The Secret of the Whistler (1946) User Reviews

Will The Secret ever come out?

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 17 March 2007]

I always thought Richard Dix was at his best in this series of films. The sense of mystery, menace, or goodness he could generate by turns makes his Whistler films (this was number 6 out of 7) well worth watching, although he could sometimes give the impression of a chunky silent actor getting to grips with talkies.

In this outing he plays a man married to a woman purely for her money and who falls in love with a younger woman who is after him purely for his (her) money. How the situation is nefariously resolved is the plot, simply and carefully plotted. The way the actors spoke their words beginning with capital letters in this - and other entries in the series - makes me think this must have been adapted and expanded from one of the scripts of the 231 radio plays already aired by then. Whether playing a goodie, baddie or bothie Dix exuded a simple yet intense sincerity, he's basically a baddie with all the usual human failings in here and yet you can still find yourself rooting for the poor mutt. Leslie Brooks as the not-too-bad gold-digger artists model was never more alluring, I was definitely rooting for her! There's a poignant twist at the end, so attention is recommended.

Sadly neglected, about time they were all available on DVD, a nice entry in a nice series for those of us who like the genre.

Edith's Secret Diary

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 29 November 2007]

**SPOILERS** Edith Harrison, Mary Currie, has been told by her doctors, getting a second third and even forth opinion, that she doesn't have long to live. Suffering from a weak heart Edith is preparing for the enviable by buying herself an expensive marble monument as her gravestone. Edith has everything engraved on the headstone but her date of death.

While Edith is on the way to the graveyard her partying and carousing husband Ralph, Rchard Dix, the artist is getting very friendly with his latest model blond bombshell Kay Morrell, Leslie Brooks, whom he met at one of his many parties that he's always throwing. Kay herself is anything but interested in the middle-aged, he's 53 and she's 24, Romeo but the fact that he's loaded, with cash as well as booze, makes her overlook that fact.

Told by Ralph that the old lady, Edith, hasn't long to go Key sees the end of the rainbow, with the pot of gold, within her reach and agrees to marry Ralph as soon, after a proper period of mourning, as his wife checks out for good. It's turns out that Edith, in a way, double-crossed Ralph by miraculously getting better where she gets as healthy as she was when she married Ralph some ten years ago.

Out of bed and up on her feet Edith decides to pay Ralph a surprise visit at his studio not realizing that he just about gave her up for dead and is having an affair with his model Kay. Hiding in a room at the studio Edith's expects to surprise Ralph when he shows up but is shocked to see him, as she's hiding behind a screen, show up with Kay telling her that she's,not Edith, his one and only love. Mad as hell Edith decides to cut the cheating Ralph out of her will and puts that in writing in her diary. Later after Edith confronted Ralph, who was shocked to see her back in the pink of health, with the evidence of his infidelity he decides to do the job that her heart failed to do; kill her by spiking her heart medication with poison.

Edith in fact dies, more from a broken heart then anything else, a few days later but Ralph feels that it was the tampered with, on Ralph's part, heart medication that did her in. ****SPOILERS**** Unknowing to Ralph Edith pretended to be fast asleep and saw that heel of a husband of hers Ralph sneak into her bedroom planting the poison and was to later use that evidence, the heart medication, in having him indited in attempting to murder her.

With Edith now gone Ralph and Kay soon tie the knot but things don't go as smoothly as Ralph expected them to go. Ralph is guilt-ridden over Edith's death and feels, reading about a similar murder case in the newspaper, that soon the truth will come out about it in that he poisoned or murdered her. It's when Kay has a long talk with Ralph and the late Edith's maid Laura, Clair De Brey, that she realizes that Edith's death was anything but natural which in fact it was! Finding hidden in the attic both Edith's diary and medication, that Ralph spiked with poison, Kay now feels that he's a wife murderer and if he murdered once he'll surly murder again and she's the wife that he'll murder!

Even though Ralph wasn't a murder he sure as hell acted like one and later his screwed up mind would in fact lead him to commit a murder in order to cover a murder that he didn't commit! The movie shows that even thinking about trying to murder someone and going through the motions will only lead that person to eventually commit murder. Ralph found out only too late that he was in fact home free, to marry Kay and collect his deceased wife's millions, but his guilty conscience took over and in the end drove him mad. Mad to the point of having him do the unthinkable that would in the end lead him straight to the electric chair.

One of the better entries in this fascinating series

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 28 November 2007]

I was eager to see the "Whistler" movies because of William Castle's involvement in some. He was a fine director ion the forties. (He was OK later, too. But in the forties his films were very elegant and subtle. His later horror outings were anything but subtle.) This one is not directed by Castle but it works really well. It was near the end of Richard Dix's run in the series. He was not a great actor, at least not at this point. But he had a very solid presence. And he is plausible as good guys and not so hot ones as well.

Here he plays a less than admirable character. He is a painter. Amazingly, the painting of his that we first see is pretty decent. So often, even in the toniest of A-pictures, paintings by supposedly great artists looked like the work of quick-sketch artists or Sunday painters.

The film opens with a stylishly noirish woman buying her own tombstone. Everything bout this film has the marvelous dark look of a film noir. Or of an Edward Hopper paintings. The scenes look especially like book jackets from the time.

And the female lead looks right off the cover of some true-crime book. Wow, she looks both right and beautiful! And she -- Leslie Brooks -- is a fine actress too. (Intriguingly, she looks like the same studio's biggest star ten years hence: Kim Novak.)

The whole series is entertaining, even the final film, which does not have Dix in it.

One problem I encountered and others may as well: Clearly the movies were based on a radio program of their time. I have never heard that program, though. I get the idea that the Whistler is an omniscient criminologist who either has no bodily image or, like Lamont Cranston of "The Shadow," can make himself invisible.

Guess I will try to track some tapes of the series down. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and search out these films. They're all good. A couple, like this one, are very good.

An Inconvenient Wife

[dougdoepke · 20 November 2007]

Lesser entry in the offbeat Whistler series. The story is worthy enough. Richard Dix plays an "artist' and kept man who takes a fancy to a shapely blonde model while his wealthy wife is stricken with a serious heart problem. The intrigue goes on from there. The problem is that the screenplay is filmed in straightforward fashion, with none of the moody atmospherics that distinguish other entries. The result is an entertaining 60 minutes, but minus the usual visual panache. Apparently, journeyman director George Sherman wasn't advised of the proper lighting or feel of the series. Either that or the producers were seeking a stylistic departure.

Nonetheless, the story keeps us watching. As usual we can't be sure how events will turn out since Dix's character is as morally compromised as in the other entries. Unlike other Hollywood films of that era, there is no one to root for as the plot unfolds. Thus, it's the story itself that holds our interest, and not the more predictable question of how a hero will triumph. Fortunately, the ending comes up with the usual fine touch of irony that fans expect.

There's an expertly shaded performance by Mary Currier as Dix's star-crossed wife. Watch the subtlety of her expressions as she learns about her wayward husband. The series itself did not depend on subtle acting-- and certainly Dix doesn't manage the Lothario role very well. Nonetheless, Currier delivers an A-grade performance. (In passing-- I expected the screenplay to develop the scheming relationship between blonde model Kay and her effete boyfriend Jim more fully than it did. That could have set up an interesting dynamic of those schemers competing against another schemer, Dix.) Anyway, stylish or not, this remains a very watchable hour of frustrated passion and the hand of fate.

Richard Dix takes on another role in "The Whistler" series...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 5 November 2007]

A neat entry from the series has RICHARD DIX playing a man who wants to get rid of his wife for a younger woman (LESLIE BROOKS). What he doesn't know is that his wife learns about his affair with the young blonde model and is recording her thoughts in a diary.

When his wife dies, he does marry again--but has to play a cat-and-mouse game with his new wife when she begins to suspect him of murder.

Dix plays his role quite effectively and Leslie Brooks is stunning as the blonde beauty. She never had a better chance than she does here, but unfortunately Columbia was never able to find anything but supporting roles for her in B-films of the period.

Suspenseful, it takes awhile before the tense proceedings start to tighten up, but it's worth ending for the good finale. MICHAEL DUANE has a small supporting role as an artist but gets star billing.

Well directed by George Sherman, these series are better than average programmers.

Pretty good entry--far from the best, but still very watchable.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 29 November 2007]

While this is far from the best entry in the Whistler movie series, it is still a decent and very watchable B-movie. The Whistler series was popular on film and radio and was in many ways an anthology series like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Each episode was totally self-contained and had all new characters, and in an unusual twist, Richard Dix starred in almost every film as a different character--some of them nice, some awful and many which possessed both good and bad traits. He was not in the final film, RETURN OF THE WHISTLER due to his ill health.

Here, Dix plays a guy you initially feel for, as his wife is very sickly and Dix is quite lonely as a result. When he meets a sexy young model, you could understand (though not excuse) his actions--after all, it isn't much fun having an ill wife who is expected to soon die and is too weak to see except for brief moments. However, when this rather innocent relationship with the new lady changes and becomes very serious, the film takes some very interesting twists. In fact, while I could describe the plot in detail, one other reviewer already did this very well--plus I'd rather not include the spoilers because enjoying the film depends greatly on all the surprises, though as usual for the series, the film ends with a very ironic twist.

Very good writing, an engaging story and good acting all result in a better than average B-movie. While not as good an entry in the series as THE WHISTLER or MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER, it is very good and well worth a look--and is light years better than the low-point in the series, THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER (which, frankly, isn't worth watching since it so poorly written).

Good Whistler Mystery

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 6 November 2007]

Always enjoy the wonderful performance that Richard Dix would present in this old time Radio favorite and his on the big screen appearance in the 1940's. In this film Dix plays the role of an artist (Ralph Harrison) who is married to a very rich woman Edith Marie Harrison,(Mary Currier) who has been very ill for many years and it puts a strain on their relationship. Ralph meets up with a blonde model, Kay Morrell, (Leslie Brooks) and he paints all kinds of pictures of Leslie. A relationship develops, however, Kay does not love Ralph and knows he is married, but she does wrap him around her little finger and manages to get all kinds of expensive jewelry and clothes. Mrs. Edith Harrison starts feeling well and visits her husband's studio and from that point on the story gets very interesting and creates a great mystery story. Enjoy a good B Classic film from 1946.

I need secret of the whistler help

[jlnick1957 · 7/10 · 12 November 2007]

Can someone explain to me how this movie ends ?? I watched it twice, enjoyed and didn't understand the ending. I thought Richard Dix was terrific The sets and storyline were first rate It was obvious that having a "radio script" helped. You can't top the movies of this era. These would be great movies to remake. Who would be a good lead for this ?? Maybe Kevin Spacey or Alec Baldwin. You could even have a good female lead for this. How about Meryl Streep or Kate Blanchett ? I'd love to hear any other suggestions. The fact that these "Whistler" movies provided the fodder for a great series of movies is a great foundation for a future run. Charlie Chan, Thin Man, etc. were excellent, but wouldn't work. But this format has the chance to provide for a multitude of surprises and plot twists.

Thanks

Thinking with his Dix

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 25 May 2017]

The sixth Whistler movie from Columbia starring Richard Dix. This time Dix plays a real slimeball. He's an artist married to a rich lady with heart problems. Dix has his lusty sights set on gold-digging model Leslie Brooks and can't wait for the wife to kick the bucket. But then wifey's health takes a turn for the better. She ought to know better than that.

A few neat twists & turns as one might expect from this fine series of B films. Dix turns in a good performance as the creepy husband. Leslie Brooks is a knockout as the model all the fuss is about. The supporting cast includes greats like John Hamilton and Byron Foulger. One thing that irked me is the way Brooks' mercenary character is turned into the heroine in the final act. It was a hard sell to me. Altogether, this was a pretty solid B movie.

Better than the previous entry, but with an unsatisfying ending

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 23 February 2013]

"Secret Of The Whistler" is, IMHO, a definite improvement on the previous entry in the "Whistler" series, "Mysterious Intruder". The script, the general production values, even the Whistler's own periodic commentary are more up to the usual standards of the series. Richard Dix once again (like in "Power Of The Whistler") makes a convincing villain, and Leslie Brooks has a knockout body. But I have a problem with the abrupt ending: when a character suffers a fate worse than he or she deserves, it crosses the line from irony to mere cruelty. And the film's final line does not really make that much sense, if you think about it. So I'd say the film is a return to form for the series, up until the last minute or so. **1/2 out of 4.

How to murder your wife but let your guilt be your noose.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 12 July 2016]

A middle aged artist married to a not much older woman is tempted into an affair by a blonde bombshell and takes drastic action to ensure that he retains his wife's capital while retaining the grasping blonde social climber. But as five previous characters played by Richard Dix have found out, the whistler allows you to get away with your nefarious deeds for only so long, and the conclusions aren't always a happy tune.

The svelte platinum blonde bombshell Leslie Brooks took on some nefarious femme fatal roles during her career, but here, she is merely guilty by association. Cheating Dix is clever-to a point-but once the deed is done, the unknown takes over, and in haste, Dix gives away the fact that he will loose it by answering the phone when the doorbell rings. The suspicious housekeeper plants the idea of Dix's schemes in Brooks' mind, leading to the inevitable truth.

An improvement over the previous "Whistler" film, this takes a typical plot done dozens of times and adds some interesting elements to make it intriguing. This gives the femme fatal a conscience, and there's no doubt that the villain will fall into a trap. In films like this, the conclusion may be obvious, but how it is wrapped up neatly that retains audience interest.

excellent entry in "Whistler" mystery series

[django-1 · 9/10 · 29 August 2004]

This was the second to last film Richard Dix made in the Whistler series. The mysterious Whistler is seen as a shadow and heard in

voice-over narration, but the "star" of the films is Richard Dix, who plays a different role in each--some heroic, some cowardly, some honorable, some not so honorable. This must have been satisfying to Dix, since it gave him regular work AND allowed him to show his talent in a wide variety of roles. This particular entry gives Dix a complex role, as an artist married to a rich woman whose financial support allows him to continue his work. The plot is more complex than the synopsis suggests, and there are a number of twists and turns throughout, giving the film the feel of an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The "femme fatale" in this film is played by Leslie Brooks, who took this kind of role even further in the great BLONDE ICE two years later. Director George Sherman did a lot of exciting films at Republic prior to this film at Columbia, including many entries in the Three Mesquiteers series, and went on to do many more films, including episodes of such classic TV shows as Rawhide and Naked City. The centerpiece of the film, though, is Richard Dix, an actor of great presence (it's fair to say that Gary Cooper was influenced by Dix)and subtlety. SECRET OF THE WHISTLER would be a good introduction to this series, and it should appeal to any fan of INNER SANCTUM, THRILLER, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, etc. Most of the other films in the series are worth checking out also. Perhaps sometime in the future Columbia could do a DVD boxset of the Whistler films the way Universal is doing the Francis and Ma&Pa Kettle films? And after that, perhaps they could reissue the Boston Blackie films?

When is a secret a crime?

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 13 September 2015]

George Sherman directs this episode of The Whistler movies, where crime takes no time out. A simple story line that sustains this Columbia B-flick. Richard Dix plays Ralph Harrison a moderately successful artist that is married to a wealthy but ill wife Edith Marie(Mary Currier). Restless, conniving and looking for affection, Harrison begins an affair with one of his models, who is only interested in his money...well, Edith's money. When his wife discovers his unfaithfulness, Ralph becomes desperate when he is threatened with being cut from her will. With pressure from the girlfriend, Mr. Harrison secretly begins to poison his wife. Of course nothing goes unknown by The Whistler(Otto Forrest).

Other players: Leslie Brooks, Mona Barrie, Michael Dunne, Baynes Barron and Pat Lane.

The irony of it all!

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 30 September 2012]

This is, in my humble opinion, the best of the whistler series of films, and sadly, the next to the last one starring Richard Dix as the center of whatever dark tale "the whistler" is recounting for the audience. This one plays out like a 40's version of Night Gallery except without any of the supernatural elements usually involved in that 70's series and with an extra helping of irony.

This is a tale about a mediocre middle aged artist, (Richard Dix as Ralph Harrison) married to a middle-aged wealthy wife (Mary Currier as Edith Harrison). The first scene sets us up for the macabre nature of the tale to come. A woman is ordering an expensive headstone - even in 1946 it will cost five thousand dollars . The stonemason is telling her it will take three months to build such an expensive monument. She says that is OK. Then she gives the name to be put on the headstone - her own. You see, Edith is quite ill with a bad heart and has only months to live and she knows it.

Someone else here mentioned this as the tale of "the inconvenient wife", but it is not at all clear what Ralph's true feelings are for his wife, at least in the beginning. For sure he likes not having to sell sketches in the park, to be able to have his own studio and dabble even though he has no talent, and to entertain his "friends" who are actually just a bunch of parasitic hangers on. However, he seems genuinely troubled and saddened by the doctor's news that his wife has only weeks or months to live. His great misfortune is to befriend ace grifter Kay Morrell just to have someone to talk to during his time of trouble with his wife tied to a sick bed, and then he falls in love with her.

Ralph decides he really wants Kay, Kay really only likes Ralph's money, and Ralph really likes his money too, and he loses that if he divorces Edith. Normally he could just wait out Edith's illness to its inevitable conclusion, but then a monkey wrench is thrown into his plans - a young hot-shot doctor devises a state of the art treatment plan and Edith now has a second lease on life. I'll let you watch for yourself and see how all of this plays out.

This particular whistler entry is the essence of noir - an average man who is on an average man's path until something unexpected comes along, and suddenly that forbidden fruit just looks to good to pass up. Surely he can get away with a bite out of that fruit just once...or not.

Like I said earlier, Dix did an outstanding job in this one. You never really know what his true feelings are deep in his heart, since he plays his cards close to his vest in his role as Ralph and he is fascinating to watch. Kudos also go out to Claire Du Brey who has her Mrs. Danvers like role down pat as the loyal servant of Edith, and also to Leslie Brooks as Kay Morrell who is beautiful and cold as ice as the femme fatale. A highly recommended little B noir.

Richard Dix, gaunt and demented: fantastic

[audiemurph · 8/10 · 11 August 2012]

In this, the penultimate Whistler movie, Richard Dix, aging and hulking, is simply deliciously evil. Though acting with seeming sweetness and kindness to those around him, Dix's eyes give it all away: hideous, subtly maniacal eyes, eyes in which we can see the selfish egotistical dementia of a man who has apparently spent a lifetime manipulating and using every person unfortunate enough to cross his path. A great job by Dix, and I hope he had fun with this role.

Otherwise, as is usual in the Whistler fliks, the supporting actors are adequate, and the dialogue slightly corny and dated, but with a time of barely over an hour, the pace is quick and satisfying.

A very interesting directorial decision: three years before this movie was made (that is, 1943) the great western, The Ox-bow Incident, was released. In the famous last scene, Henry Fonda reads aloud the last letter written by the lynched Dana Andrews. Fonda's eyes, and eyes alone, are not visible, hidden behind the brim of Henry Morgan's hat, while we see his mouth move. A very effective idea.

Well, here, in The Secret of the Whistler, the director uses the exact same idea: in a late scene, Richard Dix's wife makes a startling confession, her eyes hidden by an intruding lamp shade, but her mouth visible as she speaks, with Dix looking on behind her. Again, interesting.

Lastly, look for Dix's wife walking around with about a half-dozen dead minks or stoles or whatever they are, complete with heads, draped across her left shoulder. I don't why this struck me as funny, but, in its gratuitous pointlessness, it did.

Definitely a fun way to spend 65 minutes.

One of the Best

[Michael_Elliott · 25 February 2008]

Secret of the Whistler, The (1946)

*** (out of 4) T

he sixth film in Columbia's series and the last to feature Richard Dix. In the film Dix plays an artist who begins dating a younger woman (Leslie Brooks) while waiting for his wife to die. After the wife dies he marries the younger woman but soon she starts to fear that he might have killed the first wife. This is another good entry in the series that manages to build some nice suspense with its very entertaining story and another fine performance by Dix. Not only is Dix very good in his role but the supporting cast is great as well. Brooks turns in a very good performance as the woman who begins to suspect the worst. Michael Duane and Mary Currier co-star as a newspaper man and Dix's first wife. The story goes by at a very fast pace and there's some nice twists and turns along the way. The film focuses on a psychological horror aspect, which is where the suspense comes from.

Bewitching Leslie Brooks!!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 27 March 2013]

A woman is ordering a tombstone for Edith Marie Harrison, she is not sure of the date of death but when she is asked her name states it is Edith Marie Harrison!!!

This is one the more ambiguous entries from "The Whistler" series. It was an anthology series with Richard Dix portraying different characters (always on the dark side) in each movie. In this one he plays Ralph Harrison, an artist, a bit of a ladies man who is tied to his wife's purse strings. He claims to his latest conquest, Kay (Leslie Brooks) a beautiful artist's model that he and his wife have a special understanding and that her health is so bad she is not expected to live. In reality, he relies on his wife's money as his amateur paintings don't sell and the "friends" that attend his parties snigger about him behind his back. He is also desperate for female companionship as Edith is bedridden but Edith has a secret - she has been exercising every day and is now fully cured. She plans to surprise Ralph at his studio but when she hears a conversation between Ralph and Kay, her face shows there is no "special understanding"!!

Leslie Brooks had a bewitching beauty and a knowing smile and proved here that she should always be given "bad girl" roles. If Audrey Totter was Queen of the Noirs, Brooks was the Princess but, like Totter, she was at the wrong studio, in this case Columbia and by the time she hit her stride in "Blonde Ice" she soon retired for married life. With a few cynical looks and that arch smile it was hard to believe her Kay was the innocent model who was content to wait until Ralph's wife died in the legal, conventional way. Ralph doesn't want to wait though and when Edith takes to her bed again in despair he tries to help her along with poison!!!

When they return from their honeymoon Kay, fuelled with suspicion from the housekeeper (Claire DuBrey, whose biggest role was as Bertha Rochester in 1934's "Jane Eyre"), who knew exactly what her late mistress's marriage was like, starts to suspect that Ralph is a murderer. The irony is Edith wasn't poisoned, she did indeed die of a heart attack and although by the end of the movie Ralph actually does kill somebody, with all the incriminating evidence - missing medicine bottles, ripped out diary pages etc, it is for Edith's death that he is eventually charged.

One of the best from the fine Whistler series.

Good entry in series

[Wizard-8 · 3 June 2017]

After taking a stumble of sorts with the previous entry in the "Whistler" series ("Mysterious Intruder"), the series made a sort of comeback with this next entry. I will admit by today's standards that the movie, even though it only runs sixty five minutes in length, is a little slow at times - though it is never so slow that it really tries the patience of the viewer. It does manage to set things up early on in a way that gets viewers intrigued and make them curious as to what will happen in the end. And there are several surprise twists along the way that help the story stay fresh and interesting. I'm not sure, however, that finding a bottle of poisoned medicine alone would be enough to prove that the lead character committed murder - a good defense attorney would be able to correctly argue that anyone could have put the poison in the bottle. (Though to the movie's credit, eventually there is additional evidence that pops up.) Apart from that quibble, the movie ends up being one of the best entries in this B movie series.