THE FALCON IN DANGER

US, 1943, 69 minutes, Black and white.
Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Elaine Shepard, Amelita Ward, Cliff Clark, Edward Gargan, Clarence Kolb.
Directed by William Clemens.

The Falcon series was very popular as B-budget support films in the 1940s. George Sanders started as the Falcon – but gave way when he got better film roles and the role went to his brother, Tom Conway.

The character was created by Michael Arlen and the screenplay written by Fred Niblo Jr (son of the director of Ben Hur) who wrote a number of the Falcon films. It was directed by William Clemens, director of a number of support films, a number of Falcon films as well as Nancy Drew films in the 1930s.

The film has a World War Two setting, the disappearance of industrialists, industrial espionage and murder.

This is the kind of material that later found its way to television series.

1.The popularity of the Falcon? George Sanders and Tom Conway? The suave detective? The nickname?

2.The black and white photography, B-budget, the war setting, planes, apartments, clubs?

3.The plausibility of the plot, the disappearance of the plane, the reappearance of Palmer, the disappearance of Fairchild? Nancy Palmer and her concern, Iris Fairchild? The investigation, the discovery that Kenneth Gibson was indebted to George Morley, his sons, the standover tactics?

4.The development of the plot: Fairchild and his innocence, his being murdered, Palmer and his financial deals, his conflict with Palmer, the documents, the killing of the pilot, the stranding of the plane, his hiding with Morley, reappearance? His daughter’s devotion? Reliance on Gibson? The gradual exposure, the confrontation with Morley? The Falcon and the solution?

5.Kenneth Gibson, under suspicion, in love with Nancy, his gambling, the debts, Morley? Nancy, her devotion to her father, the war effort, in love with Kenneth? Irish, her concern about her father, the nuts and bolts, her being under suspicion, her behaviour, the skating rink? Her helping unmask the killer?

6.The police, the private detective? The humour at the expense of the police?

7.The Falcon, his engagement to Bonnie, the Texan, her continued talk, suspicions – and the final telegram and her going home?

8.Morley as a villain, his sons?

9.The routine material – interestingly done, 1940s, small-budget style?