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Before he became a producer and conjured up all those publicity gimmicks for his cheesy horror pictures, William Castle churned out a series of nifty little pictures as a director for Harry Cohn's B unit -- including the immortal "When Strangers Marry". "The Whistler" is a clever noir that tackles the old premise of a despondent man hiring a contract killer to murder him, only to change his mind later. Castle provides a higher standard of mise-en-scene than in most pictures of this ilk, with nice camera movement and grungy, realistic sets. The absurd plot twists and lapses of logic stretch credulity to the utmost -- but that's one of the "beatitudes of the B's" (as Andrew Sarris would say). It's surprising that Cornell Woolrich was not the original author, so close is the atmosphere to his oeuvre. Dix is a bit of a cipher, but Naish is as compelling as always in another offbeat role as the philosophical hit man who suffers from fear of death; plus there are plenty of familiar faces in minor roles. The mysterious omniscient Whistler narrator is effective, if somewhat underused here. Castle went on to direct two even better entries in the series.

I watched this last night on TCM and found it not only thoroughly entertaining but a textbook example of how a B-grade picture from a poverty row studio could rise above its budget limitations thanks to the efforts of a clever director (William Castle) and strong players (Richard Dix and J. Carroll Naish in particular). Superior in some respects to entries in parallel series based on radio programs (like Universal's Inner Sanctum with Lon Chaney, Jr.), perhaps the most appealing aspect of "The Whistler" is the economy with which the story is told. There are no needless lines, no needless scenes. Whether it belongs within the "noir" cycle is a matter to be debated, but nevertheless "The Whistler" has its share of the quirky characters and shadowy settings that typify that genre, not to mention the creepy portrayal by Naish of a hit-man who reads a monograph on "necrophobia" in his spare time.

This movie is the first installment of The Whistler series from Columbia Pictures, all but one of which starred Richard Dix whose A-picture career was then on an alcoholic downgrade, but whose liquor-ravaged face was just right for the overall atmosphere. (For a complete list of series titles, consult "movie connections" on web page.) Of all the movie series to emerge from the 30's and 40's, this is easily one of the most fascinating and unusual. Each entry presents a different self-contained story, tied together only by the mysterious figure of The Whistler who comments briefly on plot developments, but appears only in shadow to whistle his trademark refrain. He seems to be a figure of fate since the hand of destiny emerges in most of the entries. But most importantly, the plots follow no formula (unusual for any series) and are entirely unpredictable in their outcome. This unpredictability is what distinguishes the series from others of the time.You really don't know what's going to happen or how each episode will turn out. Moreover, there's a strong noirish quality to many of the entries, with a suspenseful atmosphere, an underlying sense of doom, and imaginative characters and plot twists. All in all, the productions are a first cousin to the celebrated Val Lewton horror cycle from RKO, minus the supernatural. I'm surprised that with all the scholarly interest in film noir, that this noirish series has not received the critical attention it merits.

Though weaker in many ways (the script appears put together on the fly), this initial entry contains many features generic to the others. Dix, a prosperous manufacturer, arranges for his own death following the presumed death of his beloved wife, only to find out ironically that she is not dead. The problem is he can't undo the arrangement and is thus forced to escape through the labyrinthine venues of the city's skid row. The entire 60 minutes has something of a nightmarish quality since it starts off with Dix expecting death, though in what form, he can't be sure. Looking convincingly like a real bum, it's Dix's tour through the seedy parts of the city that really commands attention, especially the 25-cent flop-house with its rows of coffin-like cots, snoring vagrants, and sneak thief. You can almost smell the rot-gut whiskey peeling off the walls. The sets are bare-bones, the cafes, bars, and city sidewalks sometimes suggesting the unadorned depths of urban despair. Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt and disappointing. It's almost as though the production suddenly ran out of film and had to wrap it up right then. Nonetheless, many of the distinctive elements of the productions are already present. Unfortunately copies of the series are hard to obtain ( my own burned in a house fire some time ago). So let's hope our friends on cable TV follow up on this initial entry some time soon. It's well worth tuning in.

This first Whistler film, unlike the others, has recognizable supporting players in the cast besides Richard Dix at the center of the story who plays a different character with different problems in every film. This supporting cast includes J. Carrol Naish as the hired killer, Gloria Stuart as Alice Walker, the main character's secretary, and Alan Dinehart as the shady friend of the hired killer.

In this first installment Richard Dix plays industrialist Earl C. Conrad. It is explained that Conrad's marriage was in trouble so the couple went on a cruise. But Conrad's wife was lost at sea, and all of his friends ostracized him when he came back alone, thinking that he might have killed her to get rid of her. Three years of this and Conrad decides to kill himself but doesn't have the nerve to do it himself. So he hires a hitman to do it for him. He has contact with the middleman who arranges the hit, but will have no idea where or when or by whom his death will take place.

But then a telegraph comes telling Conrad that his wife has been found in a Japanese internment camp, and that the International Red Cross will be transporting her home. Now Conrad will not only have his wife back but will be exonerated among his friends. Thus he thinks life will be worth living again. But in the interim, the middleman who arranged the hit has been killed in a shootout with the police, so he has no way to call the thing off.

And most unfortunately , for the hitman this is not just business. He likes to read criminology books and wants to see if he can scare Conrad to death by making himself seen so Conrad knows he's being stalked.

Most of The Whistler movies have lots of twists and irony in them. This is just one long manhunt/chase scene after the first fifteen minutes with nothing special about it. Although Naish as the hitman is effectively creepy. Also different about this first Whistler film - The Whistler's whistling actually enters into the plot.

Solid, low-budget film noirish yarn about a man who takes out a contract on himself and then through a reversal of fortune decides against it. The Whisteler open up the film with that delightfully creepy little tune and a brief narrative and the reigns are handed over to a competent corp of character actors(and Richard Dix and Gloria Stuart). Dix plays the lead well-enough though incredibly lethargically. He literally looks like he hasn't slept in days. Stuart is peppy and pretty in a smallish role, but J. Carrol Naish does an outstanding job as the contracted killer. He gives a layered performance is what was a truly difficult role. The film barely spans an hour and ten minutes or so but never lags. we get suspense, action, and answers rather quickly. The Whistler has a much more subdued role then what you would hear in the radio series. This film would go on to spawn many sequels and was one of the earliest directorial forays of horror icon William Castle. Castle, as always, does a more than workmanlike job.

The "Whistler" was very odd for a B-movie series and so much unlike its contemporaries (such as Charlie Chan or The Falcon). Richard Dix starred in 8 of the 9 films. though he played a totally different character in each--sometimes a good guy and other times a bad one. In many ways, this is reminiscent of Universal's INNER SANCTUM series in that the same actor often played different roles in each film AND the series was NOT the standard detective film but an anthology series--much like TV's TWILIGHT ZONE. The "Whistler" in the titles of most of the films is an unseen guy in the shadows that narrates the film and occasionally makes comments during the film. This format was apparently created for the radio version of "The Whistler".

In this first of the series, Dix plays a depressed man who, instead of suicide, pays an unknown assassin to kill him!! While the whole idea is ridiculous and contrived, it is pretty entertaining--especially when Dix changes his mind and truly wants to live but he isn't sure who is coming to kill him or how to stop the contract! The biggest negative, other than the silliness of the story, was the narration by The Whistler. This narrator talks too much--sometimes making comments or saying things that were obvious to the viewer. I haven't seen the rest of the series, but surely hope this was corrected.

Inspired by a popular radio series, THE WHISTLER shows its B-picture limitations early on and never becomes more than routine material for the Saturday afternoon kiddie crowd that loved this sort of thing back in the 1940s.

RICHARD DIX is a man who changes his mind about hiring a contract killer to have himself murdered when he thinks his wife is among the dead during World War II. His pretty and efficient secretary, GLORIA STUART, is around to comfort him as he undergoes various attempts to thwart the killer when he discovers his wife is still alive.

Blonde Gloria Stuart is as pretty as a picture and it's sad to see how wasted this vibrant young actress was in all of her early films. She had to wait until she was in her old age to get the role of Rose in TITANIC. Here she has virtually nothing to do while Dix carries the bulk of the story.

There's not much of a storyline to comment on. J. CARROL NAISH is competent enough as a hired killer but has little to work with in the way of making an interesting character out of his minor role. It's all quite forgettable and not especially worthy of viewing, unless you're a fan of THE WHISTLER series.

This was hardly an auspicious way to start the film series.

This unusual Film Noir (the only one ever to be made into a whole series of films) certainly catches the sinister atmosphere of its genre, both visually with very well done shadow effects and the adequate 'cheap' harbor surroundings of a B movie, and thematically, using a lot of psychology which doesn't fail to have its effects, neither on the protagonists nor on the audience - but just a little bit of an overdose of the belief in 'destiny'...

Whose destiny is it to live or to die? Who has a 'right' to live or to die? Questions like these are maybe somehow out of place in a Film Noir - because they've got too much to do with morality. The Noir world (at least that of the 40s) is usually quite immoral (see "The Maltese Falcon", "The Shanghai Gesture", "Gilda"); and it's not always the good ones who get away - that's the cynical Noir philosophy...

But anyway, "The Whistler" still remains an enormously suspenseful film with a very capable cast and direction; and a 'must' for every fan of classic crime.

The first in a series of "Whistler" films to be based on the popular radio show, which evolved into a television series by 1954. This theatrical film actually looks and plays like a TV episode, with defunct writing and mostly generic casting, though it is entertaining for the brief time it stays on. Businessman, mourning the loss of his wife at sea (for which he harbors guilt and shame), orders a contract hit on himself before ultimately changing his mind; unfortunately, the deal-maker has been shot dead and the hit-man is determined on finishing the job (though we're not sure why...maybe he's anal-retentive?). Richard Dix is a most unusual actor for the lead: tough and robust, yet playing at sad-eyed, he's hardly vulnerable and looks as if he can take care of himself. We don't fear for the character's safety, but it does look as if he's about to lose his job at any moment. The Whistler sets the scene for us, popping up in the narrative only briefly--a ploy which is risky and fascinating for a thriller. ** from ****

Fans of the radio series will not be dissapointed by this little gem of a thriller. Richard Dix gives a great performance as a man who puts a contract out on his own life. He is upset because he has not gotten over his wife drowning in the Pacific Ocean on a vacation three years ago. He then gets a wire saying his wife is alive, will be home soon, and now has to hurry and stop the contract. The only thing this was missing that was common in the radio play was a suprise ending. Very often in the radio series, it was never a question of whodunit, as it was often told through the killer's point of view, but it was how they were going to trip themselves up or get caught. And it was always with a twist.

A man (Richard Dix) is despondent after the death of his wife but can't bring himself to commit suicide.. So he hires a professional hit-man (J. Carrol Naish) to do the deed for him. But suddenly things are looking up for him and he wants to live. The problem is he has a killer after him that he already paid for! An outlandish premise but a fun start to Columbia's Whistler series. The Whistler was a popular radio program of the time. I am way too young to remember the radio show when it first aired, but I have heard many episodes on satellite radio. It's a good show. The movie series is good, as well, with iron-jawed Richard Dix playing the lead in all but one of them. He plays a different role in each movie, just like Lon Chaney, Jr. was doing over at Universal in their Inner Sanctum series.

Like I said, this is a fun movie despite the unbelievable premise. Nice supporting cast backing up Dix including Gloria Stuart, Alan Dinehart, William Benedict, and J. Carrol Naish. Benedict first appears on screen reading a Superman comic book. This has to be one of the earliest appearances or mentions of Superman in a live-action movie. It's also one of the earliest directing jobs from William Castle.

"The Whistler" is a film version of the radio show, where a whistling man serves as narrator. On film, he's only seen in shadow. "The Whistler" was one of many B movie series done by Hollywood, and I can't say it's one of my favorites. The story in this particular one concerns a despondent man who takes out a hit on himself and then tries to revoke it.

My major problem with this series is Richard Dix. I can't get past what looks like a cheap hairpiece and everything about him seems blah. Because he's the star (and plays a different role in every Whistler film) this film and the others drag for me, even though the stories are good. Gloria Stuart plays an assistant to the boss here, and she's just beautiful. I was really looking forward to watching these on TCM, but Richard Dix just sucks the life out of them.

Director William Castle did mainly B films, some of which were quite good, including THE WHISTLER, which boasts crisp cinematography by James S. Brown Jr and editing by Jerome Thoms and, above all, a pacy screenplay by Eric Taylor. The latter deserves particular plaudits because of its unusual premise: here we have a wealthy man, Earl Conrad, convincingly played by Richard Dix, putting a hit on his own head after learning that his wife has passed away (it might sound dubious today, when most marriages end in divorce, or early parting through murder, but back in 1944 mariage was still sacred).

To make matters even more pungent, this Conrad character is a kind-hearted fella who wants to hand over his company to partner Gorman and the rest to Alice, his secretary, played by gorgeous Gloria Stuart... who happens to carry a torch for him. Of course, Conrad is oblivious to that and much too faithful to his deceased wife.

But... that's when a telegram arrives announcing that the wife is alive after all. Which is a major spanner in the works for Conrad, who was all ready and willing for the big goodbye and now wants to cancel the hit that he placed on his own head so that he can fetch his wife and resume conjugal bliss.

The above mentioned pluses and twists aside, the real jewel in the crown of THE WHISTLER is Joseph Carrol Naish as the impeccably normal-looking life insurance policy-selling assassin who enjoys taking a scientific approach to his "work", considering such possibilities as causing a heart attack in the mark, and enjoying it all as much as he might chess, draughts or some other game

Finally, the bamboozing realization that THE WHISTLER is none of the characters in the action, rather like THE THIN MAN franchise that started 10 years earlier, starring the great, charming William Powell. But that was a top flight A production on a hefty budget, not this comparative shoestring.

To conclude, this 1940s film noir capsule definitely warrants watching, not least because it is only 61 minutes long. 7/10.

The Whistler narrates this story. Earl C. Conrad (Richard Dix) hires a killer to do a hit. The target is himself. He is distraught over his wife's death. After hiring the hitman, he finds out that his wife is still alive but has trouble calling off the hit.

This seems to have a good paranoid noir thriller premise. The thriller aspect is where this falls down. It's not at all exciting. It tries to gin up some thrills with some dark alley foot chases. It's not that good. It's only 59 minutes but it feels like a longer grind. I had high hopes for this noir B-movie and especially its premise. The hopes are not paid off.