“The Case of the Stuttering Bishop” on TCM

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 102

The Case of the Stuttering Bishop is going to air on Turner Classic Movies on Saturday, April 13th at 7:45am PST.

Go here and here to see previous comments on The Case of the Stuttering Bishop.

4 Comments

  1. artman2112 April 12, 2013

    i cant help it but all i can think of is Joe Pesci in Goodfellas and so this film would be “the case of the stuttering prick” O_o

    but i must try to remember to burn this because i’ve never seen it!

  2. admin April 12, 2013

    I decent enough and Ann & Donald Woods seem to enjoy playfully sparring. Plus, he wardrobe in this one is really classy and flattering.

  3. DickP April 13, 2013

    The Case of the Stuttering Bishop.. A well directed and acted Perry Mason story from 1937. The Hero of the film, Perry Mason, is played by Donald Woods. Woods was a prolific actor on stage, screen, and TV during his long career, but is not the typical Perry Mason actor that we’ve seen over the years. Of course non-other than our favorite actress, Ann Dvorak, is cast as Mason’s ever present Secretary, Della Street. And does so in a formidable manner. Lest you think that Ann over plays the role I can unhesitatingly state that Ann could have traded places with a certain Secretary that I had early in my career. And I was happy to have such a “meddling, pushy” right arm time and time again.

    To those that remember the Perry Mason series from TV will not recognize this 1937 version of the popular Attorney/Detective. But regardless, the film is well done and keeps moving along. Another tidbit is that most all viewers of the film will not be able to guess who the villain is until the very end of the flick. I might add that the plot has enough twists and turns to do justice to a winding mountain road, and one has to continually pay attention throughout the film to keep up with the plot as it unfolds.

    If you enjoy the “oldies” you’ll recognize some of the cast that always do well in the part they’re assigned: Anne Nagle (excellent actress), Craig Reynolds (frequent actor in the 1930’s and a genuine WWII hero; sadly to die at a young age of 42). Detective Paul Drake in this particular Perry Mason episode is played less than convincingly by Joseph Crehan – an actor you’ve seen countless times in movies and on TV over the years. Then we have Tom Kennedy, who seemed to have specialized in playing the big stalwart, but not too mentally quick, Detective, Henchman, etc., etc. A fun character to watch and listen to!

    If you like intricate “Who Done it’s” then you’ll love this movie. AND…it’s an absolute “must have” for the Ann Dvorak fan.

  4. admin April 13, 2013

    Thanks for your continued insight into Ann’s films, Dick. I watched this one last year while writing about it for the book and enjoyed it much more than I remembered. Woods and Dvorak have great chemistry and as I’ve mentioned before, she has a fantastic wardrobe!

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