Panic on the Air

A sports announcer (Lee Ayres) and a friend investigate after a pitcher misses a series. When they discover that gangsters are trying to find a hidden fortune via a code on five dollar note, they use the radio show to foil the plan.

Another fast and breezy mystery with fast-talking and an energetic hero played by Lee Ayres, though he's a little too energetic. It's sometimes hard to follow the mystery as the dollar note malarkey can be hard to fathom, plus the plot moves too fast and there's not much investigation, however if you're hankering for an entertaining time-filler then don't look too far.

Lew Ayres seems to be doing an imitation of Robert Montgomery (although his energy level is considerably higher and his accent seems more genuine) in this stolid but decent Columbia second feature about a radio reporter tracking down a murderer through a forged five dollar bill The script is full of fast talk and wise cracks and that's a major plus, but the near-procedural techniques of the crime-solving give this movie too straightforward a story line to keep up interest.

In addition, the print shown on TCM seems to be a bit dupy for the first two reels, distracting attention from what is going on: the men's suits all look black and the walls and furnishings very light in shade.

"Panic on the Air" is a 1936 second feature starring Lew Ayres, Florence Rice, and Benny Baker. The plot concerns the search for a $5 bill with a code on it that leads to $200,000. It keeps changing hands. Ayres plays a radio announcer who is aggravating his sponsor, a garter company.

Everyone talks very fast in this movie, which was the style. Ayres is very energetic and fun as the announcer. What I loved were the deco sets, furnishings, and those old-fashioned phones.

Florence Rice is the pretty costar who needs that $5 bill herself.

All in all, entertaining, and moves quickly.