Mysterious Intruder

Here's another fine entry in Columbia's noirish Whistler series, the fifth chronologically, and fourth directed by soon-to-be schlockmeister William Castle. Like the first in the series, Castle imbues the film with an especially sleazy atmosphere. The shadowy b&w photography, threatening background detail and desperate lowlife characters evince a cynical view of the urban world, and the writers obliquely hint at sordid relationships and motivations which simmer below the surface of the story. Series lead actor Richard Dix, normally emotively challenged, gives a rather eccentric interpretation of a venal, socially inept gumshoe seeking a big score, who is ironically given the opportunity for redemption. Buffs will certainly savor the parade of iconic supporting actors like Mike Mazurki and Charles Lane. Much better than one would expect from a mystery series, this picture reflects the seamy side of life usually glossed over by the Hollywood veneer.

William Castle the director of many low B budget films made this into another great Whistler series starring Richard Dix as Don Gale, a rather shady private detective who had a nice brunette secretary named Joan Hill, (Nina Vale) who assisted him with all his clients and especially a little old man. This little old man wanted to locate a young girl named Lund in order to tell her that she was worth lots of money and he wanted Don Gale to try and local this young girl from his past. Don Gale has other ideas and decides to find a girl to impersonate this young girl in order to find out just how much of a fortune she is worth and what it just might be. Several people get murdered and this dark tale takes you down many blind alley's with all kinds of ugly and evil men and woman. Enjoy, it is a good mystery, and Richard Dix had a certain charm that made his acting so suspenseful.

The fifth of the seven Richard Dix Whistler's is a complicated hard boiled affair, coming in at just under an hour with the usual high quota of dizzying plot twists to keep you on your toes. Although be warned if you've never seen it before the IMDb plot summary just about gives it all away, not the ideal thing to do with these films. Nicely noirish and a good print lend a doom-laden atmosphere which the excellent cast make the most of, and at warp speed.

Seedy private eye Dix is hired by a trusting old shop owner to find his friend a missing girl who has an intriguing if extremely improbable present worth USD 200,000 awaiting her. From there it unravels in the best sleazy Chandleresque fashion, the sequence of events all logical and believable … mostly. Favourite bits: Dix and his lady … friend tracking down and finding manic Mike Mazurki's house at night; the greed in weak-willed but still a goodie Dix's eyes when the real Elora Lund shows up. Ker-ching! I believe the Whistler himself was never as amused as by the ending of this episode judging by his gleeful sneering at the end.

Tremendous fun for the fan, one of my favourites in a series that never failed to deliver.

A nice old gentleman named Stillwell approaches a private investigator about a girl who has been missing for seven years. Stillwell has some valuable property that he strongly feels rightfully belongs to the girl named Elora. Elora's mother had pawned some 'junk' at Stillwell's music shop but who has died since. The intrigue is what is so valuable about this property and whereabouts in Stillwell's shop is it? Stillwell gets stabbed and other murders follow as the search for the mysterious object ensues.

Richard Dix plays the investigator who only just manages to keep on the right side of the law. This film is so full of mercenary characters. The most interesting of these for me is Rose Denning who is a charming old dear who keeps her hard liquor hidden under the wool in her knitting basket. There is a terrific shot of Mike Mazurki as Harry Pontos when he grabs hold of a package in Stillwell's shop. The evil look of sheer avaricious delight is probably the most menacing sequence I've seen in a film lately.

I wasn't prepared for the grim ending as I didn't really know what these Columbia Whistler films were all about. The Whistler is a doom-laden narrator who only appears as a shadow on the wall. This one is full of mystery and has a terrific atmosphere as you would expect under the guiding influence of director William Castle. He has excelled himself here as he weaves together so many moments of shadows and skulduggery and I savored every moment of them.

Fifth in the Noirish Whistler film series (and the third Directed by William Castle) is a so-so effort despite a decent enough premise. A kindly old shopkeeper (Paul E. Burns) is looking for a young girl (Pamela Blake) who disappeared suddenly after a family tragedy seven years before. He's been holding some valuables for her. The shopkeeper hires a shady Private Investigator (Richard Dix) to find the young girl. Soon enough, a Model (Helen Mowry), a street thug (Mike Mazurki), a hotel manager (Regis Toomey) and the cops are on the case. At barely an hour, Eric Taylor's script never fleshes out the characters. It's purely a plot driven vehicle. Unfortunately, the P.I. is such a dreary lunkhead of a character that even the twists in the tale don't land. I like Dix in a number of movies, but he isn't able to lift the part. Castle's Direction has a few minor touches and Cinematographer Philip Tannura does a decent job under the circumstances. MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER, with it's P.I. focused story may more claim to being Noir than some of the other Whistler films (I do love that mysterious shadowy figure), but, it's still more of a crime melodrama - and, a second rate one at that.