jacobs-greenwood In this film, the Falcon (George Sanders) is about to travel on a trip to be married to his fiancé Helen (Wendy Barrie), a woman who has finally "caught" him. James Gleason plays the police inspector, Edward Gargan is his detective, and Allen Jenkins is Goldy (perfect for this type of role, and Sanders' sidekick in all but his last in the series). Helen is naturally "on edge", apparently the Falcon has been this far (engaged, ring and all) three times previously. Goldy's job throughout the film is to keep this fiancé from running away, as well as to help Sanders out of a "jams".The story is about a scientist who has discovered a way to create diamonds so well that jewelers, who loaned him a $1,000 one to copy, can't tell the difference. His goal, however, is to help government and industry by making commercial grade diamonds for $25, and not to collapse the retail market. The police inspector naturally wants to protect the scientist, but before the detective "bodyguard" arrives, criminals kidnap the scientist and his formula.To keep the Falcon from helping the police, the criminals decide to neutralize him. An old female acquaintance (Mona Maris, also providing a jealousy plot-line for the fiancé of the Falcon, associated with the criminals, attempts to persuade him to join them. When he refuses, they kidnap him. However, he escapes by making faces at police in a passing squad car, pretending to be drunk. The cops pull over the car and relieve the criminals of their prey.Another slapstick scene follows the Falcon's discovery of the scientist, who has apparently overdosed on sleeping pills in his hotel room. When the police arrive, summoned by a suspicious hotel employee, the Falcon escapes out the window onto the fifth floor balcony. His fiancé, who had been waiting in a cab below, sees him up on the balcony and starts yelling, causing the gathering crowd to think it's witnessing a potential "jumper". When the police discover him, he's arrested. However, he escapes in a rather amusingly well choreographed scene I won't spoil.A twist is revealed which begs the question as to how the criminals knew of it. The Falcon is captured again by the criminals and is later arrested again by the police. The whole mystery is wrapped up rather quickly and conveniently in the end in at least two ways: how all the criminals are rounded up, and the recovery of the missing formula.It ends with the Falcon and his fiancé (and curiously, Goldy) finally leaving on their trip to be married when, of course, another of the Falcon's many female acquaintances shows up.

Michael_Elliott Date with the Falcon, A (1941) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Second film in the series has the Falcon (George Sanders) leaving on his honeymoon but at the last minute he finds himself caught up with diamond thieves. This sequel is pretty much on the same level as the first film as it contains a small group of laughs, a so-so mystery but it does go by very quickly making it a mildly entertaining film. Sanders once again is good in the role but he seems a little bored compared to the first film. Allen Jenkins isn't given as much to do, which is a shame because he comes off very good in his few scenes here.

ilprofessore-1 This comedy-mystery stars suave and sexy George Sanders as the Falcon who may very well be the prototype for the OO7 character that Ian Fleming was to introduce many years later in the James Bond series. Directed with a heavy-hand by Irving Reis, this fast paced B-picture is an embarrassment: Alan Jenkins overacts, Wendy Barrie tries to be funny, and only such stalwarts as the great James Gleason as Inspector O'Hara and Hans Conried as the Desk Clerk seem to have any idea how to pull off this weird combination of slapstick, wisecracks and a plot so full of holes you could drive a truck through it. The film was made at RKO in 1941, a year or so after the same studio made "Citizen Kane," but you'd never know it.

whpratt1 Years ago I must have taped this film which was shown on TCM and it sure was an eye opener. George Sanders,( Gay Lawrence/Falcon),"Solomon and Sheba",'59, played a role quite similar to the "Thin Man" series with Dick Powell. The Falcon was about to get married to Helen Reed,(Wendy Barrie),"Peter Pan",'50 Broadway Theatre, NYC, and suddenly was caught up in a great mystery concerning diamond dealings and plenty of gangsters. James Gleason,(Inspector Mike O'Hara), tried to keep up with the Falcon and was even forced into arresting him quite often through out the picture. This was really a slap stick Comedy, Drama "B" picture and George Sanders did a great job playing the Major Comic. If you are a fan of George Sanders, you will never believe the way he acted in this picture, entirely different than "The Lodger" or "Hangover Square".