Una cita con El Halcón

Sanders plays Gay Lawrence, The Falcon, who has at last been lured into marriage by his fiancé, Helen (played by Wendy Barrie). Just before he goes off to get married though, he gets mixed up in a case where a reclusive scientist who has created a formula to make fake diamonds that are indistinguishable from real ones get kidnapped by crooks and forced to spill the beans. As usual, the relationship between the falcon and the Law is pretty borderline at best, the keep on trying to arrest him on suspicion of being involved in the plot, murder and anything else they can pin on him. Needless to say he leads the police to the gang, and makes the 'plane to fly off with his fiancé. This is a great movie, and Sanders plays it with an insouciance that is quite invigorating: you cannot decide whether he is in his heart laughing at the whole film in its simplicity. The gangsters are almost a parody of gangsters, the police are bumbling goons, and his fiancé increasingly jealous and frustrated as he keeps on tripping over beautiful women who have known him in the past (but a few loving words and a kiss from him always seems to calm her down - what luck!). A great lark, and great to watch just for Sander's voice!!

This is the second of the Falcon films starring George Sanders. The dialogue crackles with even more electricity than in the first. This film has more substance and plot than its predecessor, but is even funnier, with both sight gags and witty remarks throughout which are often hilarious. Who can ever forget George Sanders standing and smoking a cigarette nonchalantly on a window ledge of a New York hotel, while the crowd below gasps and take bets on whether he will jump. When a policeman forces him inside the window at gunpoint, the street crowd sighs in disappointment, and one man says: 'I figured him for a phoney.' When Sanders goes into a florist shop to buy roses for his (new) fiancée, the woman running it is an old girl friend. She is surprised and disappointed that he is getting married: 'You're much too undependable to be taken out of circulation. It's a crime.' He drolly replies: 'Yes, and I can't solve it. It's a perfect crime.' Hans Conreid, who stole scenes in the previous Falcon film as a police artist, really runs away with his scenes in this one as a hotel clerk. Wendy Barrie scintillates as much as ever, sometimes ferocious, at other times gentle, but always on fire. What a cracker! They don't make 'em like this any more. And all that on a low budget, with a couple of cars and a few cheap sets. Today's directors with their hundred million dollar budgets ought to take a look at some of these old cheapies and learn how to make real movies. Then we would not all be so bored by their silly special effects and exploding cars which they substitute for acting and witty dialogue, and we could enjoy a film again like people could in 1941.

Good lively installment in the Falcon series. Gay Lawrence (Falcon) gets mixed up with gangsters trying to take over a synthetic diamond invention. This, of course, leads to a lot of mock run-ins with the law and the crooks. Despite the programmer status, the cast is really motivated, showing more than an ordinary amount of spirit. Sanders especially is looser than I've ever seen him, even making little-kid faces at the cops. He seems to be having a good time throughout. There's also a number of good touches from director Reis— the humorously coordinated crowd scenes, the snappy dialog delivery, Goldie (Jenkins) tap-dancing his way up the sobriety line. And catch cat woman Elizabeth Russell in the very last scene, several years before scaring the pants off us in the great Val Lewton horror series. And on a more somber note, gangster Max is played by Victor Killian, himself a 1979 victim of an unsolved murder. All in all, it's a rousing little hour with the Falcon and company, sure to keep you entertained.

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!

Date with the Falcon, A (1941)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Second film in the series has the Falcon (George Sanders) leaving on his honeymoon but at the last minute he finds himself caught up with diamond thieves. This sequel is pretty much on the same level as the first film as it contains a small group of laughs, a so-so mystery but it does go by very quickly making it a mildly entertaining film. Sanders once again is good in the role but he seems a little bored compared to the first film. Allen Jenkins isn't given as much to do, which is a shame because he comes off very good in his few scenes here.