Starring Lloyd Nolan, Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes, Louis Jean Heydt, Edward Brophy
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Detective Michael Shayne meets a reporter and former old flame on a train to San Francisco, and tries to conceal the surprise witness he's escorting back on the same train from her.
Rather surprisingly this entry in the Michael Shayne series of films isn't based on a novel by the character's creator, Brett Halliday, but one by Frederick Nebel, which the studio clearly refashioned to be a Shayne vehicle. It's not a bad story, but is somewhat atypical for the series as there is no real mystery, and this is more a straight thriller, albeit with a good deal of comedy worked in. I thought it was well-directed and photographed, with plenty of notable actors in the cast. Strangely though a subplot in which Hughes and Heydt make plans to elope seems a bit tacked on and distracting from the rest of the narrative. Nevertheless it's still a charming picture.
Showing posts with label Eugene Forde. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eugene Forde. Show all posts
Monday, January 7, 2019
Friday, February 10, 2017
Michael Shayne: Private Detective (1940)
Starring Lloyd Nolan, Marjorie Weaver, Joan Valerie, Walter Abel, Elizabeth Patterson
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Shayne is hired by a wealthy friend to watch over his gambling-addicted daughter, but the detective's attempt to teach her a lesson backfires when a man is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect.
We have here the first of several "Michael Shayne" films from 20th Century Fox, starring Nolan as the roguish detective who manipulates evidence to mislead the police while trying to find the real killer. Nolan was an underappreciated actor who is a wonderful fit for this role, created by author Brett Halliday in a memorable series of novels, and his story and the clever screenplay by Stanley Rauh and Manning O'Connor push and pull the sleuth in and out of trouble very entertainingly. Composer Cyril Mockridge adds a whimsical Irish theme for Shayne and Donald MacBride amuses as the police chief who matches wits with the detective but never quite catches up to Shayne's trickery.
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Shayne is hired by a wealthy friend to watch over his gambling-addicted daughter, but the detective's attempt to teach her a lesson backfires when a man is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect.
We have here the first of several "Michael Shayne" films from 20th Century Fox, starring Nolan as the roguish detective who manipulates evidence to mislead the police while trying to find the real killer. Nolan was an underappreciated actor who is a wonderful fit for this role, created by author Brett Halliday in a memorable series of novels, and his story and the clever screenplay by Stanley Rauh and Manning O'Connor push and pull the sleuth in and out of trouble very entertainingly. Composer Cyril Mockridge adds a whimsical Irish theme for Shayne and Donald MacBride amuses as the police chief who matches wits with the detective but never quite catches up to Shayne's trickery.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Dressed To Kill (1941)
Starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes, Sheila Ryan, William Demarest, Ben Carter
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the eve of his wedding, private detective Michael Shayne puts his nuptials on hold to investigate a double murder at his fiancee's hotel.
The third of the Michael Shayne mystery movies starring Nolan put out by 20th Century Fox, it's a good looking and well-polished whodunit, and Nolan is in good form as the amiable detective who solves the crime but can't avoid some hard luck. There's some good chuckles to be had as well, as Shayne amusingly tampers with the crime scene before alerting the police, and causes trouble for Demarest as Inspector Pierson, whose temper reaches a boiling point like all the policemen in these types of movies. Although the movie shows its age in the stereotypes played by Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland, it's still entertaining and makes me more than willing to check out the other Shayne films.
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the eve of his wedding, private detective Michael Shayne puts his nuptials on hold to investigate a double murder at his fiancee's hotel.
The third of the Michael Shayne mystery movies starring Nolan put out by 20th Century Fox, it's a good looking and well-polished whodunit, and Nolan is in good form as the amiable detective who solves the crime but can't avoid some hard luck. There's some good chuckles to be had as well, as Shayne amusingly tampers with the crime scene before alerting the police, and causes trouble for Demarest as Inspector Pierson, whose temper reaches a boiling point like all the policemen in these types of movies. Although the movie shows its age in the stereotypes played by Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland, it's still entertaining and makes me more than willing to check out the other Shayne films.
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