THE LONE WOLF STRIKES

US, 1940, 67 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warren William, Joan Perry, Eric Blore, Alan Baxter, Astrid Alwyn, Montague Love, Robert Wilcox, Don Beddoe, Fred Kelsey.
Directed by Sidney Salkow.


The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, 1939, was very successful, a star vehicle for Warren William. It was the first of nine films in a series featuring him as Michael Lanyard, reformed criminal and safe breaker. This film also introduced Eric Blore as Jamison, his butler and associate in crime and reform. Each film was just over an hour, an enjoyable supporting feature, showing William as his suave best, infiltrating many a crime, always solving the crimes. Another regular was first in hall as Inspector Crane as well is Fred Kelsey as his inept associate, Dickens, always making a fool of himself, eager to arrest Lanyard, his resignation often being demanded.

All the films were a variation on the basic plot, a crime introduced, often with jewellery, an appeal to Lanyard or his accidental involvement, the police accusing him of the crime, his ingenious devices, along with Jamison, to infiltrate criminal groups, expose the truth and humiliate the police.

This film involves jewellery, a widower charmed by the thief, is stealing the family pearls, she and her partner summoning a fence from Amsterdam, Lanyard discovering the truth, employed by the widower’s daughter (and he has been murdered in the contrived traffic accident), who is also the target of the thieves setting up a young man to court the daughter.

There are a whole lots of comings and goings, Lanyard impersonating the fence from Amsterdam at the thieves party, the continual exchange of the pearls for the real pearls, the daughter getting into all kinds of troubles and compromising Lanyard, causing him to offer and rescue her with the help of Jamison.

Quite some complications with the thieves, the setting up of the young man, another boss taking control, the man from Amsterdam hotfooting it out of the United States – and everybody assembling on a ferry with unmasking and arrests.

This was the first of the series directed by Sidney Salkow who often collaborated in writing the screenplay.

THE LONE WOLF MEETS A LADY

US, 1940, 61 minutes, Black and white.
Warren William, Jean Muir, Eric Blore, Victor Jory, Roger Pryor, Warren Hull, Thurston Hall, Fred Kelsey, Robert Emmett Keane, Bruce.
Directed by Sidney Salkow.

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, 1939, was very successful, a star vehicle for Warren William. It was the first of nine films in a series featuring him as Michael Lanyard, reformed criminal and safe breaker. This film also introduced Eric Blore as Jamison, his butler and associate in crime and reform. Each film was just over an hour, an enjoyable supporting feature, showing William as his suave best, infiltrating many a crime, always solving the crimes. Another regular was first in hall as Inspector Crane as well is Fred Kelsey as his inept associate, Dickens, always making a fool of himself, eager to arrest Lanyard, his resignation often being demanded.

All the films were a variation on the basic plot, a crime introduced, often with jewellery, an appeal to Lanyard or his accidental involvement, the police accusing him of the crime, his ingenious devices, along with Jamison, to infiltrate criminal groups, expose the truth and humiliate the police.
Once again, the plot concerns jewellery, this time a necklace. A young woman from a poor background is engaged to a wealthy man and has to wear the family necklace at a party to meet the whole family. A friend tries it on during the meeting – which is attended by a jeweller, family friends… When everybody leaves, the young woman phones a criminal accomplice.

When the woman returns home, she is accosted in her house by her former husband who is then murdered. She runs away in panic, by chance running in front of the car driven by Michael Lanyard along with Jamison. They speed and are pursued by motorcycle policeman, Bruce Bennett (who was to appear in the next Lone Wolf drama, though mainly offscreen, The Lone Wolf Keeps The Date). They are all taken into custody – and Inspector Crane and his unreliable associate, Dickens, put the blame on Lanyard.

The professional criminal, known to Lanyard, Victor Jory, visits Lanyard, imprisoning the young woman and making a phone call after studying a photo of the initial group in the newspaper. He is also murdered.

After various adventures and eluding the police, Lanyard gets the girl to invite all those at the initial meeting to come to the river, near the window of her apartment, alleging that the mysterious necklace was thrown out the window into the river. In the meantime, he has checked with an old fence-friend and discovers that the necklace was taken apart a year before and sold in pieces. The present necklace is fake.

Inspector Crane is waiting with Lanyard and all the suspects turn up – and the revelation that the murderer is actually the dealer who seemed the most innocent of the suspects. He pulls a gun, shot, slightly wounded – and everything is solved and his mother urges the young man to marry his fiancee as soon as possible.

THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT

US, 1939, 71 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warren William, Ida Lupino, Rita Hayworth, Virginia Weidler, Ralph Morgan.
Directed by Peter Godfrey.

This was the first of a series of film nine films featuring Warren William as Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf. William could be a suave villain but also a suave hero as he is here. He had made two films as Philo Vance and was the first Perry Mason on screen in the 1930s.

Michael Lanyard had a reputation as a safe breaker and was in trouble with the law as well as criminals that he had helped to undermine. At the opening of this film, he is summoned by one, played by Ralph Morgan, who proposes that he should rob a safe, get aircraft plans from the war department and hand them over. When he refuses, the businessman gets his thugs to do the job and leaves the particular kind of cigarette that Lanyard smoked at the scene of the break-in.

Lanyard is the typical professional bachelor but is being pursued by the daughter of a senator, Val, played by a very young Ida Lupino. She is determined to get him despite his putting at every opportunity. At home, he is looking after his young niece, Patricia, played vigorously by Virginia Weidler, who has a gun and like playing gang games with the butler.

When only half the plans have been discovered, the inventor shrewdly keeping the other half for himself, the businessman uses another means to lure Lanyard to the safe, and she is in the form of Rita Hayworth in an early role. While Lanyard seems to go along with the plan, he is very shrewd, pretends to along with the plan, escape, return, substitute plans for a pram instead of the aircraft plans.

The police, who also have a grudge against Lanyard, pursue him.

There are all kinds of hijinks, especially with Val and her pursuit, and Lanyard going to a fancy dress party, a surrealist party, with a few branches posing as natural forest! He gets into the room to steal the alternate part of the plans, takes them, is caught up in some comedy with a man at the party whose identity he has taken and is able to escape.

The villains are in pursuit, Patricia Hines in the boot of a car to help with the investigation, Lanyard goes to rescue her, persuades her to pretend to cry and he upsets the criminals, urging her to take the plans and escape. And then Val arrives with her father and the police.

And another eight episodes, filmed at Columbia which gives the film a higher professionalism and gloss than many similar small-budget series of the 1930s and 1940s.

THE LONE WOLF TAKES A CHANCE

US, 1941, 74 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warren William, June Storey, Henry Wilcoxon, Eric Blore, Thurston Hall, Fred Kelsey, Don Beddoe, Evalyn Knapp, Walter Kingsford, Lloyd Bridges
Directed by Sidney Salkow.


The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, 1939, was very successful, a star vehicle for Warren William. It was the first of nine films in a series featuring him as Michael Lanyard, reformed criminal and safe breaker. This film also introduced Eric Blore as Jamison, his butler and associate in crime and reform. Each film was just over an hour, an enjoyable supporting feature, showing William as his suave best, infiltrating many a crime, always solving the crimes. Another regular was first in hall as Inspector Crane as well is Fred Kelsey as his inept associate, Dickens, always making a fool of himself, eager to arrest Lanyard, his resignation often being demanded.

All the films were a variation on the basic plot, a crime introduced, often with jewellery, an appeal to Lanyard or his accidental involvement, the police accusing him of the crime, his ingenious devices, along with Jamison, to infiltrate criminal groups, expose the truth and humiliate the police.


The central crime of this film is rather different from previous films which often involved jewel robberies. Perhaps it was impending war that shifted the emphasis on to broader public crime. An inventor, played by a young Lloyd Bridges, has made a train carriage which is impregnable, a safe combination, an automatic release of gas if the safe is opened. In this story, it is on an inaugural train journey and is carrying money plates.

Michael Lanyard has become involved because of the scuffle outside his hotel apartment. He has been involved with Inspector Crane and has made a bet with him and Dickens that he can keep out of trouble for 24 hours. When a private detective taps on his window and Lanyard considers it a joke, the man is shot and falls to his death. The intricate plot leads to a film star making a live appearance in the cinema. The inventor, abducted, has received a note inviting him to a hotel to see her where he has been abducted and taken to a train in the guise of a seriously ill patient.

Lanyard, in the cinema, sees the newsreel about the train, helps the actress who, because of her status, has a motorcycle escort to the station, and boards the train with Jamison. A lot of the action takes place on the train, Lanyard meeting a friendly doctor who turns out to be sinister and there is a struggle to free the inventor. This fails and Lanyard, Jamison and the actress flee by car, following the thugs and the doctor.

The film could well have been trimmed to the ordinary running time but a lot of time is spent in the mysterious house, people falling through holes, devious corridors, Inspector Crane turning up.

In the meantime, it is discovered that the inventor has been placed in the carriage with his invention and is in danger from the gas. Lanyard has the bright idea to look at the newsreel again, enlarge the images so that he can see the safe code. He and Jamison then hire a plane which takes them to Gary, Indiana, and split second timing for Lanyard to open the safe and to rescue the inventor. And the criminals are all rounded up.

Rather a different variation on the Lone Wolf themes.

THE LONE WOLF KEEPS A DATE

US, 1941, 65 minutes, Black and white.
Warren William, Frances Robinson, Bruce Bennett, Eric Blore, Thurston Hall, Jed Prouty, Fred Kelsey, Don Beddoe Edward Gargan.
Directed by Sidney Salkow.


The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, 1939, was very successful, a star vehicle for Warren William. It was the first of nine films in a series featuring him as Michael Lanyard, reformed criminal and safe breaker. This film also introduced Eric Blore as Jamison, his butler and associate in crime and reform. Each film was just over an hour, an enjoyable supporting feature, showing William as his suave best, infiltrating many a crime, always solving the crimes. Another regular was first in hall as Inspector Crane as well is Fred Kelsey as his inept associate, Dickens, always making a fool of himself, eager to arrest Lanyard, his resignation often being demanded.

All the films were a variation on the basic plot, a crime introduced, often with jewellery, an appeal to Lanyard or his accidental involvement, the police accusing him of the crime, his ingenious devices, along with Jamison, to infiltrate criminal groups, expose the truth and humiliate the police.

For a change, the plot of this Lone Wolf film concerns abduction and ransom rather than jewellery. The opening is rather exotic, set in Cuba, Michael Lanyard in a secret deal purchasing an expensive Cuban stamp for his collection. Once again, he encounters an anxious young woman wanting to get to the airport. He decides to give her a lift, along with Jamison. Once in the US, they are attacked by criminals and Lanyard loses his stamp collection.

There has been an abduction of a prominent businessman and Lanyard poses as Inspector Crane to meet the bereft wife. In the meantime, there has been the murder of one of the kidnappers on a yacht used by the young woman’s fiance for water trips.

The woman, Frances Robinson, has a lot more to do in this film than heroines in previous adventures, especially in steering a speedboat to and from the city to the kidnap rendezvous. In this, she is aided by Jamison always intervening when he can, mocking the police, with quite a lot of encounters with the hapless Dickens who ruins various surveillance situations and whose resignation is demanded by Crane.

Lanyard discovers the brains behind the abduction, a casino owner played by Don Beddoe (who had appeared in previous Lone Wolf films but in differing roles). Bruce Bennett plays the hapless boat captain in jail. There is also a witness to the killing, a Portuguese restaurant owner who, at the moment of giving the information about who the abductor was, is shot.

Lanyard, of course, infiltrates himself into the company of the kidnappers, recovers his stamps, causes an absolute commotion with the pages falling apart and a fan blowing the stamps, giving him the opportunity to send a special message when Jamison comes to collect them. The message is written in the album and Jamison and the young woman are able to entice the police into a chase, with everybody arriving at the rendezvous, arrests, the freeing of the kidnapped man, the happy couple are able to marry. (In this one, Crane actually asks Dickens to resign – and he spends a lot of time in the shower, chained to the railing, and then falling into the water.)

There is a great mockery of the local police, the pretentious chief, his squad all lining up to obey him – a variation on the Keystone Cops.

THEY RAID BY NIGHT

US, 1942, 73 minutes, Black-and-white.
Lyle Talbot, June Duprez, Victor Varconi, George N. Neise, Charlie Rogers, Paul Baratoff. Sven Hugo Borg.
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennett.

This is a little-known war propaganda film of 1942. It is a particularly British and Norwegian story. Those interested in the background of the Nazi invasion of Norway and the resistance by the King, it is worth looking up The King’s Decision, 2017, directed by Erik Poppe. Other Norwegian war adventures include Errol Flynn in Norway in Edge of Darkness, and the post--war epic, The Heroes of Telemark.

This is a more focused film, reflecting the situation in 1940 – 1941, and the uncertainties of the outcome of the war but with the hostility towards Hitler and the Nazi invasions and occupations.

The film shows a Nazi execution of a patriot and the imprisonment of the mastermind General of the resistance. The British authorities decide to send a rescue mission, commandos, with a Canadian, played by Lyle Talbot, in charge with a local Norwegian, George N. Neisse, and a cheeky British sergeant, Charlie Rogers.

Despite the title, their parachuting takes place in broad daylight and they are immediately spotted, having to defend themselves in shooting the Germans. They go into a town, meet a blind resistance man who shelters them. Also in broad daylight, the former fiancee of the young local recognises him and reports him to the German commander with whom she is in a relationship. Authorities come to arrest them, they overpower them and take their car to rescue the prisoner.

Interestingly, the local German commander, while a committed Nazi, is more intelligent than most in such films, is generally working out what the commando group is likely to do, using a local yes man for his jobs, finally arresting the local, torturing him – and, the screenplay actually does have “we have ways of making you talk�. When the young man seeks his former girlfriend for a doctor, she immediately reports him.

The group pretend to be Germans and rescue the general from the prison camp he breaks his shoulder which slows down the progress. The young man, tortured, gives information about where the group would but the commander has sent the Englishman and the General on to another hut. Interestingly, there is an intelligent confrontation between the German and the commander, with a lie detector and the commander pushing his cigarette onto his hand to disturb the vibrations and so deceive the lie detector.

The British are worried, send in the fleet, the German commander working out where they would be, the confrontation and a shooting, setting a building alight as a bonfire signal and the rescue taking place – and some ironic remarks with the German commander, wounded, not promising that he would not escape from prison camp.

In view of what happened in Norway during the war, this is an interesting opportunity to see a Norwegian story.

BULLDOG DRUMMOND

US, 1929, 89 minutes, Black-and-white.
Ronald Colman, Claude Allister, Laurence Grant, Montagu Love, Wilson Benge, Joan Bennett, Lilyan Tashman, Charles Sellon.
Directed by F. Richard Jones.

This is an early talkie and received Oscar nominations for Ronald Colman as Best Actor and for Art Direction by the famous William Cameron Menzies. It was based on a play by Supper (Herman C. McNeille) and “adapted for the talking screen� by Sidney Howard.

The film proved the Ronald Colman was a natural for talking films, strong screen presence, handsome with his moustache, a British accent, ironic humour, ready to go into action. In a few years Errol Flynn was to imitate his look and his presence. There are a number of character actors but the leading lady is Joan Bennett in her late teens, not always persuasive in her performance, but on the road to a very successful career over several decades.

The direction is by F. Richard Jones, a director of many comedies, moving into serious silent films, but this film was his last and he died at the age of 37 the next year of tuberculosis.

The film is often stagebound, with its theatre background. It starts with some ironic humour in the Conservative Seniors Club, all the elderly members sitting in their armchairs, reading the papers, dozing, being outraged when a spoon drops. Hugh Drummond, Ronald Colman, declares to his very P.G. Wodehouse type a friend, Algy, Claude Allister, that he is bored and puts an advertisement in the paper – getting many replies, including one that intrigues him from a young woman who wants him to meet at a country hotel at midnight.

This leads to a complicated plot. The young woman’s uncle, a rich man, is being held by criminals at a mansion which is posing as a hospital. Lawrence Grant as the doctor over-overacts while the rest of the cast, excluding Colman, just over act, drawing from experience on the stage.

There are various adventures, this one has Drummond intruding into the mansion defying the criminals, leading them on a car chase, doubling back, rescuing the uncle, deceiving the criminals by posing as the uncle, risking electric shock, able to get free, rescuing the young woman who has fallen in love with him. Algy and the butler have followed and become very much involved in all the activities.

There is a shrewd move at the end when the confident criminals called in their thugs disguised as police and they all get away.

Bulldog Drummond became rather popular in films even into the 1950s with such actors as Walter Pidgeon, Ray Milland and several films in the 30s with John Barrymore.

WIVES UNDER SUSPICION

US, 1938, 69 minutes, Black and white.
Warren William, Gail Patrick, Constance Moore, William Lundigan, Ralph Morgan, Cecil Cunningham, Samuel S. Hinds, Milburn Stone.
Directed by James Whale.

Wives under Suspicion is based on a play by Laszlo Fodor, originally filmed by James Whale in 1933 with the title The Kiss Before the Mirror.

This time it is a star vehicle for popular actor Warren William who had appeared as both Philo Vance and Perry Mason. In the following year he was to begin a series of nine films as Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf.

This time William portrays a very successful district attorney, a hard prosecutor, strict on his interpretation of the law, counting on an abacus the number of criminals condemned to death. He has an assistant, Sharpie, a Cecil Cunningham scene-stealing performance, who takes care of his life but who is opposed to his harshness. The DA is in love with his wife but is even more in love with his work and career, Sharpie having to remind him of his wife’s birthday and suggest and organise gifts.

His wife is played by Gail Patrick. There are domestic scenes, especially with their friends, Elizabeth and Phil (Constance Moore and William Lundigan).

William plays his role as fairly straightforward as the DA, on the one hand, and ambiguous in his relationship with his wife, on the other. His almost persuaded by his wife and Sharpie to go on a vacation, something that he and his wife have never had, not even a honeymoon. However, on his return to the office, there is an interrogation of a professor who has jealously killed his wife. The professor is played by Ralph Morgan – and his brother, Frank Morgan, appeared in the earlier Wail film.

Needless to say, the DA takes on the case, involved in great research, even recording the killer’s confession at some length, intending it be sprung on the court and the jury.

There are interesting collage sequences, especially at the opening in a sequence where journalists register for an execution and there are swift scene changes and editing to indicate the atmosphere of the execution. Later in the film, there is an extensive collage of newspaper headings, the focus on the DA, on the accused, on the dates for the hearings and the court case.

The DA goes over the story that the distraught professor has told him, loving his wife, timid, coming home, seeing her make herself up, giving her a kiss in front of the mirror and her shuddering, then smiling, her going out to another man and his shooting her.

There is a pivotal scene when the DA returns home suddenly, sees that his wife has been reading the paper about his severity on the acute, find her making herself up, gives her a kiss before the mirror, takes his gun and follows her, not where she has said she was going, to see Elizabeth, to see Phil. The DA draws the gun and intends to shoot but comes to his senses.

Returning home, he smashes the recording of the confession, goes into the court, makes an impassioned plea to change the charge to manslaughter explaining his understanding of the motivation of the professor. (He is accused of taking money from the wealthy family of the professor, something which he ignores.)

At home with his wife, her deciding that she should leave because of the failure of the marriage, they are interrupted by Phil and Elizabeth who have just got married, the wife having gone to plead with Phil to understand Elizabeth.

And Sharpie is very happy when the DA decides to go on a trip with his wife.

FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

UK, 2017, 105 minutes, Colour.
Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Stephen Graham, Kenneth Cranham, Vanessa Redgrave, Francis Barber, Leanne Best.
Directed by Paul Mc Guigan.

While enjoyment of the film does not depend on audience knowledge of actress Gloria Grahame, it will certainly enhance the enjoyment of older audiences who do remember her and film buffs who have seen her performances and are aware of her reputation.

The film star who does have the possibility of dying in Liverpool – but does not, is Gloria Grahame. In fact, the film incorporates some scenes from the actual films, the credits for Naked Alibi and an extensive insert of her song in that film, Ace in the Hole. Gloria Grahame won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in The Bad and the beautiful, 1952. The film ends with the footage from that ceremony, her walking up the aisle, accepting the statuette, saying thanks and immediately walking off – with a final quip from compere, Bob Hope.

But, Liverpool?

As Gloria Grahame’s career began to fade in Hollywood, she appeared on stage, travelling to England in the late 1970s to appear in Lancashire in The Glass Menagerie. This is where the film opens, her putting on her make-up, week, in some detail, and then collapsing. It gives the audience the opportunity to look at Annette Bening and her interpretation of Gloria Grahame, certainly a fine performance from the actress, not trying to impersonate her but to communicate her character.

The film is based on an autobiographical memoir by Liverpool actor, Peter Turner. He is played by Jamie Bell (reunited with Julie Waters after Billy Elliot – Julie Walters playing his mother here). He has a chance encounter with Gloria Grahame and they begin a friendship, her staying at his family home, befriended by his mother, admired by his father (Kenneth Cranham in a good cameo), and his brother Joe, Stephen Graham.

The two begin an affair, symbolised by a scene in Gloria’s room in the house where she wants to learn disco dancing and Peter obliges (reminding audiences of how talented a dancer Jamie Bell was when he was young Billy Elliot). They travel to America, his seeing Gloria’s American world, as well as to California with a visit Gloria’s mother, played by Vanessa Redgrave, and her hostile sister, played by Frances Barber.

There are lyrical moments in the UK where Gloria is successful in the play, Rain. However, she is ill, with the cancer which she has neglected. There are key sequences in the United States where Gloria goes out all day without telling Peter where she was, seems to turn on him and he leaves. Then there is the same sequence from her point of view, visits to the doctor, her unwillingness to have Peter involved in her illness – quite an emotional change for the audience. However, in England, she phones him and takes refuge in his house.

This is a British film directed by Scots Paul Mc Guigan who has a rather wide range of dramatic films as well as Sherlock telemovies with Benedict Cumberbatch. He has a very intelligent screenplay by Matt Greehhalgh to work with and excellent performances all round. This is symbolised by a very moving sequence towards the end, a reading of a scene from Romeo and Juliet between Gloria and Peter.

In the early part of the film, many in the audience might feel that they are prying into the private life of an actress. However, as the film proceeds, the characters become more real, more interesting and the audience becomes more able to identify with them, until the sad ending with Gloria’s death and the amusing postscript of her ultra-brief Oscar-acceptance.

1. The film based on an autobiographical book? True story? Memoir? Tribute?

2. Audience knowledge of Gloria Grahame? Her films, her screen persona, reputation, winning an Oscar, a fading career, moving to stage? Her marriages, marrying her stepson? Interest? The touch of prying into private life?

3. The British story, the title? Peter Turner and his memoir? The Lancashire opening in the theatre, the scenes in Liverpool, the city, suburbs, streets, rain, homes, interiors, pubs, theatre? The contrast with New York and its glamour? California, the weather, homes, teachers, doctors’ surgeries? The creation of atmosphere?

4. The range of music, songs, Elton John, Song for Guy and other music of the period?

5. The introduction, the performance of The Glass Menagerie, the dressing room, Gloria Grahame, in England, in provincial stage work, the makeup, the wig, her collapse? The phone call, Peter and his response? His help, the family helping?

6. The flashbacks to their meeting, the encounter, the difference in age, the friendship, the weather, going to the Turner home? The welcomed by Peter’s family? Her performance and success in Rain?

7. Annette Bening as Gloria Grahame? The insertion of the credits for Naked Alibi, her song from that film, the references to In a Lonely Place and the memento from Humphrey Bogart, the quote from her song as Ado Annie in Oklahoma? Annette Bening capturing the character, her American background, the experience in Hollywood, life experience, growing older, fading, her age, illness?

8. Jamie Bell as Peter Turner, late 20s, an actor, at home, ordinary family in Liverpool, his parents, his brother, the other relations visiting? His work, acting, the medical play? The encounter with Gloria Grahame, the interest, the attraction, his help, his family?

9. The bonds between them, friendship, romantic, sexual? Going out together, at home? Her room? The sequence of the disco dancing and establishing the relationship between the two? Gloria and her bond with the family, the care for the mother, the fascination by the father, the attitude of the brother?

10. And the scenes with his mother, her wanting to go to Australia to see her son, hit her fussing about the family, her concern about Annette? The visit to the pub and the talk with his father? The clashes with his brother?

11. The happy days, sharing, love, passion, England, the success of Rain? The transition to New York, the different experience, outings, tensions, Gloria and her American life, agents? The highlighting the age difference?

12. The California visit to Gloria’s mother, her mother’s character, the conversation, the animosity of the sister? Gloria’s reaction to them?

13. The story of her marriages, divorces, her stepson? Of the children?

14. Her illness, keeping it a secret, stubbornness, refusing to admit the truth? America, the visits to the doctor, her smoking, denial, leaving things too late, not following up on the medication, the danger of chemotherapy? The several visits?

15. Her going out, not telling the truth to Peter, out all day, her offhand answers, deceiving him? His being hurt? Leaving?

16. The impact of the audience seeing the same sequence but from her point of view, the visit to the doctor, her illness, the different treatment of Peter?

17. Her return to England, playing in Lancashire, her collapse, the phone call to Peter after the time away from him, her coming, going upstairs to the room, ill, sleeping, the meals, Bella and her care, the other members of the family?

18. Her overhearing the family dispute, her illness, whether she should go to hospital, or back to America?

19. The poignancy of Peter taking her to the theatre, her previous comments about playing Juliet and the indications that she was too old? The two chairs in the theatre, the books, the recitation of the Romeo and Juliet scene? Emotions for Gloria and Peter, for the audience?

20. The phone call to her son, his coming to England, arranging the transfer? Bella advising Peter to be able to let Gloria go? Carrying her to the taxi, Gloria urging Bella to go to visit her son in Australia and put up with the 24 hour stopover in Manila? Peter’s farewell, the taxi driving off?

21. The information about Gloria Grahame’s return to the US, dying the same day?

22. The postscript, the announcement of her Oscar, the other nominees, her presence, walking up, taking the Oscar and saying thank you and immediately walking off – and Bob Hope’s reaction?

PHILO VANCE'S SECRET MISSION

US, 1947, 48 minutes, Black-and-white.
Alan Curtis, Sheila Ryan, Tala Birrell, Frank Jenks, James Bell, Frank Fenton, Kenneth Farrell, Toni Todd.
Directed by Reginald Le Borg.

After the war, there were three Philo Vance films, all released in 1947. Besides this film there was Philo Vance Returns and Philo Vance and his Secret Mission (this one running for only 48 minutes).

While William Wright was the star of Philo Vance Returns, the other two films featured Alan Curtis. He was a successful choice for Philo Vance, not the suave manner of William Powell, but a solid down-to-earth approach to his character, the touch of the wisecrack, the touch of the flirtatious. (Alan Curtis was to die several years later in his early 40s.)

Frank Jenks is Ernie, Philo Vance’s associate, providing some comic touches, double takes, bad pronunciations, touches of vanity when boasting to his friends…
The plot is quite complicated, even for 48 minutes. Vance and his associate, Ernie, are invited to a publishing company, noted for its horror stories, Vance mistaking the scream of the assistant who is being photographed for covers to be the real thing. One of the proprietors wants the company to start publishing true stories and wants the story of the death and disappearance of a former owner to be written up by Vance.

At the meeting is the co-director, the widow of the dead man who is very upset, two ghost writers of the stories, the assistant and the photographer.

The assistant is attracted to Vance and, as in the other films, he is flirtatious.

However, when they go to the house of the proprietor who proposed the story, they find that he is dead, then his body disappears. Vance and the assistant drive away, a policeman on motorcycle pursues because she has left behind her handbag. When they open the boot of the car, the dead man is in it.

The issue of insurance is raised, especially since the body has not been discovered after seven years, and payment is to be made. The widow has decided to marry the legal adviser of the company about to leave by boat for South America.

At the meeting, Vance sets up the situation, to the assistant’s shock, and is that she did it and he makes a plausible account. Then he reassures her that that was just too flush out the real criminal.

It emerges that the man had not died seven years earlier but had disappeared, conniving with his wife to get the money, to get rid of the legal associate she was about to marry and then disappear themselves.

Quite a neat little Philo Vance story – the equivalent of a television episode in later series.