THE FALCON’S BROTHER

US, 1942, 67 minutes, Black and white.
George Sanders, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph, Keye Luke.
Directed by Stanley Logan.

George Sanders had appeared as both The Saint and the Falcon. He considers these films as the nadir of his career though they kept in popular onscreen. He was making such films as Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent at this time. This was to be his last film as The Falcon. He was co-partnered with his actual brother, Tom Conway, who took on the role of The Falcon for another nine films. The two brothers looked rather alike, sounded rather alike, and the transition from one brother to the other for The Falcon was easy.

Sanders as The Falcon is a bit more happy-go-lucky than as Simon Templar, though he still has a flirtatious eye on the women. In fact, the two characters are not very dissimilar. What was required was an urbane screen presence, gentlemanly behaviour, some wit and some ability to solve difficult cases.

Here there is a report of The Falcon’s brother and his dying on a voyage from Latin America. Though the Falcon identifies the dead man as his brother, he is not. And with his faithful assistant, servant, Sancho Panza type character, Lefty, he goes in pursuit of the truth.

His quest leads him to a fashion show, dress designer, the editor of a fashion magazine, a pair of dancers from Latin America, a designer who was in the United States illegally. Plenty of suspects. However, the woman in contact with the brother is soon murdered. There are also the local police investigating – somewhat bumbling, reaching conclusions far too soon.

Suddenly The Falcon is injured in a hit run and his brother has to take his place, the dramatic transition for the series. There is also an eager fashion journalist who wants something more in her career and tags along for the investigation. The brother does most of the investigation but once The Falcon recovers, he is also in on the resolution of the mystery.

The dress designer is what she says. The Hispanic dancers are not what they seem but are involved in government undercover work. The illegal immigrant is also murdered – which leaves the fashion magazine editor as the main suspect. Which he uses, using the covers of his magazine to indicate times and places for anti-American activity. In this case, a diplomat seeking peace is to be assassinated – and, unexpectedly, but like screenplays for soap opera in series in later decades, The Falcon stops the bullet to save the ambassador and now can be written out. Which, of course, leaves the series open for Tom Conway as the new The Falcon.