The Iron Claw (1941)

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

There are mighty strange goings on at Bensonhurst, secluded residence of Anton Benson a miserly recluse and his family including recently released convict Roy, daughter Millie, her husband Simon Leach, Dr. Roy Benson, and conniving brother Culver. All members of the family are searching for a stockpile of gold that Anton had recovered from a sunken Spanish ship, but murdered his way to get for himself. Also searching is the Iron Claw, a masked criminal who is one of the members of the Benson household. The Claw murders Culver and warns the rest of the members of the house that they may be next. Patricia, Anton's niece, works with reporter Bob Lane and photographer Jack Strong to uncover who the Claw is while trying to keep an eye on everyone in the house, as well as gangster Silk Langdon (working with Roy to get the gold) and butler Gyves, who is working hand in hand with Anton in order to grab all the gold for themselves. Its a fun serial, I'll grant that, but it could have been better. Quigley is very good as the hero (Lane) and Sande does pretty well as the semi-comic relief. Bryant seems just to scream a lot throughout the serial. I enjoy Charlie King in just about anything he did, so I won't complain about him as Langdon, and Willis is ever so shifty as Roy. Taylor is way over the top as Anton (James Craven must not have been available) and the other actors I could take or leave. Morton as Casey was a terrible character, but typical of a James Horne production. His direction is better than most of the Columbia serials he directed (also benefited by a good script with good touches of humor) on his own. The Iron Claw's identity isn't too hard to figure out, but he's a good character- always silent, he uses a lot of melodramatic, silent film era-esque motions. The serial does get repetitive after awhile going through one secret passage after another. Rating, based on serials, 7.

If anyone has seen the intriguing still of the heroine in the clutches of the creepy-looking "Iron Claw", let me assure you that this serial doesn't live up to that.It's a 15-Chapter serial (about 4 1/2 hours, running time) about a treasure in gold that's hidden the home of a miserly old man. His family (including the Iron Claw) is out to steal it from him. The first few chapters are pretty boring, with the family listening thru keyholes on each other, and the traditional "serial thrills" (cars going off cliffs, etc) are missing from this film. And, the heroine's fake "scream" (which is, unfortunately, all thru this film) drives you crazy after awhile.All-in-all, the whole film is "muddled" and is an embarrassment to James Horne. Pass this one up and watch Quigley's classic "The Crimson Ghost" instead!Norm