mark.waltz
Disappointing most likely considering the well-made predecessor, "The Lone Wolf Strikes" is slower moving and less well cast. The only plus in this comes with the sudden change with Eric Blore added as butler Jameson, played in the previous three entries by other actors. Blore would remain through most the series, adding some consistency with his dealings with boss Warren William, still suave and ready for anything that comes his way (except the persistent females) which usually does. This time around, it's another jewel theft, switched by the predatory female companion of wealthy Roy Gordon who is suddenly killed in a suspicious car accident. William finds out that there's more to this than just a switch of real and fake jewelery and finds himself getting caught up in something big. Convoluted and frustrating at times, this only gets somewhat amusing for the few moments William and Blore switch comic bits of dialog. Joan Perry and Astrid Allwyn are not memorable replacements for the previous entries casting of Ida Lupino and Rita Hayworth, and the pace is much slower as well.
blanche-2
"The Lone Wolf Strikes" from 1940 is a neat entry into the Lone Wolf series starring Warren William. William is delightful as Michael Lanyard, aka The Lone Wolf. His butler is played by Eric Blore, who has a large part in this and is very funny. In this story, Lanyard is asked by a friend to find pearls that were stolen from a friend of his, who was subsequently murdered - though the murder was called an accident.Fake pearls and real pearls bounce back and forth, with William going to a gathering as Emil Gorlick, a diamond merchant. Gorlick is actually played by Montagu Love, but when William finds out that he has never met the thieves, he ties Gorlick up and impersonates him in order to re-steal the pearls.Warren William was a wonderful, relaxed actor, an old-fashioned patrician type, who found humor in roles once the silents ended. In silents, he usually played the heavy. He played Perry Mason, Sam Spade, and Philo Vance, among other parts. He continued to play the occasional heavy, but he's best known for his precode work as a meanie. He died in 1948, only 53.Very enjoyable.
whpratt1
This film starts out with a very rich older man showing a young woman his home and a picture of his wife who is wearing a very beautiful diamond necklace. The man offers the young lady the opportunity to wear this necklace to a party they were going to attend and that is when the story gets interesting. There are a few murders and plenty of laughs with Michael Lanyard the Lone Wolf,(Warren William) and his butler Jamison, (Eric Blore). In this film the Lone Wolf decides to retire from detective work and his big hobby is having all kinds of fish tanks all over his apartment which drives Jamison out of his mind trying to take care of them all. This picture was very entertaining with a film background on a car ferry around Manhattan during the 1940's. Enjoy
MartinHafer
This is the second of the Lone Wolf series starring the roguish Warren William. While this film includes a positive cast change (Eric Blore is now the butler), the overall level of supporting acting is a big drop off from the last film. In the first one, Rita Hayworth and Ida Lupino were along for the ride as well as the Wolf's daughter (played very well by the excellent child actress, Virginia Weidler). Apart from Blore, the show is all Warren William and while he is very good, the film's chemistry is a bit lacking--making this a pretty ordinary B-detective film. While not quite as exciting or magical as a Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan film, it is roughly on-par with a Saint or Falcon film--and this isn't bad company for this film. A slightly better than average time-passer for fans of the genre--but unfortunately, not a lot more.
AD
