abundance of screen time until he comes on strong at the end. Sadly missing from this PRC Colt are his faithful assistant Miss Kelly, delightfully portrayed by Ruthelma Stevens, and his unique lip reading abilities, which at least made him stand out from his inspiration, Van Dine's Philo Vance. Speaking of which, this would be the screen finale of Thatcher Colt, just as PRC also brought Philo Vance to his end, in a three picture series from 1947. Both characters suffered the same fate on television, as neither were ever revived for small screen incarnations. In hindsight, I believe that PRC was not only better than Monogram with mysteries (Charlie Chan), but also the horror genre, as their stories usually wasted no time getting underway; feel free to disagree.

csteidler Byron Foulger stars as Everett Digberry, a mild-mannered wigmaker for theatrical folks who, in the film's opening scene, is picked up by the cops climbing out of a cemetery late at night. Taken downtown, he finds a number of acquaintances in the commissioner's office; all of them, like him, have received mysterious letters demanding money and signed only with a panther's paw print.Sidney Blackmer investigates as police commissioner Thatcher Colt with suavity and humor. He is ably assisted by Ricki Vallin as Anthony Abbot. (Somewhat bizarrely, the original story is also credited to "Anthony Abbot," the pen name of a mystery writer who was not the first to insert "himself" into a story.) The mystery plot holds interest but doesn't create a huge amount of suspense, although it does take a few interesting turns, including one major shift that arguably renders the film's title misleading (but catchy!).I would like to know, having watched these characters spend no little time looking over wigs, if Mr. Digberry is correct when he tells the commissioner, "One wigmaker can usually tell another's knot."

kidboots Adolphe Menjou was perfect as the well dressed detective about town, Thatcher Colt in "The Circus Queen Murder" (1933) (there was also an earlier one, "Night Club Lady" (1932)). Unfortunately, that was it until PRC resurrected the elegant detective in an unusually good "who done it" (for them!!!) with the debonair Sidney Blackmer. PRC may have had the reputation as the cheapest of the cheap but it did produce the occasional interesting movie ie "Baby Face Morgan", "Strange Illusion" and "The Mask of Diijon", even the very intriguingly titled "I Ring Doorbells"!!A man is picked up acting suspiciously in a cemetery, he claims he was delivering a $1,000 as per instructions. When he is taken to the police station it seems he is not the only recipient of a black mail letter - from the Black Panther!!! They are all connected with an opera company and have all had trouble with a bombastic baritone named Lombardi - prima donna Nina Politza has been pestered by him so much she books a ticket to South America!!Oddly, all fingers point to Mr. Digberry!! Yes, it's Byron Foulger!! At his best playing "nervous nelly" characters and I must admit I have never seen him play such a large part before. His nervous librarian in "Quiet Please, Murder" (Sidney Blackmer was also in that) is more what I am used to. He is in the same vein as Johnny Arthur - he even bears a resemblance to him as well!! Having the movie revolve around Foulger added to the suspense - he does have a portable typewriter with a dodgy H and the policeman sees a cat in the flat that could have been used to make the Panther's mark!! The police think he is the blackmailing mastermind who has sent himself a letter to appear like a victim - and the surprise of the movie is that they are right as Mr. Digberry confesses!! He did write the letters so he could use the excuse when his wife found out there was $1,000 missing from their bank account!! He gave the money to Nina, who wasn't as wealthy as everyone believed but when she turns up dead - he doesn't have a very good explanation!!Sidney Blackmer bought polish and class to Thatcher Colt, it is just a pity he was relegated to the sidelines while Foulger took centre stage. And according to literary descriptions, Blackmer was Colt to a T, even though in this movie his lip reading technique, which made the character stand out is not used. Unfortunately, his offsider, instead of being the beautiful and efficient Miss Kelly, was crusty D.A. Bill Dougherty (Herbert Rawlinson).Recommended.