L'empreinte du loup solitaire

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt marks the first appearance of Warren William as the dapper retired cracksman, Michael Lanyard who now occasionally assists the police instead of trying to evade them for a job he's committed.

Yet in this film William is indeed trying to shake the cops because they think he's stolen some highly secret war plans. Actually the guy doing it not only wants to get the plans, but he wants to make sure he frames William for the job and goes to all kinds of lengths to make that come about.

I'm surprised that Warren William lasted in the role of the Lone Wolf. No fault of his because he's as debonair and charming as the role calls for. But the film did get a bit silly at times. Ida Lupino is the dizzy daughter of a U.S. Senator and Virginia Weidler is William's daughter. Between the two of them and their crazy machinations, the Lone Wolf was lucky to get the case solved at all. I don't think it was an accident that Weidler's character was dropped in future Lone Wolf series films.

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt is also known as being an early film that Columbia used to showcase one of their new discoveries, Rita Hayworth. Rita plays the moll of the leader of the spies and her beauty makes her stand out. No doubt she was going to be a star.

Don't let a couple of previous negative comments about this film put you off from watching it the next time it appears on TCM. If you like stylish and witty mystery-comedies from the old days, then THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT is definitely for you. Warren William is impeccable as the urbane, laid-back Lone Wolf, and Ida Lupino is endearing as his protective and frustrated girlfriend. The exchanges between them are both amusing and warm, and add another flavoring to the Nick and Nora Charles School of Relationships. Rita Hayworth stands out in an atypical role as the baddie's chilly girlfriend, while Virginia Weidler lends the right amount of natural tom-boyish charm in her role as the Lone Wolf's daughter, Patricia. (The film was titled THE LONE WOLF'S DAUGHTER in the UK.) Production values for this type of B-film are top-notch. TCM's fresh looking print shows them off exquisitely. Cozy up to this one with some nice hot beverage and enjoy!

Viewed on Turner tonight, and found myself being fascinated with the diction. Especially Lupino and Hayworth (maybe because they're easier to look at). Good (and fun) dramatic emphasis, syllabled but natural. Understood every word from the entire cast. What a contrast from more modern productions where mumbling seems to be in vogue and my wife and I are constantly backing up to catch what was said. So, whatever happened to those diction coaches? This was 1939 sound recording technology for Pete's sake. Okay, now filling out the 10 lines that seem to be required. Yes this was B-movie fare, but good costumes, production values AND, all too rare, some fun for the kids. Also, we enjoy these older films for the time machine aspects, e.g., the cars, the decor, cityscapes and the cultural values in evidence. For instance, lots of furs on the gals in this one--one thing we're well without now, unlike the diction.

Once you've watched a few Warren William pictures you'll find yourself loving the guy. If that's you, this film is brilliant because it's essentially just him having a blast....plus there's Ida Lupino who is clearly a goddess.

Is this culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant? No, definitely not but it's great fun and a perfect example of those fast moving, comedy murder mystery type of things that these days make up about half our TV schedules. Had TV been around in the mid-thirties, this would have been on Saturday nights.

So what's the point of watching this? 1) it's predictable, it's corny but it's dripping with wonderful 1930s atmosphere. 2) Warren William fans (if you're not already, you will be) will love this. 3) It's got 21 year old Ida Lupino (already in her 22nd film) looking unbelievably stunning. Having left Twickenham Films for Hollywood a few years earlier, she was now starting to get lead roles in B pictures like this. She really shines here - you can see that she's destined for stardom. She's not just another pretty Hollywood face but, like she did in her early English films, she emotes real character and personality.

So do you want an action packed adventure where you don't have to engage your brain too much? Do you want a dashing hero (complete with a sarcastic butler), a secret sinister organisation with a dastardly plot, a pair of bumbling policemen, a classic femme fetale (Hayworth) and Ida (I think I'm in love with her) Lupino? This might just be what you're looking for.

While no reasonable reviewer would give any B-detective series movie a score of 10 (after all, they were not exactly deep and they tended to focus much more on entertainment instead of originality), for such a film, this Lone Wolf film scores a bullseye. As far as quality and watchability goes, I would place it on par with the average Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan or Saint film of the era. In fact, in many ways, this film seems a lot like one of the Saint films because the hero is a reformed gentleman thief who investigates crimes for kicks--and chases women along the way. While the film starred Warren William, I could have just as easily imagined Tom Conway or George Sanders (from the Saint and Falcon detective series) playing the lead in this film. This isn't meant as a negative per se--it's a very familiar but also very satisfying formula.

Warren William was wonderful in the lead but he was also ably supported by a better than usual supporting cast. Having Ida Lupino AND Rita Hayworth playing the female leads was pretty amazing, as neither were exactly stars at the time and it was just a case of dumb luck in casting. In addition, the other supporting players all provided some needed depth to the film--something often lacking in B-movies.

As far as the plot goes, it was pretty interesting but also purely secondary--not at all unusual for this type of film. You certainly don't watch this type of film because of the finely crafted mystery, but more for the personalities and style. In many ways, this sort of film is like a warm and familiar pair of old shoes you put on after a long day at work.