alexanderdavies-99382
Errol Flynn's films that are have a contemporary setting didn't seem to be as successful at the box office as his other ones. "Footsteps in the Dark" is an example of this and it isn't as good as it could have been. The film is a pale imitation of the "Thin Man" films made by "M.G.M," which are were made with more style and wit. Flynn's frequent co-star Alan Hale is a welcome addition but his scenes with Errol aren't their usual because they are antagonists. The plot is very predictable with murders and disappearances occurring every which way you look. Flynn is leading a double life as an author of crime novels and he can't bear to have his wife or mother-in-law find out. William Frawley is quite good as the slow-witted police officer. Occasionally, there is some humour that works but this is a failure most of the time.
girvsjoint
This is my favourite Errol Flynn comedy, OK, he only made four, and they are all worthwhile, but for sheer silly fun, this one is tops. Flynn was a good actor, far better than he's usually given credit for, and he was especially good at comedy, he could take silly material like this, and make it entertaining and watchable, all the supporting cast are top pros and give great performances. Don't try to analyse it or even make sense of it, it's a comedy, silly, but fun, with some great dialogue, and everyone seems to be having such a fun time you can't help but be caught up in it too! Only wish the Warners had given Errol Flynn a lot more comedies, he really was good at it! Sad that he could never appreciate his own talents and eventually became despondent and took a path of self destruction that led to his untimely death at just 50. I hope he's found the peace on the other side that eluded him here?
blanche-2
"Footsteps in the Dark" is a 1941 film briskly directed by Lloyd Bacon. It stars Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale, Lee Patrick, Lucille Watson, Ralph Bellamy, Allen Jenkins, William Frawley, and Turhan Bey.Flynn plays an investment broker leading a double life as a mystery writer, the author of a book called "Footsteps in the Dark." Only his chauffeur knows the truth. When he becomes involved in a real-life murder, his situation starts to create havoc at home.This is a pretty good mystery story, though one can figure it out fairly quickly, and it's enlivened by a wonderful cast. Flynn is delightful and funny, particularly when he's disguised as a Texas oil man, Tex. The unusual-looking Marshall is his frustrated wife and does a fine job, as does the tart-tongued Lucille Watson as his suspicious mother-in-law. Turhan Bey has a small part as a houseman, and he's very exotic. Hale and Frawley are the bumbling police.All in all, good fun, and a nice departure for Flynn.
lordhack_99
By that I mean that the actors are pros, the cinematography is superior, the music is excellent, the opening scene under the credits is neat, the underlying idea is very good - and this mess is like watching someone trying to paint a landscape on a bucking horse. Jamming the mysterioso together with a domestic spat can be heavenly if done right - and I had just watched THE THIN MAN. After watching that film, and then this dog's dinner was painful. And I so wanted it to work!! But how can a film go off in three directions in 96 minutes and still bore us?To think that the screenwriters were blacklisted because they were Reds almost begs the idea that they ought to have been blacklisted for stirring up this junk.
AD
