THE FALCON OUT WEST
(director: William Clemens; screenwriter: Bill Jones/Martin Grant/based on character created by Michael Arlen; cinematographer: Harry Wild; editor: Gene Milford; music: Roy Webb; cast: Lyle Talbot (Tex Irwin), Tom Conway (Tom Lawrence/”The Falcon”), Carole Gallagher (Vanessa Drake), Barbara Hale (Marion Colby), Joan Barclay (Mrs. Irwin), Cliff Clark (Inspector Timothy Donovan), Ed Gargan (Detective Bates), Don Douglas (Stephen Hayden), Minor Watson (Dave Colby), Lee Trent (Dusty), Perc Launders (Red), Wheaton Chambers (Sheriff), Chief Thunderbird (Eagle Feather), Joe Cody (Toni); Runtime: 64; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Maurice Geraghty; RKO; 1944)
“Refreshing change of pace Falcon serial, as the action moves from Manhattan to a Texas ranch.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
William Clemens(“The Case of the Velvet Claws”/”Nancy Drew-Detective”/”Devil’s Island”) directs this refreshing change of pace Falcon serial, as the action moves from Manhattan to a Texas ranch. Suave eastern society sleuth, the Falcon (Tom Conway), ventures out West to a ranch to solve the case of the millionaire Texas cowboy, Tex Irwin (Lyle Talbot), killed by a rattlesnake at a Manhattan nightclub. The B-film programmer is neatly penned by Bill Jones and Martin Grant.
On the Texas ranch of the deceased vic, the Falcon is accompanied by Vanessa Drake (Carole Gallagher), the gold digging showgal would-be bride, who Tex signed over the deed to the ranch as a wedding gift; Stephen Hayden (Don Douglas), Tex’s lawyer; Mrs. Irwin (Joan Barclay), Tex’s ex-wife who is suspicious of the new bride; NYC Inspector Timothy Donovan (Cliff Clark) and his aide Bates (Ed Gargan). Also at the ranch, the Falcon meets Tex’s visiting feuding business partner Dave Colby (Minor Watson) and his attractive daughter Marion (Barbara Hale). Colby’s loyal ranch hand Red (Perc Launders) and Tex’s loyal ranch hand Dusty (Lee Trent) soon make their presence. The house servants at Tex’s spread are all Indians.
After several attempts to kill the Falcon at the ranch, the eastern dude figures out the strange way Tex was killed by rattlesnake venom in NYC and the baddies get into a shootout with the Falcon and lose.
REVIEWED ON 6/17/2013 GRADE: B https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/