El hombre que no murió

None of these actors sounded familiar to me but for some reason I was drawn to check out The Man Who Wouldn't Die and am so very happy that I did. For starters there's the cast: at first the Michael Shayne character played by Nolan is kind of obnoxious but through Nolan's unrelenting charm and humor I grew to really like both the character and the actor. Then there's Weaver who is instantly likeable and quite attractive as well. Really the entire cast does a swell job, it's a very solid ensemble. The twists and turns of the ever evolving plot are great fun and even though at one point I had no idea where all of it was going, it came together quite wonderfully in the end. The Man Who Wouldn't Die is a surprise gem worth checking out.

Lloyd Nolan is Michael Shayne, private detective in "The Man Who Wouldn't Die," a 1942 entry into this short series from Twentieth Century Fox.

A friend of Mike's, Catherine (Marjorie Weaver) gets him to pose as her husband while investigating a shooting at her family home. Her father (Paul Harvey) is in government and under investigation by the Senate, and one night, Anna is shot at. Mike finds plenty to investigate. He also has plenty to explain when Catherine's real husband shows up unexpectedly.

There's lots of humor and "dark stormy night" atmosphere in this neat programmer, which also features Henry Wilcoxon and Helen Reynolds as Anna, Catherine's stepmother.

Nolan is a delight as a singing, happy but very clever Shayne. I'm surprised that Marjorie Weaver didn't get further in her career, though by all accounts, she loved the career she had - she's very pretty and vivacious.

Very enjoyable.

What a great old film. I am lucky enough to have found over the years a mint 16mm sound print an a very good vhs copy (Captain Bejoiu). The story starts out with a very mysterious burial scene on a cold windy nite. There is the "Old Forboding Mansion" and the usual cast of 20th Century stock players including Paul Harvey who is great as Dudly Wolfe. But as usual, Lloyd Nolan steals the show as Shayne with his whimsical irish humor and dapper acting. Marge Reynolds is great as his wife? With the reoccuring thunder storm as a backdrop and the "undead" body with glowing eyes trying to kill any and everyone in the house, it makes for a spine-tingling murder mystery that is as good as most of the sad new ones w/o the sex and overdone violence. 1942 appears to be one of the best years for movies in Hollywood. So many great features with outstanding character actors of the time. LeRoy Mason is great as the "undead" killer who stocks the remaining frightened guests and family at the Wolfe Mansion. If it shows up on Fox Movie Channel, do yourself a favor and watch it!

Another fun Michael Shayne movie starring Lloyd Nolan. Hearing Nolan with his distinctive voice and accent rattling off the snappy patter is music to the ears. This time around private eye Shayne journeys to an estate to help a friend in danger. The friend is played by likable Marjorie Weaver in her second of three Michael Shayne movies. She played a different character in each one. Olin Howland is a great deal of fun as an incomplete police chief. Highlights include a great car chase, some nice old dark house mystery atmosphere, and one particularly effective scene where the camera zooms in on a shadowy figure whose eyes are practically glowing. Cool stuff!

Any movie from the Michael Shayne Detective series can be counted on to deliver an enjoyable mystery story. In this film Lloyd Nolan once again delivers a good performance as he works to solve a murder which took place at the estate of a wealthy US Senator. Everything wraps-up neatly in about 65 minutes which means that there is no wasted time with boring sub plots or long talky scenes ala todays' crop of over hyped and over long releases. A good supporting cast helps Nolan turn this into a fine stylish film. Olin Howlin does a great job and provides just the right amount of restrained comic relief as the police chief. Enjoy