IMDb > The Gay Falcon (1941)

The Gay Falcon (1941) More at IMDbPro »

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   250 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 365% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Irving Reis
Writers:
Michael Arlen (story)
Lynn Root (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Gay Falcon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 October 1941 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Mystery | Drama more
Tagline:
The bold adventurer who's as smooth with the ladies as he's clever with crime!...Fiction's slickest super sleuth, created by Michael Arlen and portrayed by the star who thrilled you as "The Saint". more
Plot:
The Falcon investigates jewel thieves who are working with hard up socialites to defraud insurance companies. First of the Falcon series. | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
First of the Falcon series more (10 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
George Sanders ... Gay Lawrence / The Falcon
Wendy Barrie ... Helen Reed
Allen Jenkins ... Jonathan G. 'Goldie' Locke
Nina Vale ... Elinor Benford (as Anne Hunter)
Gladys Cooper ... Maxine Wood
Edward Brophy ... Detective Bates
Arthur Shields ... Inspector Mike Waldeck
Damian O'Flynn ... Noel Weber
Turhan Bey ... Manuel Retana
Eddie Dunn ... Detective Grimes
Lucile Gleason ... Mrs. Vera Gardner
Willie Fung ... Jerry
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florence Bates ... (scenes deleted)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
67 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Finland:K-11 (2005) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7362)
Company:
RKO Radio Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Leslie Charteris sued RKO contending that "The Falcon" was "The Saint", his creation, in disguise. The disposition of the suit has not been discovered. more
Movie Connections:
Followed by The Falcon Strikes Back (1943) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
First of the Falcon series, 7 January 2007
6/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States

George Sanders is "The Gay Falcon," a 1941 film, the first entry into the Falcon series. The title has a double meaning, as the Falcon's first name is Gay. Though it's a programmer, "The Gay Falcon" has quite an uptown cast, including Gladys Cooper, Allen Jenkins, Turhan Bey, and Wendy Barrie.

The Falcon and his sidekick Goldie (Jenkins) are insurance brokers in this, and Gay is, as usual, engaged. After turning down an invitation to a fancy party, Helen, secretary to a Perle Mesta type named Maxine who is giving the party, begs him to attend in order to prevent a jewel robbery. Maxine's events have been the scene of a string of jewel robberies. So Gay attends. A woman who insisted on wearing a huge diamond is murdered. Gay is on the case.

George Sanders makes a very appealing Falcon - he's tall, elegant, and smooth, with a great voice and off-the-cuff delivery. He gives the role a light, breezy quality. The rest of the cast is very good. Turhan plays a swarthy, suspicious type - this was pre-Maria Montez and Sabu. It's always great to see the Turhan Bey, one of the actors who benefited from the man shortage in Hollywood during World War II. Though he eventually returned to his native Vienna to work as a photographer, he did quite a few television appearances in the '90s.

Alas, there is a bit of casting that sort of gave the denouement away for this viewer, but the mystery is not really the point of The Falcon series. The point is to have fun, which you will.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (10 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Gay Falcon (1941)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
A Date with the Falcon Midnight Court Special Agent K-7 There Goes My Girl Woman Wanted
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.