JohnHowardReid
Producer: Howard Benedict. Copyright 20 November 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 24 November 1941. U.S. release: 16 January 1942. Australian release: 16 March 1942. 5,833 feet. 64 minutes.NOTES: Number 2 of the 16 "Falcon" pictures. "The Gay Falcon" (sic) was number 1.COMMENT: One or two bright moments — Hans Conried playing an inquisitive desk clerk without his usual accent; Allen Jenkins listening to a soap opera on his car radio — cannot lighten an elephantine script and heavy-handed acting, particularly from Gleason, Jenkins and Barrie. Dull direction doesn't help either. The script's humor is aimed at four-year-olds. Aggressively bombastic acting from Gleason and Jenkins, makes it even less tolerable. No wonder Sanders appears so understandably bored stiff. The scene with him on the ledge, and the crowd urging him to jump, foreshadows "14 Hours", and may excite sociologists. Unfortunately, this entry is not content to be just of peripheral interest — or even just plain dull — but determinedly tedious. Only Mona Maris as a fairly agreeable femme fatale can partly save the day. Production values are no more — and sometimes less — than adequate.
Spondonman
This Falcon entry (2/13) was played mainly for laughs, sometimes bordering on slapstick. The puns and wisecracks come thick and fast between the leading characters, all of them doubting everyone else's intelligence or honour. Wendy Barrie is almost manic in her assumed jealousy, James Gleason as the police Inspector is perfect and always brings his performance in "Arsenic and old lace" to my mind whenever I see him. But it's George Sanders as the Falcon and Allen Jenkins as his sidekick Goldie that have the majority of the smart ass one-liners, Sanders' body language is sometimes Music Hall but always believable.Scientist Alec Craig apparently murdered by a gang after his formula to produce perfect synthetic diamonds, the Falcon unwillingly pulled into the caper whilst urgently trying to get off to get married to the frothing Barrie. As usual the entire NY police force was alerted to apprehend him as a murderer that no-one ever believes he really is. And Barrie loves him with a passion even though she knows he'll always love nearly all women. And Goldie stays with him wanting an easy life but knowing he'll never be getting one.Enjoyable film, 61 minutes short but a lot seems to happen. Ed Gargan as Bates even shone here with a supreme show of brainpower!
whpratt1
Years ago I must have taped this film which was shown on TCM and it sure was an eye opener. George Sanders,( Gay Lawrence/Falcon),"Solomon and Sheba",'59, played a role quite similar to the "Thin Man" series with Dick Powell. The Falcon was about to get married to Helen Reed,(Wendy Barrie),"Peter Pan",'50 Broadway Theatre, NYC, and suddenly was caught up in a great mystery concerning diamond dealings and plenty of gangsters. James Gleason,(Inspector Mike O'Hara), tried to keep up with the Falcon and was even forced into arresting him quite often through out the picture. This was really a slap stick Comedy, Drama "B" picture and George Sanders did a great job playing the Major Comic. If you are a fan of George Sanders, you will never believe the way he acted in this picture, entirely different than "The Lodger" or "Hangover Square".
Jim Tritten
Rather lackluster entry in the George Sanders "Falcon" series. Rather than charming his fiancé, the Falcon appears to be intimidated by her - which appears to be out of character. Wendy Barrie as the fiancée spends the entire movie trying to get the Falcon to leave town on a trip -- was this an overnight trip before they were to be married? James Gleason is excellent, as always, as the police detective. Allen Jenkins is good as sidekick Goldie but appears insufficiently on screen to carry the comic side of the story. The two females (Mona Maris is characterized by the Falcon as a skinny old hag) appear on screen too much and simply do not work. The writing, music, and gowns (by Renie) are the best part of this film. Not much here to be recommended.
AD
