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The Falcon and the Co-Eds (1943) / The Falcon Out West (1944)

11/30/2013

 
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I have a real soft spot for the "B" movie mystery series pumped out by the studios in the 1930s and '40s. They were often developed from established literary properties, like Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto, Sherlock Holmes, etc., though frequently taken in a far different direction once adapted to the screen. Unlike those far more famous characters, the Falcon was pretty much hot off the press at the time. Created by Michael Arlen, the Falcon made his debut in short story form, in "The Gay Falcon," published in Town and Country magazine in 1940.  RKO Studios quickly brought the character to the screen in the person of snidely suave, British George Sanders, fresh from The Saint series. Indeed, the first three Falcon films made with Sanders - The Gay Falcon, A Date with the Falcon (both 1941) and the Farewell, My Lovely riff The Falcon Takes Over (1942) - were basically Saint movies in all but name, with Sanders' Gay Lawrence a sort of gentleman adventurer (ala Simon Templar), always quick to step in to assist a lady in distress.

PictureThe first face of the Falcon: George Sanders.
The typically indolent Sanders quickly grew bored with B movie work and handed the reins over to his older, lesser-known brother Tom Conway, as Gay Lawrence's brother, Tom, beginning with (appropriately enough) The Falcon's Brother (1942). This is a more action-packed entry than usual, and it's a real treat to see both real-life brothers briefly working together on screen. Conway, not in Sanders caliber as an actor, nonetheless proved a very genial presence, and in many ways was much better suited to the part of the Falcon, quickly making it his own. Conway lacked Sanders' barely-concealed contempt and smug sneer, but seemed just as cultured and suave. He brought a nice balance of smooth, worldly charm, aloof insouciance and leering sophistication to the rest of the nine Falcon films he would go on to star in over the next four years.

The Conway Falcon films are much of a piece, all spry, fun little mysteries with plenty of comedy, and graced with an impressive array of beautiful starlets as miscellaneous femme fatales and romantic interests for our hero.  Two of the more unusual entries in the series are The Falcon and the Co-Eds and The Falcon Out West, both directed by William Clemens with the sort of polish and ease that seemed second nature to those who populated the old Hollywood studio system.

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Inspector Donovan (Cliff Clark) and Detectives Gates (Edward Gargan), always two steps behind the Falcon.
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Wherever the Falcon goes, there are no shortage of lovely ladies in trouble.


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More moody and atmospheric than the series' norm, The Falcon and the Co-Eds mixes a pinch of Daphne Du Maurier-esque melodrama into the formula, as Lawrence finds himself posing as an insurance investigator looking into the suspicious death of a popular male teacher at the all-girls Bluecliff Academy. The local coroner's verdict was death by suicide, but the Falcon soon susses out that the man was deliberately poisoned. Several members of the staff at the school, and even a few students, find themselves on the suspect list, including the sultry, hard-boiled Ms. Gaines (Jean Brooks); her sometime paramour, Dr. Anatole Graelich (George Givot), a psychologist with a shady past; Marguerita (Rita Corday), a troubled young student who claims clairvoyance; the flighty Mary Phoebus (Isabel Jewell); and the school's headmistress, Miss Keyes (Barbara Brown), who seems intent on covering up any trace of scandal that might damage the Academy's reputation. The Falcon follows his usual M.O., poking around looking for clues and motives, looking suave and bemused whilst flirting with any attractive woman who crosses his path (though he's fairly decorous with the adoring throng of schoolgirls who trail after him) and having fun one-upping homicide cops (and series' regulars) Inspector Donovan (Cliff Clark) and Detective Bates (Edward Gargan).

On the night of a benefit performance by the school's drama and music club, another murder occurs, this time implicating Marguerita.
Eventually, and with the help of three precocious little daughters of one of the school's patrons, nicknamed the "Ughs", Lawrence gets to the bottom of the case. The Falcon and the Co-Eds benefits from its wind-swept, seaside location and the customary interest inherent in any murder mystery set in academic surroundings. There's still plenty of cute comedy moments throughout, such as when Donovan and Bates chase a suspect into the girls' dormitory and get angrily tossed out on their ear by the elderly den mothers ("The very idea! Two grown men frightening young girls! Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?"
Gates: "We didn't do nuthin', lady. We just walked through a door. We're police officers!") The supporting cast is good value, including Amelita Ward and Patti Brill as older students making goo-goo eyes at the Falcon, as well as familiar faces Olin Howland (as the Bluecliff driver) and Ian Wolfe (as a duplicitous undertaker).

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The Falcon confronts Ms. Gaines (Jean Brooks).
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The "Ugh" sisters assist the Falcon with his inquiries.
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The neurotic Marguerita (Rita Corday)
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The next film, The Falcon Out West, opens with a seemingly-impossible murder in a crowded nightclub. Millionaire rancher and businessman Tex Irwin (Lyle Talbot) is dancing with his fiancee, Vanessa Drake (Carol Gallagher), when he suddenly keels over, dead from an apparent rattlesnake bite. The Falcon happens to be on the scene, summoned there by Tex's jealous ex-wife (Joan Barclay), and quickly takes over the crime scene, much to the chagrin of his rivals at the Homicide department, Inspector Donovan and Detective Gates.

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Suspicion centers on Vanessa, a former dancer and fashion model considered a gold digger by several of Tex's cronies. Tex's attorney, Steven Hayden (Donald Douglas), steps in to represent her, but it isn't long before Vanessa skips town and heads out to Irwin's ranch, purportedly left to her in the victim's will. The Falcon swiftly follows and surprises her in her railway carriage, where the two have a brief powwow and Lawrence agrees to help her, if he can. Donovan and Gates, along with lawyer Hayden, are there to meet them when they arrive, and all agree to head to the Irwin ranch to get to the bottom of the affair.  After an amusing interlude with a runaway stagecoach (after Ed Gargan's big bear of a detective knocks the driver off the coach and spooks the horses), the Falcon meets super cute and capable cowgirl, Marion Colby (Barbara Hale, a good dozen years before becoming famous as Della Street on Perry Mason). Marion is the daughter of the murder victim's partner, David Colby (Minor Watson), who notoriously squabbled with Irwin over how to run their cattle empire. Other suspects include ranch foreman Dusty (Lee Trent) and the widow, Mrs. Irwin, who is soon ensconced in her old home, down the hall from interloper Vanessa.


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A young Barbara Hale, a.k.a. Della Street on TV's PERRY MASON
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Murder victim Tex (Lyle Talbot) with trophy fiancee Vanessa (Carole Gallagher)
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Minor Watson (right)
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The Falcon saunters between the various suspects, suspicious of everyone but clearly enjoying the attentions of the two gorgeous ladies in the case. It's a kick seeing the oh-so-urbane Conway out on the ranch, dressed down in his cowboy duds and riding horses like a pro, dodging bullets and dismissing death threats (an old Indian scalp impaled with a knife on his bedroom door) with equal aplomb. It's also fun having the irascible Inspector Donovan and the constantly-eating Gates along for the ride; Clark and Gargan are old pros and both possess wonderfully craggy, expressive faces. Carole Gallagher only had a brief career but makes the most of her lead role here - she's utterly gorgeous and looks fab in both evening gowns and riding gear. (Gallagher can also be seen in an unbilled part in The Falcon and the Co-Eds, as the perpetually fainting Elsie). Barbara Hale is all fresh-faced, girl-next-door natural beauty, and is equally adorable. (In fact, watching the series as a whole, it becomes obvious that Conway's tenure as the Falcon saw the caliber of female pulchritude on display rise considerably.)

Conway went on to star as the Falcon in an additional five entries (The Falcon in Mexico, The Falcon in Hollywood, The Falcon in San Francisco, The Falcon's Alibi and The Falcon's Adventure) before calling it quits in 1946. In between stints as the Falcon, he found time to star in three Val Lewton horror classics, Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie and The Seventh Victim. Conway seemed content to toil away in the B movie realm for most of his career, with the occasional time out for a part in a bigger picture, such as Prince Valiant or as vocal talent for Disney, as the narrator in Peter Pan and the noble collie in 101 Dalmatians. He gradually shifted over to work on various television programs, including headlining his own series in the early 50s, Mark Saber. Troubled by alcoholism in his later years, Conway succumbed to cirrhosis of the liver in 1967, at age 62. While he might never have achieved A-list star status, Conway remains a pleasant screen presence, and, for me, the definitive Falcon. 
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All in all, the Falcon films are a load of fun, pacy, packed with deft supporting performances, humor both sly and broad, and surprisingly engaging mystery plots. They all run just a little over an hour and cram a lot of incident and entertainment into their spare running times...no mean achievement for any movie, really.
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DVD Note: All 13 films are available on two MOD sets from the Warner Archive Collection. Though there are occasional speckles and dirt, the transfers are mostly sparkling, and though I still can't fully get behind DVD-R product being sold at pressed DVD prices, it's great to have this nifty little series of programmer mysteries available for collecting.
R.A. Kerr link
12/1/2013 12:16:08 am

Even though I love George Sanders, I much prefer Tom Conway as the Falcon. He's a kindler, gentler but still amusing Falcon.

I've not seen either of these two Falcon movies you've reviewed here, and now I'm very keen to see both.

Jeff
12/1/2013 08:47:19 pm

Hiya Ruth - thanks for the comment! You make a good point about how Conway is the "kinder, gentler" version of Sanders. That's exactly right, and one of the reasons why he does so well in the part. These two entries are real fun, I hope you get a chance to check 'em out sometime.

Laura link
12/2/2013 08:19:02 am

I love these movies and am so glad to see you publicize them! They're great fun and just the thing for late-night viewing when you're tired and don't have a lot of time. :)

Best wishes,
Laura

Jeff
12/3/2013 12:10:36 pm

Thank you very much for the plug on your site, Laura! I know you've reviewed all the Falcon films over there...For years, I would read Leonard Maltin's movie guide and wonder about all these detective series that I could never see, so I'm very happy now to finally be able to have them on DVD. They are indeed great fun!

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) link
12/2/2013 06:14:49 pm

Terrific review Jeff - I haven't really watched any of these in years but have got them all recorded from TV somewhere on the shelves and really must dust them off - Co-Eds in particular sounds lots more fun than I remember from your description! I remember being surprised by the finale to BROTHER, which was much more serious than perhaps it needed to be (couldn't Sanders' Falcon have gone undercover in Europe or something?). Can;t wait to watch these again - could be a real Christmas treat if they don't cancel the whole event this year - thanks mate.

Jeff
12/4/2013 04:17:50 pm

Cheers for that, Sergio! I completely agree with you re: THE FALCON'S BROTHER, and remember thinking the same thing when I saw it, that it wasn't necessary to handle the transition in quite that way. Hopefully after your recent move you can handily find those older recordings...thanks also BTW for your overview of the PERRY MASON movie series...I picked up that set and have been having a ball with those, especially the Warren William ones.

Clayton link
12/3/2013 10:48:45 am

What a wonderfully odd duo o' Falcons to review! Neither is a typical choice, which is neato! Of these two I've only seen Out West (my fave two being In Danger and Strikes Back), but I'd love to see the other...and will, when I own the DVDs!

Great choices!

Jeff
12/4/2013 04:21:39 pm

Thanks, Clayton! Yes, these two are kind of the odd ones out, which is part of their appeal. I couldn't pass up on OUT WEST, with its nice mix of B cowboy and mystery feel...and CO-EDS appealed due to its school setting. Heck, they're all pretty dang great, and I look forward to digging further into the rest of those two sets.

Kevin Deany
12/4/2013 01:06:23 am

These are two of my favorite Falcon movies as well. I'm also partial to "The Falcon in Hollywood." Love those scenes of the RKO backlot.

Someone once observed that "The Falcon and the Co-Eds" looks like a Val Lewton film if Lewton had been given a Falcon assignment. An interesting point, and one I concur with.

Tom Conway may not have been a big star, but he's one of the actors I'm always happy to see in anything. Count me as a fan.

Jeff
12/4/2013 04:23:46 pm

Much appreciated, Kevin! THE FALCON IN HOLLYWOOD looks great, and I'm looking forward to watching that one in full soon. I remember reading something similar, about the Val Lewton-like quality to CO-EDS...there's something in that, though it's a minor note in what is overall a pretty lighthearted film.

Patricia Nolan-Hall (Caftan Woman) link
12/5/2013 02:03:03 am

I too love those B mysteries and "The Falcon" is the only series I can get my husband interested in. It must be all those lovely ladies.

Jeff
12/5/2013 05:34:49 pm

Thank you, Caftan Woman! Sorry to hear your hubby doesn't appreciate all the other great B mystery series, though he shows good taste in liking THE FALCON. I was pleasantly surprised myself at how many gorgeous gals feature in these films, especially the Conway entries.

Colin link
12/9/2013 04:59:01 am

Lovely write up on the films Jeff. I'm enormously fond of The Falcon movies and I'm not sure if I could actually pick a a favorite, or two, from among them.
It's one of my top detective series of the era and, like you, I think Conway was just about perfect in the role.
The films bring back memories fro me of when they ran on BBC TV in the mornings during the school holidays, and I was delighted to pick them all up when they were released on DVD in the UK.

Jeff
12/10/2013 12:06:16 pm

Thanks very much for the comments, Colin! I appreciate you stopping by despite your very hectic work schedule. I probably should have opted for the PAL Region 2 FALCON discs, but it was handy to get all 13 films in the two Warner Archives volumes. I doubt I could pick a favorite either, they're all pretty dang entertaining. Unlike you, I didn't get a chance to see these films when I was young (though I caught more than my share of BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY and Abbott and Costello features) but am enjoying catching up with all these goodies.

Rick link
12/20/2013 08:19:00 am

Jeff, THE FALCON AND THE CO-EDS is probably my favorite "B" mystery of the 1940s. The seaside setting is terrific and, as you wrote, it's an atmospheric film. Plus, the young girls form a sort of Greek chorus...that's used for comic relief. I always thought Conway was a good actor who deserved better roles. His best later performance, in my opinion, is in an ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episode about a woman who falls in love with a ventriloquist.

Jeff
12/30/2013 08:46:36 pm

Thanks for that, Rick! Glad to see another who has a lot of time for THE FALCON AND THE CO-EDS. I haven't seen that ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episode with Conway, but I'm sure he's good in it. I'll try and track it down some day.


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