''The Clutching Hand'' (in full, ''The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand'') is a 15-episode serial produced by the

Weiss Brothers Louis Weiss (December 21, 1890 – December 14, 1963, Los Angeles) was an American independent producer of low-budget comedies, westerns, serials, and exploitation films. Early life Louis Weiss was born in New York City and left school after thi ...

in 1936, based on the final 1934 Craig Kennedy novel of the same name by

Arthur B. Reeve Arthur Benjamin Reeve (October 15, 1880 – August 9, 1936) was an American mystery writer. He is known best for creating the series character Professor Craig Kennedy, sometimes called "The American Sherlock Holmes", and Kennedy's Dr. Watson-like ...

. A 70-minute

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

using a condensed version of the serial was also released in the same year. In it, the famous detective (portrayed by

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

, who had portrayed the Black Ace in the serial ''The Mystery Squadron'' three years before) is assigned to solve the disappearance of Dr. Paul Gironda (

Robert Frazer Robert Frazer (born Robert William Browne, June 29, 1891 – August 17, 1944) was an American actor who appeared in some 224 shorts and films from the 1910s until his death. He began in films with the Eclair company which released through Unive ...

), a scientist who has developed a formula for synthesizing gold but vanishes before he has a chance to reveal it to his board of directors. ''The Clutching Hand'' was the last Craig Kennedy serial and the only one to be filmed as a talkie. One of the criminals, Hobart, is played by Charles Locher, who is better known nowadays as Jon Hall, and it appears that Gironda is being held prisoner by Craig Kennedy's old foe, the Clutching Hand (a faceless presence apparently played by

Bud Geary Bud Geary (born Sigsbee Maine Geary;Freese, Gene Scott (2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s—1970s: A Biographical Dictionary'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 103. ."California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", Famil ...

, an actor who was frequently cast in such roles, and voiced by Robert Frazer).

Plot

The serial was based very loosely on Arthur Reeve's final novel and in it, the Clutching Hand has a new secret identity: Dr. Paul Gironda, the very man whom Kennedy is looking for. Having almost exhausted the estate of his young ward Vera, he has come up with the idea of using a fake synthetic gold formula to recoup his losses on the stock market, but just before he disappears, one of his assistants steals the notebook containing the formula. Unable to find it, he fakes his disappearance and goes into hiding, assuming the identity of Craig Kennedy's foe, the Clutching Hand, who was seemingly disposed of in ''The Exploits of Elaine'' years before. (The Clutching Hand had a totally different identity in that serial.) Supposedly holding Gironda captive in an induced coma, the Hand demands the missing pages of the gold formula from his wife and "daughter." At the same time as Gironda vanishes, Mitchell -–Vera's real father and Mrs. Gironda's first husband – is released from prison after serving a full sentence on a blackmail charge, forcing the Hand to try to dispose of Mitchell before Vera can learn of her true identity.

Cast

as Craig Kennedy * Ruth Mix as Shirley McMillan *

Rex Lease Rex Lloyd Lease (February 11, 1903 – January 3, 1966) was an American actor. He appeared in over 300 films, mainly in Poverty Row Westerns. Biography Rex Lease arrived in Hollywood in 1924. He found bit and supporting parts at Film Booki ...

as Walter Jameson *

Marion Shilling Marion Helen Schilling (December 3, 1910 – November 6, 2004) was an American stage and film actress. She was one of the most famous " B" leading ladies of the 1930s. Biography Marion Helen Schilling was born in Denver, Colorado in 1910. H ...

as Verna Gironda *

Mae Busch Mae Busch (born Annie May Busch; 18 June 1891 – 20 April 1946) was an Australian-born actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, freque ...

as Mrs. Gironda *

Gaston Glass Gaston Glass (born Jacques Gaston Oscar Glass; December 31, 1899 – November 11, 1965) was a French-American actor and film producer. He was the father of the composer Paul Glass (born 1934). Selected filmography * ''The Corsican Brothers ...

as Dr. Louis Bouchard *

Bryant Washburn Franklin Bryant Washburn III (April 28, 1889 – April 30, 1963) was an American actor who appeared in more than 370 films between 1911 and 1947. Washburn's parents were Franklin Bryant Washburn II and Metha Catherine Johnson Washburn. He attend ...

as Dr. Denton *

Franklyn Farnum Franklyn Farnum (born William Smith; June 5, 1878 – July 4, 1961) was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in at least 1,100 films. He was also cast in more films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture than any ot ...

as Lab Tech Nicky *

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent cinema, and he became one of the highest-paid actors during this time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuset ...

as Insp. Gordon Gaunt * Robert Walker as Joe Mitchell * Charles Locher as Frank Hobart *

Reed Howes Hermon Reed Howes (July 5, 1900August 6, 1964) was an American model who later became an actor in silent and sound films. Early life Howes spent the beginning of his childhood in Washington, D.C. before moving with his parents to Ogden, Utah, Og ...

as Sullivan, private eye *

Frank Leigh Frank Leigh (18 April 1876 – 9 May 1948) was a British stage and film actor.Goble p. 232 Biography Born Frank Leigh Valles in London in 1876, Leigh settled in Hollywood and became a leading man during the silent era. Following the introductio ...

as Wickham the butler * George Morrell as Jenkins the butler *

Yakima Canutt Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen performing them ...

as "Number 8" *

Bob Kortman Robert F. Kortman (December 24, 1887 – March 13, 1967) was an American film actor mostly associated with westerns, though he also appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy comedies. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1914 and 1952. 193 ...

as "Number 6" *Ray Cardona as "Number 2" * Joseph W. Girard as Attorney Cromwell *Knute Erikson as Capt. Hansen * Richard Alexander as Mate Olaf *

as Dr. Paul Gironda

Chapter listing

This is a partial list of chapters: *Chapter 1 - Who Is The Clutching Hand? *Chapter 2 - Shadow *Chapter 3 - House of Mystery *Chapter 4 - The Phantom Car *Chapter 5 - The Double Trap *Chapter 6 - Steps of Doom *Chapter 7 - The Invisible Enemy *Chapter 8 - A Cry in the Night *Chapter 9 - Evil Eyes *Chapter 10 - A Desperate Chance *Chapter 11 - The Ship of Doom *Chapter 12 - Hidden Danger *Chapter 13 - The Mystic Menace *Chapter 14 - The Silent Spectre *Chapter 15 - The Lone Hand Chapter Thirteen is titled "The Mystic Menace," and yet nothing mystical happens – it is a pretty standard serial chapter. However, the serial makers – the Weiss Brothers, in this case – could not alter the chapter titles for some reason. This was apparently the brothers' final serial and their last Craig Kennedy adaptation, although in 1952 the Weiss Brothers produced a television show called ''Craig Kennedy, Criminologist''.

Notes

External links

*
''The Clutching Hand''
at Internet Archive * The serial itself can be found at CamelotBroadcasting.com
The Clutching Hand
complete Series on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

(public domain) {{DEFAULTSORT:Clutching Hand 1936 films 1936 mystery films American black-and-white films American mystery films Films scored by Bernard B. Brown Film serials Films based on American novels Films based on mystery novels Articles containing video clips 1930s American films