Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

SimonJack Earle Stanly Garden wrote his first Perry Mason book in 1933, and his fourth in 1934. The latter, "The Case of the Howling Dog," would become the first made into a movie. So, this film introduced the super lawyer- detective-sleuth to movie audiences. And, Warner Brothers couldn't have chosen a better lead than Warren William to play the part. William was cast in the first four Perry Mason movies, and all did very well. Only he among the cast remained constant. His secretary, Della Street, was the only other constant character in the first four films, but she was played by three different actresses. Gardner wrote 82 Perry Mason mystery novels in all from 1933 through 1969. The last two were published after his death. Two other early films were made in the mid- 1930s, with Ricardo Cortez and Donald Woods in the lead role. But those two were sufficient reason for Hollywood to take a break from Perry Mason films. That is, until author Gardner hooked up with NBC for the 1957-1966 TV series, "Perry Mason." Raymond Burr had risen slowly as an actor, but this role ensured his success for life. Besides the TV series, Burr was to star in the whole new batch of full-length films made for TV. From 1985 to 1993, NBC aired 26 Perry Mason movies that starred Burr, with a cast of regular characters from the TV series that seldom changed from film to film. The TV series and later movies had a completely different Mason. Not only in the character but in his routines. Most people today will remember the Mason played by Burr on TV and film. He was a clever attorney with the mind of a detective, who solved baffling cases usually with some brilliant discovery brought out in the courtroom. That is quite a different character than appeared in the first four films that starred Warren William. In those, Perry Mason had varying degrees of an office staff, with other attorneys and with his own detectives. But his character was humorous with any number of eccentricities. He drank too much, loved gourmet cooking and did some of that himself. And, knew his way around. He was as at home on the streets as he was in the courtroom. He would push the envelope at times and walk the thin line between legal and illegal methods. And, this Mason was as much or more a detective than he was a lawyer. These cases weren't solved in courtrooms but in other dramatic venues before they went to court. The scripts were excellent as well. Genuine humor dotted all the scenes. William carried this off beautifully without detracting from the seriousness of the crimes. But the entertainment in these early films was a splendid mix of humor, mystery, cleverness and wit of the leads and the many other characters. The exchanges between Mason and Street were always crisp and often very funny; and the various sidekicks were also adept at humor. While neither William nor Burr fit the persona of the Mason in the early novels, Gardner explained that he was evolving the character over time. He came to favor the dramatic courtroom scenes for exposing the solutions to the crimes. Thus, the Perry Mason that most people today remember from TV and the 1980s and on movies. The screenplays in the first four films were masterfully done to bring out the first Perry Mason character as played by William. Having watched the TV programs for years, and all of the later movies, I find these earlier films especially entertaining. "The Case of the Howling Dog" is the best of these four, but all are quite good. At one point in this film, Dellsa says to Perry: "You're a cross between a saint and a devil." Perry replies: "Mmm, hmm. How do you like it?"

blanche-2 "The Case of the Howling Dog," made in 1934, was the first Perry Mason film, and it's from an actual Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason novel. One way you can tell is that it's not an easy plot to follow. Mason becomes embroiled in defending a woman (Mary Astor) for the murder of her husband. Meanwhile, her husband and the dead man's wife are missing. And then there's that howling dog.A really excellent story, but Erle Stanley Gardner loathed what the movies did to his passionate young Depression lawyer. Perry here has a huge office and is too big to take certain cases; Della is there, but not Paul Drake or even Gertie the switchboard operator. Warren William is a clever, serious Perry, and gives the impression of a lawyer to be reckoned with. He also has occasion touches of humor, though if memory serves, there's a lot more humor in the later films.As one who read the original Perry Mason books, the character matures and becomes less given to speeches about the law - William would perhaps have been better as the later Perry, though Gardner himself never would have chosen him. He wanted Fred MacMurray until Raymond Burr walked in to read for the role of the D.A. He then said, "That's Perry Mason." Despite some of the stilted dialogue, this is still a very good story and well worth seeing. Mary Astor is lovely as the defendant.As one of the comments pointed out, the very talented Lightning the Dog is uncredited, but to say more would give away the plot. Let's just say Lightning is a fine actor and leave it at that.

Michael_Elliott Case of the Howling Dog, The (1934) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Warren William plays Perry Mason in Warner's first film in the series. In the film, an apparent crazy man shows up at Perry's office complaining about his neighbor's dog who keep barking through the night. The following day the man making the complaint disappears and the dog and its owner are dead. A woman (Mary Astor) takes the blame but Perry thinks there's more to the story. This film really isn't too much different than the countless other mysteries of the period. The first fifty-five minutes has Mason investigating the case and then the final fifteen take place in the court room. The story is pretty difficult to figure out but it leads to a very good ending when the case is finally unraveled. William is his typical good self and Astor makes for a good client, although she isn't given a lot to do. Allen Jenkins and Grant Mitchell co-star.

Spondonman Perry Mason sprang into screen life through 6 Warner Bros. films made from 1934, one year after his inception in book form by Erle Stanley Gardner. The movie series started out well, but as with so many other detective series of this type gradually petered out in quality almost film by film until fizzling out a few years later. Also it's not like Raymond Burr's Perry Mason I grew up with, Warren William has a vast organisation behind him, contrary to his future occupation as the Lone Wolf!Complicated story of a dog's howling driving a neighbour crackers leads to a sorry and sordid tale of multiple murder - and the howling is central to the plot too. You have to concentrate to follow the history of partner-swapping (after all, some of the Foley's and Cartwright's weren't even married!) but all is wonderfully resolved by Mason by the end. William was perfect for these kind of roles, his efficient and reassuring presence of mind imparting to cast and audience from the beginning that all will be eventually all right, even if in this case only if you don't say anything without him being present! How come Mary Astor landed the part of the woman with the shady past and inability to tell the truth so often? Allen Jenkins as a flatfoot doesn't get much of a part, but at least he got a chance to show off a rather natty moustache.Well worth watching and a pleasant opener for an attorney with a long career ahead of him.