Pérolas Fatídicas

Michael Lanyard, aka The Lone Wolf is hired by Delia Jordan, who's father was killed, and had some highly valuable jewellery stolen.

It's perhaps not as good as the first film, but it's still a fine watch. It's a very easy going watch, it's fun, it's intriguing, and there's enough happening to keep you entertained, pacing is good, helped by a relatively short running time.

Warren William is great once again as the lead character, oozing charm and charisma, Joan Perry is great in support, Eric Blore is outrageous as The Butler, he's an absolute scream.

It's a very stylish looking film, even after so many years have past it still looks so slick, it's beautifully shot and produced.

I loved those quirky scenes with the fish, so different.

Nothing heavy, just a very pleasing, east to watch mystery.

7/10.

This is the second of the Lone Wolf series starring the roguish Warren William. While this film includes a positive cast change (Eric Blore is now the butler), the overall level of supporting acting is a big drop off from the last film. In the first one, Rita Hayworth and Ida Lupino were along for the ride as well as the Wolf's daughter (played very well by the excellent child actress, Virginia Weidler). Apart from Blore, the show is all Warren William and while he is very good, the film's chemistry is a bit lacking--making this a pretty ordinary B-detective film. While not quite as exciting or magical as a Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan film, it is roughly on-par with a Saint or Falcon film--and this isn't bad company for this film. A slightly better than average time-passer for fans of the genre--but unfortunately, not a lot more.

Delia Jordan's father is murdered and some very valuable jewelry stolen. She hires Michael Lanyard (aka The Lone Wolf), a retired-and-reformed jewel thief to find the killer and the jewels.

The 2nd Lone Wolf entry starring Warren William is a tightly-plotted, engaging one with a clever run around over the stolen pearls. One minute there's a fake one exchanged for the real one etc - the Lone Wolf is always one step ahead, but he's bit hampered by the interference of Joan Perry who plays the daughter of the murdered man; she's a restless client who is practically on Warren's heels every minute, overly anxious to get back her father's gems. There's another beauty Astrid Allwyn an alluring moll, who along with her boyfriend are after the pearls and so are another group. Nice chase sequence at the end.

Delightful entry in the Lone Wolf series starring WARREN WILLIAMS, this time with JOAN PERRY as the young woman seeking to find the killers who murdered her wealthy father. With a larger than usual role for valet ERIC BLORE, who makes the most of his comic abilities, this one gets off to a merry start and provides a good mix of laughs and shady bits of suspense.

The cast is in fine form--especially when MONTAGU LOVE turns up as a European diamond merchant with thick accent, bushy mustache and monocle. The story is all about the theft of a pearl necklace from the safe of Philip Jordan (Perry's father) and his murder. The Lone Wolf takes the case when the daughter pleads with him and from then on it's standard Lone Wolf fare with the plot leading to a satisfying capture of the killer thieves.

Summing up: Delightful entry in the series.

Trivia note: For awhile, I thought the actor playing Ralph Bolton was Craig Stevens, but it turns out it was RALPH WILCOX who was married, first to Florence Rice, and then to Diana Barrymore--who dedicated her book "Too Much, Too Soon" to Wilcox, with whom she went on alcoholic binges during their five year marriage. Very handsome actor who never made it to stardom in Hollywood, probably due to alcoholism.

This was William Warren's 2nd outing as Michael Lanyard the Lone Wolf with the eternal butler Eric Blore in for his 1st of many. It's another pleasant mystery-adventure, with fairly high Columbia production values and a generally light-hearted approach.

Girls father is murdered and has valuable pearl necklace stolen, girl enrols Lanyard to help and they both seem keener to find the pearls than the murderers. At first anyway, when their close mutual friend is also murdered it suddenly gets serious. With many wonderful gurnings by Blore, laconic wit from William and decoration from inquisitive Joan Perry it races along to the satisfactory climax. Favourite bit: Lanyard's fond encounter with his old friend (?) Emil Gorlic (played by Montagu Love) in his hotel room. Lanyard's passion for his extensive aquarium in his living room was I'm glad to relate, short-lived, and by the way the disputed elaborate balcony from Spy Hunt is here too, again on the 1st floor this time at the house of one of the baddies.

If you like the genre as I do - nice work by all concerned, if you don't - shame you wasted your time.