Le Faucon gentleman détective

Always enjoyed these old time movies where George Sanders, (Gay Laurence/The Falcon) plays a private detective. Sanders only appeared in a few of these films and his brother Tom Conway took over the role and played in quite a few series of the Falcon. In this picture Gay Laurence decided to get out of the detective business and become a stock broker on Wall St., NYC. However, he soon changes his mind when he decides to get involved with catching some Jewel Thieves who are also involved with Insurance companies. There is plenty of drama and lots of comedy especially when the Falcon goes into bars and fancy night clubs and orders a special glass of Spinage Juice everywhere he goes. This is a low budget film that was usually shown along with another movie and then a Newsreel a few Cartoons for a big Saturday night on the town. If you like George Sanders when he was young, this is the picture for you.

This was the first of the Falcon films starring George Sanders, based on a story by Michael Arlen. Sanders is compulsively watchable, indeed mesmerising, as the smoothie amateur detective. He persuades his fiancée not to force him to go to a boring party by saying: 'Well, if you really want to be surrounded by a lot of people while I'm telling you I love you.' So many crisp one-liners in this film. Even one of the villains approaches a woman to dance with the line: 'Will you teach me to dance?' This was when Hollywood writers knew how to write crackling dialogue. Sanders plays along with the fun with such insouciant perfection that he is a marvel of the screen. One could watch this film a dozen times and still be dazzled at the effortlessness with which Sanders oozes his caddish charm in bucket-loads. No one ever surpassed him in this quality. And his tongue is so far into his cheek you can see it poking out. This film is also notable for the appearance of Gladys Cooper in a major supporting role; she is as mesmerising as Sanders, and their scenes together are a marvel. Wendy Barrie is also quick as a whip, lively as a frog jumping on a hot rock, and winsome as a kitten. Anyone interested in B Movie gems needs to collect this one.

The Gay Falcon, the first movie in the Falcon series, finds the Falcon (George Sanders) ready to give up both women and detective work at the request of his fiancé. This promise, however, doesn't last long as a pretty woman with a story of stolen jewelry soon walks into his life. In no time at all, the Falcon is up to his elbows in murder and hiding out from the police. The only way to clear his name is to find the real killer.

This may have been George Sanders first time out in the role of the Falcon, but he wears the role with the familiarity of a favorite old sweater. I would argue, however, that his Saint series (which ended just prior to the start of the Falcon series) was so similar to the Falcon that it was hardly a stretch for Sanders. Regardless, Sanders makes everything seem so effortless and natural. He is joined by an especially strong cast. Gladys Jenkins, Edward Brophy, and Arthur Shields should be familiar to any fan of classic B-fare. Oddly though, all are upstaged by the strong performance of Nina Vale who surprisingly only appeared in two other films. I can't believe she didn't do more. She's quite good and imminently watchable. As for the movie, none of the Falcon movies are particularly deep affairs and The Gay Falcon is no different. It's light, breezy entertainment. The 1940s style of comedy/mystery films has always appealed to me and The Gay Falcon is a nice example. The comedy elements hit their mark and are, at their worst, amusing. Nothing to make you fall in the floor with laughter, just good, light-hearted fun. The mystery elements in the movie also work and are sufficiently convoluted to make it interesting throughout. And it helps that the final solution to the mystery at least makes sense and is ultimately satisfying. Director Irving Reis keeps things moving at an entertaining pace with no time for a wasted scene in the movie's relative short 67 minute runtime. Overall, it's a solid effort.

I really enjoy B-movie detective movies such as Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes and The Falcon. However, I also must admit that so often these films all tend to look a lot alike. Plots, characters and pacing is often so similar that they don't seem to stand out. In the case of The Falcon, this is made even worse since the earlier RKO series, The Saint, is virtually indistinguishable from The Falcon--and both starred George Sanders for much of their run! So, it was with great pleasure that I watched this film because it WAS different. The plot itself was very good, but what really stood out in this first Falcon movie was the amazingly witty dialog! Again and again and again, the film abounded with sharp comments and great humor. And, for once, the lady assistant was wonderful and didn't make the usual stupid decisions sidekicks make AND had some great lines herself. All in all, I can't think of another B-detective film that's made me laugh as much.

I actually preferred this series of films after Tom Conway took over from his half brother George Sanders as the Falcon, Conway seemed more at ease in the role. But this was a good start, and the 12 sequels hovered around this mark until The Devil's Cargo in 1948. The Falcon was lucky in that he never had trouble having beautiful young (and older) women fall for him - a couple a film. What a pleasant problem for him when they immediately turned mega jealous of any other woman who showed up, no matter how innocent!

It's the usual murky murder mystery, but the Falcon (as private sleuth) isn't fooled for long - fortunately he knew something the viewers didn't, which led him and the police to the culprits. One scene I always enjoy is that of Turhan Bey's strangely atmospheric apartment being searched by Sanders and Barrie in the dark. But there's plenty of enjoyable moments in the 63 minutes - Sanders previously intrigued by an undertaker giggling at a comic paper is a few scenes later briefly studying one for himself - an aspect of ordinary life that he hadn't investigated before perhaps? Or being incognito as a tramp but giving the policeman waving him off a cigar as a present, before pulling out his pipe. You'd have to see it to understand Sander's mixed emotions in that scene! All in all not Kane, but well worth watching again and again as I have done!

The copies I have of the series were off UK TV in 1987, most were '50's TV dupes and these would have needed TLC even then to eliminate some frame wobble and jumpy scratches etc. I hope they have been saved from further decomposition since because all the Sanders/Conway outings are a pleasant watch.