The Gay Falcon

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.

I have seen this movie several times (months ago), and kept it on my DVR, meaning to write a review. Don't miss this movie. I have seen most of the Falcon series films (both with Sanders and Conway), and this (which happens to be the first Falcon film) is by far the best. It is excellent in its own right.

Everything about it is great -- the writing, direction and acting. Nina Vale, the Falcon's fiancée, comes off very well; I wonder why she made so few films. I particularly liked Wendy Barrie; I think this is her best performance. No need to mention all the other great well-known supporting cast.

There isn't a wasted scene in the movie. It was meticulously made. Wonderful dialog and gibes. Very logical screenplay.

One perplexing thing about the move, and it doesn't bother me much: throughout the movie, the Falcon (Sanders) is saying that he loves Elinor Benford (played by Vale) and wants to marry her. Yet in scene after scene he is constantly flirting with Helen Reed (played by Barrie) and other women, in front of Elinor. And the women return the favors.

This is a pleasant B-film from The Falcon series with (by today's standards) a misleading title.

GEORGE SANDERS is the woman-chasing sleuth who always manages to get involved in a crime the police cannot solve without his help. WENDY BARRIE is the flirtatious woman who goes along with him on a series of adventures that have them on the hunt for the murder of a woman wearing a very expensive diamond. ALLEN JENKINS is Sander's side-kick, amusing as usual in a supporting role.

The cast is full of surprises--never expected to see GLADYS COOPER as a rich society dame with a key role in the mystery, TURHAN BEY (a rising young star at the time), and EDWARD BROPHY and ARTHUR SHIELDS as baffled police officers.

Sanders says every line in that dryly sarcastic manner he would use as Addison deWitt in ALL ABOUT EVE years later, but he seems to be enjoying his role. There's nothing very ingenious about the plot, but it does come up with a surprise toward the end because Sanders has information withheld from the viewer.

I haven't seen any of the other Falcon films, so I have the benefit of seeing this and not knowing what comes afterwards. Quite frankly, having watched I can't guess what comes next - whether Gay Lawrence (the Falcon) stays with his fiancée and an impending marriage that never quite comes off becomes some kind of running joke like John Howard's Bulldog Drummond of the late 30's, or if Wendy Barrie's character Helen Reed becomes the Falcon's new girl, or if the Falcon has no girl or another girl entirely in the coming entries, but the ending had me wanting to see the next one.

Of course the wit and wisdom of George Sanders is a plus in any film, and as The Falcon it is unclear what his background is in this entry. The Falcon seems to be a man of means, but he doesn't seem to have a profession nor does he seem to be a reformed criminal either. At the beginning of the film he has set up shop as a broker on Wall Street to satisfy his fiancée that he is through with "crime detecting" as she calls it and wants to settle down, although when she drops in to visit both The Falcon and his assistant Goldy Locke are dead asleep at their desks. She has come to ask him to a society party, the idea obviously bores him, and he declines. Later, though, the personal secretary of the society woman giving the party shows up (Wendy Barrie as Helen Reed) and pleads with the Falcon to attend the party, as jewelry has been stolen at all of the woman's recent parties, and another robbery will ruin her reputation. Suddenly the Falcon is interested in attending, but doesn't tell his fiancée why.

Jewelry is not stolen at this party, but one of the guests in attendance slips the Falcon an expensive ring while they are dancing - she has no explanation as to why she does this and seems to have the Falcon confused with someone else. A few minutes later she is found shot dead. Worse, Goldy is held as a material witness to the crime, so now the Falcon is involved and must solve the crimes. Meanwhile he has both an angry fiancée on his hands and the society lady's swooning secretary, who loves the adventure of tracking down criminals alongside the Falcon.

This is a very good entry that has a very interesting supporting cast. Allen Jenkins is a natural and in good contrast to the suave Sanders as the Falcon's assistant. Edward Brophy is cut from the same cloth as Jenkins and is good as a police detective. Turhan Bey shows up outside of a Universal film for a change as an exotic and mysterious suspect. Arthur Shields, brother of Barry Fitzgerald and a dead ringer for him, seems a bit out of place as Inspector Mike Waldeck, whom the Falcon is more than ready to give credit to for solving the crime.

Recommended as a fast paced good start to the series.

George Sanders is "The Gay Falcon," a 1941 film, the first entry into the Falcon series. The title has a double meaning, as the Falcon's first name is Gay. Though it's a programmer, "The Gay Falcon" has quite an uptown cast, including Gladys Cooper, Allen Jenkins, Turhan Bey, and Wendy Barrie.

The Falcon and his sidekick Goldie (Jenkins) are insurance brokers in this, and Gay is, as usual, engaged. After turning down an invitation to a fancy party, Helen, secretary to a Perle Mesta type named Maxine who is giving the party, begs him to attend in order to prevent a jewel robbery. Maxine's events have been the scene of a string of jewel robberies. So Gay attends. A woman who insisted on wearing a huge diamond is murdered. Gay is on the case.

George Sanders makes a very appealing Falcon - he's tall, elegant, and smooth, with a great voice and off-the-cuff delivery. He gives the role a light, breezy quality. The rest of the cast is very good. Turhan plays a swarthy, suspicious type - this was pre-Maria Montez and Sabu. It's always great to see the Turhan Bey, one of the actors who benefited from the man shortage in Hollywood during World War II. Though he eventually returned to his native Vienna to work as a photographer, he did quite a few television appearances in the '90s.

Alas, there is a bit of casting that sort of gave the denouement away for this viewer, but the mystery is not really the point of The Falcon series. The point is to have fun, which you will.