A Date with the Falcon

Plot synopsis:
Scientist Waldo Samson (Alec Craig) has discovered how to manufacture cheap synthetic diamonds that are nearly identical to actual diamonds, as he demonstrates to diamond industry representatives and New York Police Inspector Mike O'Hara (James Gleason). Samson only wishes to provide them for the American defense effort, but O'Hara insists on providing him with a police guard.
Ruthless criminals, however, abduct Samson to gain his secret. O'Hara recruits a reluctant amateur sleuth Gay Lawrence (George Sanders), known as the "Falcon", to search for him. Meanwhile, Helen Reed (Wendy Barrie), the Falcon's fiancée, becomes increasingly frustrated as the crime solving interferes with her marriage plans. Lawrence meets exotic jewel thief Rita Mara (Mona Maris) and suspects she is involved in Sampson's disappearance. Rits pulls a gun on Lawrence, and forces him to accompany her. Helen finds Rita's purse and inside, the address of Rita's hotel.
Lawrence escapes but learns from his sidekick, Jonathon "Goldie" Locke (Allen Jenkins) that Helen has gone to Rita's hotel, looking for him. Learning that Sampson is also registered there, Lawrence breaks into his room and finds the scientist, dead. The police arrive shortly after and attempt to arrest Lawrence, who asks O'Hara for a 12-hour reprieve to find the real murderer.
When Lawrence asks Helen to meet him at a nightclub, he knows follow Helen and Goldie will be followed. At gunpoint, Rita abducts Lawrence once again and takes him to her accomplice in a warehouse where Max Carlson (Victor Kilian) is holding the real Waldo Sampson captive. After obtaining the secret formula, Max decides to kill Sampson and Lawrence. Rita knocks out Lawrence, and turns on her partner, killing him, but does not locate Sampson's formula.
When the police arrive at the warehouse, they find Lawrence. arresting him for murder with O'Hara taking him to headquarters, where Helen has been arrested as Lawrence's accomplice. Rita and the remainder of the gang is brought in, and when Goldie produces the secret formula which he had taken from Max, Lawrence explains that it was Herman, Waldo's twin who was killed in the hotel and that Rita killed Max for the formula.
Lawrence and his fiancée finally are able to resume their romantic getaway, but once on board their aircraft, a beautiful young woman greets Lawrence, arousing Helen's jealousy.

Tags: comedy, murder

Review:
This is the second of the Falcon films starring George Sanders.
Who can ever forget George Sanders standing and smoking a cigarette nonchalantly on a window ledge of a New York hotel, while the crowd below gasps and take bets on whether he will jump.
When a policeman forces him inside the window at gunpoint, the street crowd sighs in disappointment, and one man says: 'I figured him for a phoney.' When Sanders goes into a florist shop to buy roses for his (new) fiancée, the woman running it is an old girl friend.
It's a perfect crime.' Hans Conreid, who stole scenes in the previous Falcon film as a police artist, really runs away with his scenes in this one as a hotel clerk.
Then we would not all be so bored by their silly special effects and exploding cars which they substitute for acting and witty dialogue, and we could enjoy a film again like people could in 1941..
Sanders plays Gay Lawrence, The Falcon, who has at last been lured into marriage by his fiancé, Helen (played by Wendy Barrie).
Just before he goes off to get married though, he gets mixed up in a case where a reclusive scientist who has created a formula to make fake diamonds that are indistinguishable from real ones get kidnapped by crooks and forced to spill the beans.
As usual, the relationship between the falcon and the Law is pretty borderline at best, the keep on trying to arrest him on suspicion of being involved in the plot, murder and anything else they can pin on him.
This is a great movie, and Sanders plays it with an insouciance that is quite invigorating: you cannot decide whether he is in his heart laughing at the whole film in its simplicity.
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.
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.
George Sanders is the Falcon in "A Date with the Falcon," part of the enjoyable Falcon series, which was eventually taken over by Sanders' brother Tom Conway so that Sanders could appear in another series, "The Saint." In this one, a man disappears with his invention, simulated diamonds that pass for the real thing, which can be used in place of industrial diamonds in the manufacture of war weapons.
The Falcon becomes involved in the case, even though he's supposed to be leaving town with his abrasive fiancée (Wendy Barrie) in order to meet her parents.A little disjointed, and though others have complained about the Wendy Barrie character, I seem to remember the Falcon had an even more annoying fiancée in another film, "The Falcon in Danger," only this time, it was Gay's brother Tom who was now The Falcon.
Why these women were written with such a heavy hand is beyond me, but they do distract.Still, this film is entertaining - James Gleason is excellent as the harried head of the investigation, and Allen Jenkins is funny as Gay's assistant.
Despite having woman troubles with his fiancé, Helen, the Falcon finds himself in the middle of the investigation and pursued by the gang, who are understandably keen to get such a keen mind off the case before he makes progress.With a pretty standard (and unlikely) set up, it is not long before the Falcon is drafted onto the case.
Indeed it would have made a nice play with Helen being the sidekick that the Falcon has in other films but here this aspect and the actual plot mix about as well as oil and water and, sadly, the investigation into Samson's disappearance occasionally plays second fiddle to Lawrence having woman troubles.However most viewers of this series will have gotten used to the fact that the crime plots are never the strongest here but often this is covered by some good humour.
The Falcon himself has a certain swagger to him but too much of the film is him looking flustered and frustrated by trying to balance his couple of women.
The script does throw out some good material for minor roles and has some funny set ups (playing drunk to escape the baddies is a good moment) but generally it isn't funny enough to cover the fact that the plot can't even manage to stretch to an hour.
Gleason's inspector is good but Barrie is annoying and Maris is nowhere near the femme fatale she was clearly trying to be.It is still an OK little film but not one of the better in the series even if fans still enjoy it for what it is.
The film gets better as it goes but too much in the first half is poorly judged and the actual case/plot mostly plays as second billing behind some flat comedy involving a couple of 'dames' and several misunderstandings..
It would be hard to praise too highly these "Falcon" (and "Saint") films of the 30s and 40s, for in them was contained all the enjoyable trademarks of that fine era of movie making.These films all had good writing, good directing, good acting, good photography, crisp editing and fast action.
They also had plenty of charm and plenty of style.A DATE WITH THE FALCON is one of the best of the bunch with a neat plot and some delightful set pieces.
George Sanders and Wendy Barrie are fun to watch, and to listen to, but the supporting performances of folks like the great Allen Jenkins, James Gleason and Ed Gargan are just as entertaining.
Just go watch these films and have yourself a very good time doing so.
Date with the Falcon, A (1941) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Second film in the series has the Falcon (George Sanders) leaving on his honeymoon but at the last minute he finds himself caught up with diamond thieves.
Sanders once again is good in the role but he seems a little bored compared to the first film.
Allen Jenkins isn't given as much to do, which is a shame because he comes off very good in his few scenes here..
George Sanders was a great Comic in this Film !.
George Sanders,( Gay Lawrence/Falcon),"Solomon and Sheba",'59, played a role quite similar to the "Thin Man" series with Dick Powell.
The Falcon was about to get married to Helen Reed,(Wendy Barrie),"Peter Pan",'50 Broadway Theatre, NYC, and suddenly was caught up in a great mystery concerning diamond dealings and plenty of gangsters.
James Gleason,(Inspector Mike O'Hara), tried to keep up with the Falcon and was even forced into arresting him quite often through out the picture.
This was really a slap stick Comedy, Drama "B" picture and George Sanders did a great job playing the Major Comic.
If you are a fan of George Sanders, you will never believe the way he acted in this picture, entirely different than "The Lodger" or "Hangover Square"..
The Falcon film series is generally a lot of fun to watch, with many of the films very enjoyable and all worth watching at least once.
Wendy Barrie was very likable and entertaining in 'The Gay Falcon' (the first and very enjoyable outing in the series), but here she is in a more brashly written role and the performance feels overdone and annoying.When it comes to the production values, while not among the most visually stunning films ever made (then again 'A Date with the Falcon' is not that kind of film), 'A Date with the Falcon' is very meticulously filmed and lit with sets that are elegant and atmospheric.
The music is lively and haunting, while the direction solid, the script is witty and smart (even more so, and more electrifying than that of 'The Gay Falcon') and the story a vast majority of the time very engrossing and never incoherent or a test for endurance.
The characters are also a lot of fun with the only exception being Barrie's.As said with 'The Gay Falcon', George Sanders is a truly great lead, he was never less than watchable and magnificent when at his best, and he looks so relaxed and at ease here and plays with his usual suave and imposing manner while also with an elegance, cutting aplomb and charm.
James Gleason is also excellent.Hans Conried steals scenes gleefully, and while he doesn't have as much to do Allen Jenkins is still enormous fun and also a scene stealer.
Mona Maris is an alluring femme fatale.In conclusion, one of the best outings in a series of films that are most enjoyable.
Second in RKO's fun series of B mystery films about a suave detective named Gay Lawrence (aka The Falcon).
In the first few movies in the series, the Falcon is played by the great George Sanders.
Here the Falcon investigates the disappearance of an inventor who has discovered how to create synthetic diamonds that are identical to the real thing.
Wendy Barrie returns as the Falcon's love interest.
The rest of the solid supporting cast includes James Gleason, Mona Maris, and Edward Gargan.
In the previous Falcon movie, he played a police sketch artist.
The Falcon series was admittedly formulaic, and this whole business about a kidnapped inventor is definitely nothing new, but it was undeniably entertaining.
Good lively installment in the Falcon series.
Gay Lawrence (Falcon) gets mixed up with gangsters trying to take over a synthetic diamond invention.
There's also a number of good touches from director Reis— the humorously coordinated crowd scenes, the snappy dialog delivery, Goldie (Jenkins) tap-dancing his way up the sobriety line.
George Sanders is back as Gay Lawrence, the suave and mysterious figure known as the Falcon.
The emphasis is on comedy in this second series entry, with Gay alternately seeking a kidnapped inventor and scrambling to keep various female acquaintances apart.Wendy Barrie is fast-talking and quick-tempered as Helen, the Falcon's fiancée, at least for the moment.
Allen Jenkins is "Goldy" Locke, the Falcon's right hand man and provider of smart comments.Between Barrie and Jenkins, the wisecracks fly pretty fast throughout the picture; Sanders does his best to keep up the suavity, but even he is reduced to uncharacteristic comic exasperation ("Just as I was getting everything to run nice and smooth," he complains, upset with his romantic complications).The plot centers around a synthetic diamond formula.
The story is hardly unique but it's solid enough, and is really only an excuse for these characters to have something to work on, anyway.Among the cast of pros in familiar roles, James Gleason is steady as always as a police inspector and Edward Gargan is funny as a dumb assistant cop.Jenkins and Sanders click especially well and trade lines flawlessly.
Jenkins: "Who was that dame?" Sanders: "A very fascinating woman." Jenkins: "Every time you say that, we get into trouble." Good fun for us fans of the detective-comedy genre..
Rather lackluster entry in the George Sanders "Falcon" series.
Rather than charming his fiancé, the Falcon appears to be intimidated by her - which appears to be out of character.
Wendy Barrie as the fiancée spends the entire movie trying to get the Falcon to leave town on a trip -- was this an overnight trip before they were to be married?
James Gleason is excellent, as always, as the police detective.
Allen Jenkins is good as sidekick Goldie but appears insufficiently on screen to carry the comic side of the story.
The two females (Mona Maris is characterized by the Falcon as a skinny old hag) appear on screen too much and simply do not work.
A Date With The Falcon finds George Sanders as the smooth gentleman crook getting himself involved with a kidnapping plot.
In any event the crooks kidnap the guy who invented the synthetic diamond and Sanders has to convince the authorities he's not in on the plot.
He also has to convince Wendy Barrie that he's not two timing her with femme fatale Mona Maris.
I leave it to you which is tougher.This one really developed into more comedy than a serious B film drama with the hero himself taking over from Allen Jenkins as sidekick Goldie Locke and James Gleason as the police inspector.
Even Barrie with her jealous antics was mugging for the camera.Not the best of the Falcon series..
This comedy-mystery stars suave and sexy George Sanders as the Falcon who may very well be the prototype for the OO7 character that Ian Fleming was to introduce many years later in the James Bond series.
Directed with a heavy-hand by Irving Reis, this fast paced B-picture is an embarrassment: Alan Jenkins overacts, Wendy Barrie tries to be funny, and only such stalwarts as the great James Gleason as Inspector O'Hara and Hans Conried as the Desk Clerk seem to have any idea how to pull off this weird combination of slapstick, wisecracks and a plot so full of holes you could drive a truck through it.
I love these old Falcon movies--especially for the cad actions of George Sanders who made a career out of playing such characters.
Watching them in this way makes the continuity of characters and actions more noticeable.My main complaint in this one is the total change in character the writers and/or director imposed on Wendy Barrie.
In "The Gay Falcon"--the first Falcon movie--Wendy's Helen was sweet, helpful, and rather innocent.
Wendy was in lots of these Falcon and Saint movies and usually played a different character, and there was no quibble in that as we viewers--and probably the 30s and 40s audience did too--realize that these movies were full of character actors--not big stars--and consequently these actors could be plugged into a part as needed.
Just look at Hans Conreid in the 2 Falcon movies--completely different characters but a scene stealer in each.Although many of complaints made by other posters are valid, this movie is a must see for those of us who love B&W B-movies from the past.
In the 1930s and 40s there were a ton of B-detective series films, such as Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes, Boston Blackie, The Lone Wolf as well as The Falcon.
All these movies shared some common traits--the movies were short (only about an hour in length), were very quickly made, had rather formulaic plots, featured stupid cops and were a lot of fun to watch but also tend to blend together in your mind because the stories are all so similar.
Of these series, The Falcon may be my favorite due to the excellent dialog and better than average supporting characters.
It's really a shame George Sanders only made a few, though his brother (Tom Conway) continued the series with about nine of his own.
It's also a shame that as the series continued, the films became less and less interesting--perhaps due to the frequency of their being produced (six in a two year span alone).As I mentioned above, The Falcon series had good supporting characters.
In this case, the Inspector was played very capably by veteran character actor James Gleason.
In addition to these actors, George Sanders' assistant is the old reliable character actor, Allen Jenkins--who is always great for a laugh.The plot is about a synthetic diamond formula that is so good that even experts can't tell these fakes from high quality originals.
Not surprisingly, the inventor and his formula are kidnapped (after Gleason does about the only bone-headed thing in the movie--leaving the scientist alone in his lab to wait for a bodyguard to arrive).
Now that I think about it, the plot itself really isn't all that important--it's the characters and Sanders' witty comments he made throughout this breezy little gem..
"The Gay Falcon" (sic) was number 1.COMMENT: One or two bright moments — Hans Conried playing an inquisitive desk clerk without his usual accent; Allen Jenkins listening to a soap opera on his car radio — cannot lighten an elephantine script and heavy-handed acting, particularly from Gleason, Jenkins and Barrie.
The second film in the Falcon series, features George Sanders in the title role.
In this film, the Falcon (George Sanders) is about to travel on a trip to be married to his fiancé Helen (Wendy Barrie), a woman who has finally "caught" him.
James Gleason plays the police inspector, Edward Gargan is his detective, and Allen Jenkins is Goldy (perfect for this type of role, and Sanders' sidekick in all but his last in the series).
Goldy's job throughout the film is to keep this fiancé from running away, as well as to help Sanders out of a "jams".The story is about a scientist who has discovered a way to create diamonds so well that jewelers, who loaned him a $1,000 one to copy, can't tell the difference.
The police inspector naturally wants to protect the scientist, but before the detective "bodyguard" arrives, criminals kidnap the scientist and his formula.To keep the Falcon from helping the police, the criminals decide to neutralize him.
An old female acquaintance (Mona Maris, also providing a jealousy plot-line for the fiancé of the Falcon, associated with the criminals, attempts to persuade him to join them.
The whole mystery is wrapped up rather quickly and conveniently in the end in at least two ways: how all the criminals are rounded up, and the recovery of the missing formula.It ends with the Falcon and his fiancé (and curiously, Goldy) finally leaving on their trip to be married when, of course, another of the Falcon's many female acquaintances shows up.