The Falcon in San Francisco (1945)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Joseph H. Lewis

Writers:

Michael Arlen (characters)
Robert E. Kent (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 July 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery

Plot:

The Falcon and his friend Goldie Locke check into what appears to be a silk-smuggling racket in San Francisco.

Plot Keywords:

The Falcon | Sequel | Eleventh Part | Beautiful Woman | Character Name In Title

Cast

Tom Conway	...	Tom Lawrence
Rita Corday	...	Joan Marshall
Edward Brophy	...	Goldie Locke (as Edward S. Brophy)
Sharyn Moffett	...	Annie Marshall
Fay Helm	...	Doreen Temple
Robert Armstrong	...	Duke Monet / De Forrest Marshall
Carl Kent	...	Rickey
George Holmes	...	Dalman
John Mylong	...	Peter Vantine / Carl Dudley
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Esther Howard	...	Mrs. Peabody (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Movie Connections:

Follows The Falcon in Danger (1943)

Glad to have metten up with this one

After 5 Falcon films without him, Goldie Lock makes his return with Ed Brophy in his first of 2 – although he had played a cop in the 1st Falcon film in 1941 too. This was also Tom Conway's 8th outing in the title role - this time with a cold - to Rita Corday's 5th as suspect. "In San Francisco" was an earthier entry in the series, with some realistic acting, more violence to go with some of the seedier locales and a punchier storyline: all adding up to make an excellent film [11/13].

A little girls' guardian is found dead on a sleeper train, suave passengers Tom Lawrence and Goldie offer to take her home but get arrested for child abduction. It turns even nastier when various shady parties think that the Falcon's working for the other side, leading to him getting roughed up in his quest to find out what's going on. The trail leads to an ex-bootlegger, an old moll in a ridiculous hat, silk smuggling – in short, an interesting and cogent plot with a satisfying climax. Thankfully the possibilities with cute little Annie in tow were not taken up, a very brief bedtime reading of Peter And The Wolf was as close as we got. Comedy was supplied by Brophy with the running gag of him trying to become a married poyson to save on his income tax payments.

It's always been my favourite Conway Falcon movie, best for those of us who like watching 1940's b&w detective b pics whether in a series or not.