The Lone Wolf and His Lady

Columbia Pictures may have been one of the six major Hollywood studios, but when it came to their "B" level programmers there was not a lot of difference between them and Monogram, save better designed sets. "The Lone Wolf" was an early character from detective fiction whose exploits had been portrayed on film going back into the silent era, and had been best associated with actor Warren William, who of course by 1949 was deceased. This opened up the role to Australian actor and Errol Flynn lookalike Ron Randell, who gives his shot at The Lone Wolf the old college try without being terribly convincing at it; his reward would be roles in such films as "Omoo Omoo The Shark God." Alan Mowbray is the best part of "The Lone Wolf and his Lady;" the wit of his portrayal as The Lone Wolf's English sidekick Jamison -- not to mention the fact that he has the film's best lines -- help win the day for him. Lead actress June Vincent is appealing as The Lone Wolf's 'lady;' she comes off as a sort of poverty row Grace Kelly. William Frawley -- more than a year before he landed his signature role as Fred Mertz on television -- plays a hard-nosed police detective suited to his talents, but it is without much dimension; he is all bluster, stubborn and wrong about the case. "The Lone Wolf and his Lady" might play a bit better if you haven't seen other entries in the series, and it is really not as mediocre as some of the comments here state, though John Hoffman's paint-by-numbers direction is not a help and there are continuity issues galore. I found it reasonably entertaining by the end, though the second half of the film is clearly superior to the first; as short as it is, it still seems like it has a rather long and none-too-interesting set up.

This film begins at an old newspaper which has just been bought out by an owner convinced that they need to spice up the paper. Part of this involves more sensationalistic crime stories and an eager young female reporter makes ovations towards a rather frisky Michael Lanyard to tell his story of his early life and misadventures. Not surprisingly due to the standard "Lone Wolf formula", a gem is soon stolen and Lanyard is (as always) blamed for its disappearance--even though logically there is no way he could have taken it!!

For much of the early to mid 1940s, Warren William had played the reformed jewel thief, Michael Lanyard--also known as "The Lone Wolf". In many, many ways, he was similar to Boston Blackie--also from Columbia Pictures. However, with William in the lead, his character always seemed a bit more sophisticated and likable than Blackie, so I always thought the Lone Wolf films were just a bit better. However, as the years passed, the Wolf films started to look more and more like the Blackie films until their plots seemed interchangeable. And, in 1946, when William left the series, the distinctiveness disappeared as the new leading men had personalities of cardboard. Instead, Gerald Mohr and Ron Randell (two rather bland and forgettable guys) were cast as Lanyard and the series naturally slowly fizzled out. Because of this AND the departure of Lanyard's great side-kick (Eric Blore), this effort marks the very lowest point for the series and it was subsequently canceled (only to re-appear on TV a few years later).

The cancellation was not just because people missed the smooth William or the exceptionally funny and engaging Blore. No, much of it was because the plots were old and getting way too repetitive. How many times can Lanyard be accused by the police of committing a crime--only to ALWAYS be shown in the end that he is truly on the side of good?! After a while, the whole formula gets a bit ridiculous and tedious. Plus, this final film had little energy or not enough uniqueness to make us forget the older films. For die-hard fans of B-series detective films, it's worth a peek, but for others it's pretty skip-able. Plus, I'd hate for non-fans of the genre to see this film and think it's typical for a Lone Wolf film!

Doesn't hold up well in comparison to the other "Lone Wolf" movies. Ron Randell is lively enough but he has a tough job trying to follow up ultra-suave Gerald Mohr and ultra-charming Warren William in an established series. Talented Alan Mowbray appears a bit uncomfortable but is still watchable. William Frawley of course is his usual gruff persona and is very effective as a policeman. He is really good in this movie, but wasn't he always?

I realize that this is a "B" movie but it lacks the gloss that the Gerald Mohr Lone Wolf films have (they were also B-movies but have a high level of gloss with good cinematography, lighting, etc.) And of course this movie can't hold your attention the way the Warren William films can, some of which were really well-made.

If you are a Lone Wolf fan you will still get the same successful formula and the usual jewel-thief plot that you are looking for. From this standpoint a Lone Wolf fan could possibly find this movie rewarding.

The Lone Wolf movies were a series of 23 B pictures which featured the same set of leading characters - Michael Lanyard and his Valet/friend Jamison. These movies were reliable entertainment from 1917 to 1949.

This was the last Lone Wolf movie. It is also by far the weakest movie in the series. The Lone Wolf is a reformed Master Jewel thief - a rogue with a heart of gold.

This movie totally lacks the humor which made the earlier films to easy to watch. Part of this is because of the cast. Ron Randell lacks the charisma to pull off the Michael Lanyard character. The same thing can be said for veteran actor Alan Mowbray as his Valet. Mowbray is far too cultured and refined to convincingly play a mere Valet. He also lacks the cheeky humor that Eric Blore gave to this part.

June Vincent plays the leading lady. Her hairstyle is so bad it has to be seen to be believed. Parted right down the middle and worn slicked down into place, with the forward half light blond and the rear half a totally different darker color.

Fans of the old "I Love Lucy" program will spot William Frawley playing the Police Inspector. No one played crusty authority figures better than Frawley. His performance is the bright spot in the film.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this movie, there is also nothing particularly right with this movie either. Everything just seems a little off. There is a reason that this film is rarely shown.

The Lone Wolf series for Columbia finally wrapped with The Lone Wolf And His Lady. Things were getting a bit thin for the series and in this film Ron Randell became the final actor to essay the character of Michael Lanyard.

What really hurt this series was that Eric Blore had made his farewell appearance in the previous Lone Wolf entry. Alan Mowbray as Jamison the Butler with Randell as Lanyard just didn't have the chemistry. Blore when he played Jamison with that elfin wit and charm was making more of a fool of law enforcement than his employer was at times and that's saying something.

The plot has the notorious master criminal once again accused of stealing a diamond. He's at the exhibit because Douglass Dumbrille's newspaper is paying him for his memoirs and he's there with reporter June Vincent covering the opening. When the jewel is stolen as always the cops in the person of William Frawley accuses him.

I kind of liked the idea of The Lone Wolf writing memoirs for syndication. What spicy reading they'll make.

A lot spicier than the film however.