FALCON IN DANGER, THE (director: William Clemens; screenwriters: Fred Niblo Jr./ Craig Rice/based on the characters by ; cinematographer: Frank Redman; editor: George Owen; music: Roy Webb; cast: Tom Conway (Tom Lawrence/The Falcon), Jean Brooks (Iris Fairchild), Elaine Shepard (Nancy Palmer), Amelita Ward (Bonnie Caldwell), Robert E. Keane (Wally Fairchild), Richard Davies (Gibson), Cliff Clark (Inspector Timothy Donovan), Clarence Kolb (Stanley Harris Palmer), Felix Basch (Morley), Richard Martin (George Morley), Erford Gage (Evan Morley), Ed Gargan (Detective Bates); Runtime: 70; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Maurice Geraghty; RKO; 1943)
“The sixth entry in the Falcon franchise is only so-so.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The sixth entry in the Falcon franchise is only so-so, it lacks the required suspense needed. William Clemens (“The Case of the Stuttering Bishop”/”Nancy Drew: Detective”/”Devil’s Island”) directs the formulaic crime drama in a workmanlike way. Though it has an intriguing premise about the Falcon (Tom Conway, his second time as The Falcon) asked by Police Inspector Donovan (Cliff Clark) to solve a case of a pilotless plane crash-landing at a NYC airport from Washington, D. C., and the pilot and two industrialists kidnapped and 100,000 in securities missing. The missing big boss is S. H. Palmer (Clarence Kolb) and the other missing party is his $10,000 a year unhappy assistant Wally Fairchild (Robert E. Keane). When the industrialist’s daughter Nancy Palmer (Elaine Shepard) and the other industrialist’s niece Iris Fairchild (Jean Brooks) each receive a ransom note for $25,000, the ladies request the Falcon’s help.
It kicks off with an eye-opening start, but the lackluster screenplay by Fred Niblo Jr. and Craig Rice crashes as far as the mystery surrounding the empty plane and spends poor quality time musing about the debonair sleuth’s irritating romance with an obnoxious Texas socialite (Amelita Ward). Other characters involved include Gibson (Richard Davies), an in debt gambler engaged to Nancy and working for her dad; and the oily antiques dealer Felix Basch (Felix Basch) and his two thuggish sons (Richard Martin & Erford Gage), who are connected with the ransom notes.
Iris is the prime suspect of the police because her uncle claims to have been cheated by Palmer out of his partnership in the business, but could never find the proof to go to court.
REVIEWED ON 6/1/2013 GRADE: C+
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
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