classicsoncall If you had any doubts about how slick The Falcon could be, just watch as Gay Laurence (George Sanders) handles the Monsoon Diamond by sliding it on, and later removing it from Detective Bates' (Edward Brophy) cigar. Great sleight of hand there even if it didn't look like it.Actually, I don't think it was established, in this the first of The Falcon series, what exactly was the basis of that name. Come to think of it, the 'Gay' part of it only comes into play because that was Laurence's first name, but today, seventy five years after the film came out, the colloquial use of the word sends an entirely different message about the character. Easy enough to overlook though.This was a nice breezy heist and murder mystery solved by The Falcon in relatively short order, all the while narrowly averting the flirtations of various contenders to his fiancé's affections. I have to admit, I was pretty sure Laurence was going to trade Helen Reed (Wendy Barrie) for Elinor Benford (Nina Vale) any moment; I kind of wish he had. Not that Elinor didn't have reason to be a pill around all those other women, but she could have lightened up a bit.Anyway, a nice kick off the The Falcon series. I've only seen a couple of the others starring Tom Conway, so I'll have to be on the lookout for more from George Sanders, an actor who'll grow on you the more you see him.

utgard14 The first in RKO's lighthearted series about suave detective Gay Lawrence (aka The Falcon). Playing the title role at the start of the series is the great George Sanders, fresh off playing The Saint. Fans of both will no doubt recognize many similarities between the two series. In this first entry, the Falcon investigates jewel robberies and a socialite's murder while juggling two pretty ladies. I'm a big fan of most of these old B detective series, including the Falcon. It's not my favorite but it's lots of fun. George Sanders has rarely been more enjoyable than he is in this role -- charming, sophisticated, and witty at every turn. Allen Jenkins is very funny as the Falcon's comic relief sidekick, Goldie. Solid support from Wendy Barrie, Gladys Cooper, Arthur Shields, Turhan Bey, and Edward Brophy. A good start to an enjoyable series of films.

l_rawjalaurence Irving Reis' film - the first in the Falcon series based on a character created by Michael Arlen - possesses most of the virtues characteristic of a good "B" movie: a taut plot-structure; a brisk, no-nonsense style of filming combining stock footage with studio sequences comprised largely of shot/reverse shots; and a clutch of memorable performances from characters given full opportunity to show off their abilities. Allen Jenkins' "Goldie" Locke, all arms and legs and quizzical looks as he vainly tries to escape arrest by the police, has one delicious moment where he is asked to describe a criminal for the benefit of a police artist, and ends up describing the police inspector Mike Waldeck (Arthur Shields) instead. Nina Vale's Elinor Benford, a star-struck fan of The Falcon (George Sanders) thoroughly enjoys herself as she ends up in scrape after scrape, if only for the fact that she can sit next to the Falcon in a car and repeatedly ask him: "So what do we do next?" Gladys Cooper plays an affluent socialite, apparently vulnerable but concealing a devious nature; while Turhan Bey enjoys himself as a dubious Mexican lounge-lizard. At the center of the film, both physically as well as structurally, is Sanders' Falcon; I did not realize just how well-built he actually was, as he dominates the frame, dressed in a variety of costumes from evening dress to a hobo's outfit. Regrettably THE GAY FALCON perpetuates racist stereotypes characteristic of that time: Willie Fung's performance as the comic Chinese servant Jerry is particularly jarring. Nonetheless the film passes the time quite agreeably.

chipe I have seen this movie several times (months ago), and kept it on my DVR, meaning to write a review. Don't miss this movie. I have seen most of the Falcon series films (both with Sanders and Conway), and this (which happens to be the first Falcon film) is by far the best. It is excellent in its own right.Everything about it is great -- the writing, direction and acting. Nina Vale, the Falcon's fiancée, comes off very well; I wonder why she made so few films. I particularly liked Wendy Barrie; I think this is her best performance. No need to mention all the other great well-known supporting cast.There isn't a wasted scene in the movie. It was meticulously made. Wonderful dialog and gibes. Very logical screenplay.One perplexing thing about the move, and it doesn't bother me much: throughout the movie, the Falcon (Sanders) is saying that he loves Elinor Benford (played by Vale) and wants to marry her. Yet in scene after scene he is constantly flirting with Helen Reed (played by Barrie) and other women, in front of Elinor. And the women return the favors.