A Date with the Falcon (1942)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Irving Reis

Writers:

Lynn Root (original screenplay) and
Frank Fenton (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

ALL NEW THRILLS! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

In the second film of the series (and not a second part of anything), Gay Lawrence, aka The Falcon, is about to depart the city to marry his fiancée...

Plot Keywords:

The Falcon | Diamond | Second Part | Secret Formula | Synthetic Diamond

Cast

George Sanders	...	Gay Lawrence / The Falcon
Wendy Barrie	...	Helen Reed
James Gleason	...	Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara
Allen Jenkins	...	Jonathan 'Goldy' Locke
Mona Maris	...	Rita Mara

Runtime:

63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (2005) | Australia:PG | UK:U | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #7653) | Sweden:15

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Falcon glimpses the room number for the "scientist" in the hotel, it's easy to read the number 506 in the book. However, when he later enters the scientist's room, the number 516 can be clearly seen on the door.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Falcon Strikes Back (1943)

A date with Homer Bilky was strenuously denied

This Falcon entry (2/13) was played mainly for laughs, sometimes bordering on slapstick. The puns and wisecracks come thick and fast between the leading characters, all of them doubting everyone else's intelligence or honour. Wendy Barrie is almost manic in her assumed jealousy, James Gleason as the police Inspector is perfect and always brings his performance in "Arsenic and old lace" to my mind whenever I see him. But it's George Sanders as the Falcon and Allen Jenkins as his sidekick Goldie that have the majority of the smart ass one-liners, Sanders' body language is sometimes Music Hall but always believable.

Scientist Alec Craig apparently murdered by a gang after his formula to produce perfect synthetic diamonds, the Falcon unwillingly pulled into the caper whilst urgently trying to get off to get married to the frothing Barrie. As usual the entire NY police force was alerted to apprehend him as a murderer that no-one ever believes he really is. And Barrie loves him with a passion even though she knows he'll always love nearly all women. And Goldie stays with him wanting an easy life but knowing he'll never be getting one.

Enjoyable film, 61 minutes short but a lot seems to happen. Ed Gargan as Bates even shone here with a supreme show of brainpower!