The Panther's Claw (1942)

The Panther's Claw? More like The Kitten's Paw, 9 July 2015

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.

5/10