SECRETS OF THE LONE WOLF
US, 1941, 66 minutes, Black and white.
Warren William, Eric Blore, Thurston Hall, Fred Kelsey, Victor Jory, Ruth Ford, Roger Clark.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.
This is the sixth episode of the series on the Lone Wolf, the jewel thief, played by Warren William. Once again, he is assisted by his very British valet, Eric Blore.
The film was released in 1941 and reflects the war in Europe, some jewels sent out of Paris before the occupation, arriving in the United States for sales and the proceeds going to help the Resistance. Unusually, Inspector Crane seeks out Michael Lanyard to discuss methods how he would steal the jewels. He has given an address to a group of wealthy ladies and Jamison is given a message for Lanyard to meet a distressed woman urgently.
A group of thieves have come together to rob the jewels and are seeking Michael Lanyard for advice. They mistake Jamison for Lanyard and he is to play along for a time. This involves phoning Lanyard and their pretending to change roles, especially for the benefit of the woman who comes to the apartment.
However, the police are continuing after Lanyard, always suspicious.
The jewels are stolen and hidden. There are complications when the main thief, Victor Jory, pretends to be an expert and goes on board. There are the French authorities. There are the American authorities – although there is quite a deal of (too much) shenanigans with the ineptness of policeman, Dickens (Fred Kelsey).
Lanyard exercise his usual suave deftness, leading the police in all kinds of chases, Jamison taken by the thieves and Lanyard insinuating that he is inspected Dickens!
And, finally, a complete explanation, the thieves had used a method that Lanyard had previously used for a robbery.
There were three more Lone Wolf films to come, but they did not include Lone Wolf in the title.
This is an early film by Edward Dmytryk, one of the Hollywood Ten, director of a number of significant films in the 1940s, Murder my Sweet, as well is The Caine Mutiny in the 1950s, continuing a prolific career until the 1970s.
