User reviews

George Sanders plays The Falcon for the last time in "The Falcon's Brother," a 1942 programmer starring Sanders, Tom Conway, and Jane Lawrence. The intricate plot focuses on a fashion house and a fashion magazine, poisoning with cigars, mistaken identity, and lots of other things in a mere 1 hour and 10 minutes or so. It's 1942, so you can also expect Nazis to be involved. "Something changed after Pearl Harbor," a character tells Gay (Sanders). "Most things," he agrees.

This film was the transition so that Sanders' real-life brother, Tom Conway, could take over the series. Sanders was somewhat smoother than his brother, more suave and handsome, but Conway was a serviceable actor, and their speaking voices were somewhat close. There was just something about Sanders that made him so good as the Falcon and the Saint - panache maybe. Both Gay and Tom go after the women like crazy in this one. Always fun and light entertainment.

This is the fourth of the Falcon films, in which both George Sanders and his real life brother Tom Conway appear. It was the occasion for the handover of the role. Sanders and Conway have many scenes together, and vie to out-do each other in suaveness and urbanity, and it is a tie. Then Sanders is knocked unconscious and spends much of the film in bed, which he doubtless found restful. At the end, Sanders sacrifices his life in the struggle against Nazism (it is after all 1942 and the plot deals with German agents) and presto, Tom Conway is and for the remaining series of films will be the Falcon. This film has a higher budget than the preceding ones (there is even a ship), the plot is complicated, it is all more solid and convincing. In fact, it is a very entertaining tale. Keye Luke has now become the falcon's butler, adding his own charm and wit to the team, and doing amusing impersonations of pidgin English (he was Chinese) when he wants to put off 'dames' who phone too often. The falcon's sidekick is now played by Don Barclay, which like the addition of Keye Luke is a great improvement. This film was edited by Mark Robson, later to be a famous director, and the improved editing shows. However, because the screenwriters have changed, all the great gags and one-liners have disappeared, there is no more crackling dialogue, and the Falcon series is no longer a laugh a minute.

This is the most Famous Falcon Film, the one where one brother gets fed up with the title role so the other brother steps in and continues the series for another 4 years. George Sanders was nearly always good in these kind of roles but personally I always preferred Tom Conway, maybe he just looked more comfortable in B pictures. I also preferred as sidekick Allen Jenkins as Goldie to Don Barclay as Lefty. The film quality isn't very good at this distance, sometimes it's so jumpy and grainy the continuity and the acting resemble Monogram more than RKO - are all extant copies from '50's TV dupes?

Basically Gay Lawrence is after the people who murdered someone supposed to be his brother Tom, for a while both are on the case before Gay becomes hors de combat. Tom has to do the detective work himself for most of the film.

The patter between the Inspector played by Cliff Clark and flatfoot Ed Gargan is repetitive but entertaining - "I'm boss. You don't mind do you?", James Gleason was also good in the role previously. Jane Randolph as the nosey reporter who doesn't seem to do much reporting is decorative but apparently unappealing to the Falcon: the solving of the crimes are everything. Not so vice versa - the Falcon would continue as a lady-killer of seismic proportions!

All in all a most enjoyable 1940's murder mystery B film, but nothing really extraordinary in a most enjoyable series of 13 up to 1946.

'The Falcon's Brother' is most notable for being George Sanders' last outing as the Falcon and his real life brother Tom Conway debuting and taking over nine more times subsequently. Having really enjoyed the first three films, 'The Falcon's Brother' was decent enough but somewhat of a disappointment at the same time.

Of the four Falcon films with Sanders, to me it's the weakest, with a lot of merits but also some glaring flaws. While Sanders is underused and it is somewhat obvious that he had tired of the role (having performed with more enthusiasm in the first two films) he is charismatic and suave enough. Conway is a strong presence, making a more than credible role debut.

Mostly the supporting cast were underwhelming, but Jane Randolph was suitably sprightly and spunky with great rapport with Conway (it is their scenes where the film particularly comes alive) and Keye Luke is very amusing and brings a real charm to a character that could easily have been annoying and out of place.

'The Falcon's Brother' looks just fine, with a lot of elegance and atmosphere in the settings and the film is shot with style and class as well as a real sense of genre. The music is lively and haunting, and the story is mostly suspenseful and engrossing, going at an efficient pace, faring stronger in the mystery elements than the comedy. It's complicated but it doesn't feel jumpy or rushed, which is remarkable for a film that is not that long.

However, Stanley Logan's direction while efficient is unimaginative while the ending does feel rushed and abrupt. The comedy is amusing and light enough, but doesn't crackle as much as the previous three films and some of it veers on the repetitive, while the patriotic elements are laid on too thick and don't really fit very well.

Particularly disappointing is the notable and deeply lamented absences of James Gleason and Allen Jenkins, scene stealers in the previous films. The replacement characters/actors are not only not as good, they don't even come close and are vastly inferior. Saw no point to the character of Lefty, and the film even fails to provide a reason for Goldy's absence which harms the continuity somewhat, and Don Barclay plays him witlessly and all annoyance and no sense of fun or charm. Cliff Clark resorts to buffoonish mugging, and Edward Gargan is particularly hampered by repetitive material (particularly the patter between him and Clark) and struggles to bring freshness to it.

In conclusion, decent if disappointing. Good for curiosity value but there's better in the series. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This is a B-movie detective film from back in the day when such series were common. While The Falcon series isn't as interesting or fun as Charlie Chan or Sherlock Holmes, it is one of the better examples of the genre. Interestingly enough, growing up I often couldn't remember if I'd just seen a Falcon film or a Saint film, as both series were produced (for the most part) by RKO and many featured George Sanders playing the same character in almost every way aside from their name! The formula and action was identical--both detectives were sophisticated rich guys who mostly dabbled in investigating crimes out of a desire to avoid boredom or meet women! From a historical standpoint, this is THE must-see film of either series, as it stars George Sanders AND his nearly identical-looking and talking real-life brother, Tom Conway--who when on to play The Falcon in nine films! It seems that George was tired of this series work and wanted out of the contract, so they decided to use his equally talented older brother--who made a smooth transition to the role. In fact, it's pretty cool to see BOTH Falcons in the same film and I really appreciated the unusual and unexpected ending (which I WON'T divulge so I'll keep it suspenseful).

Apart from Conway and Sanders, the film is also better than the average Falcon film, as the plot is very good and the supporting cast all do an excellent job of combining mystery with a light sense of humor. This isn't an intellectual or deep film, but represents a good and watchable B-movie that has held up well through the years.

George Sanders makes his last appearance as Gay Lawrence, aka the Falcon, in this fun if fairly standard B mystery. There's a corpse in an ocean liner stateroom; the victim is apparently Tom Lawrence, the Falcon's brother; Gay Lawrence goes aboard and quietly identifies the body. Not surprisingly, it's not as simple as all that.

A clever shot introduces Tom Conway as the Falcon's brother: First we watch the Falcon, just off of the ship, race off in a taxi following another taxi as the cops hop into their car to follow him. Then, over in a shadow, we see a dark figure strike a match and light a cigarette, his face lit up just for a moment before the match goes out and he is in darkness again. It's the Falcon's brother—not so dead—watching it all from the shadows.

Eventually we learn that the plot involves Nazi espionage, some South American spies, and a fashion magazine. The cast of characters includes the usual grumpy police inspector (Cliff Clark, this time, as an Inspector Donovan) and dumb assistant detective (Edward Gargan back as Detective Bates, always saying "Sorry, Chief").

Jane Randolph is lively and funny as the usual spunky girl reporter who sticks her nose in and helps out: "Well, I'm only a fashion reporter," she admits early on, "but I'll get a police beat someday!"

Conway is good as the new Falcon, stepping into the role quite confidently. Sanders, on his way out of the series, is perhaps a little less interested…but fun to watch nevertheless, especially in the couple of scenes he shares with brother Conway.

The Falcon, Gay Lawrence (George Sanders), is headed dockside to meet his brother, Tom Lawrence (Tom Conway), who is arriving from South America. What he doesn't know is that before the ship docks, his brother has been declared dead. The cause of death - suicide. Knowing that something's up, The Falcon follows the woman who found his brother's body to an upscale dress shop. But before he can question the woman, she's also killed. After Gay is put out of commission by a hit-and-run, Tom steps out of the shadows to take over the case.

The transition from Gay to Tom is handled as smoothly and deftly as any transition I can think of. It helps that George Sanders and Tom Lawrence were real life brothers. Because of their familial similarities, it's easy to believe that Gay and Tom are also brothers. While I think I prefer George in the role, Tom more than holds his own and is about as enjoyable in this film and the Falcon films to follow.

The plot in The Falcon's Brother is about as good as any you'll find in a "B" from RKO. The mystery is a fun one with plenty of suspicious characters and interesting clues. In fact, the magazine clues were as solid as any I've seen in any film of this type. It's quite enjoyable to watch Tom and Company go through their paces and put the pieces together. I also got a kick out of the dress designer talking about how the gowns were made in compliance with government regulations concerning the amount of material that could be used given the war time era the film was made. It's just a small thing, but it was an interesting insight into 1942. My biggest complaint is the way the finale feels rushed. It seems that a lot of these comedy/mystery films did a good job of leading you right up to the end and then blew it.

Sanders and Conway are joined by an especially strong cast given the film's limited budget. Jane Randolph is a standout. I'm glad to see she comes back in the next film. And I thought Keye Luke was very funny as The Falcon's butler, Jerry. The bits where he purposefully plays up the Asian stereotypes of the era to his advantage are quite good.

6/10

When I was a kid I used to enjoy these Falcon movies, but today they seem so corny and the images are so confined to the B-movie genre that they're barely watchable today. This one only interests me because it's the last in the series for GEORGE SANDERS, who insisted on bowing out of the Falcon series by having himself killed by an assassin's bullet in the final reel. This gave TOM CONWAY, who shares the screen with his half-brother in this one, the chance to assume the Falcon role for the next nine films.

This one involves Nazi spies, Latin America, poisoned cigars, an assassination attempt on a Latin American diplomat and lots of red herrings to hide the fact that The Saint is not the only one assigned to the case. It's a modest entry in the series and never rises above the routine material to be anything more than a forgettable programmer.

JANE RANDOLPH proves that she had a certain style as the feminine lead and her scenes with Conway and Sanders are the most enjoyable aspects of the film.

Fast-moving espionage mystery, last for George Sanders, in the Falcon series. Plot include a fairly neat transition to real-life and character brother to take over and continue the fight against Nazi Germany. George is suave with the ladies (because he knew it was his last film in the series?). Lots of twists and turns as we weave our way through poisoned cigars (La Prima Donna), break ins, impersonating an officer, clues that disappear, house of fashion and a fashion magazine. In the end, the Falcon takes the shot meant for a Latin American diplomat and brother Tom Lawrence accepts the challenge from a foreign voice on the phone who warns him that he will get what his brother did if he doesn't leave well enough alone. Well, it was 1942 and no self-respecting producer wasn't going to have his hero support the war effort. Not a great movie, but enjoyable and about as good as these ever got. Recommended.

Except for the switcheroo, it's a routine Falcon entry. The series was never big on mystery or atmosphere, staples of better whodunits like the Chan series. Instead, the entries lean heavily on sprightly charm supplied first by Sanders and now by Conway, and a steady stream of statuesque, well-upholstered girls, which this entry supplies in spades. Looks like RKO may have used the series to photograph some of their younger talent.

It turns out here after a couple false starts that the brothers are on the trail of Nazi spies, not surprising for 1942. However, I am surprised that the two actors generally deliver such engaged performances over the course of the entire series. After all, the Falcon role is basically one-dimensional, requiring only that the actor be suavely charming and not much else. I expect Sanders had become bored and quit before losing interest; at the same time, Conway picks up nicely on what has become a family trust.

The best scenes are with Conway and the sprightly reporter Randolph, whose well-scripted chemistry works. It's also a good chance to ogle high fashion, circa 1942. On the other hand, is the witless comedy relief from Clark, Gargan, and Barclay, blowing little lame holes through the proceedings. Anyway, the movie may be unique in film series annals for the way it creates the switcheroo, which really does amount to a startling departure. Otherwise, it's strictly a routine affair.

Investigator Gay "The Falcon" Lawrence has come to welcome his brother Tom whom he hasn't seen for 5 years. His boat is docking. Gay is told of a death on board. Everybody assumes it to be Tom committing suicide. Gay notices that it's not his brother and goes in pursuit of a suspect. Inspector Timothy Donovan is always a step behind and a clue short.

It's a lot of convenient turns and convoluted plot. I'm half-following it but it's not that big of a deal. I really like the Chinese servant who does a stereotype to fool people. The magazine cover idea is a silly cinematic creation but it's all good fun. I have issues with the final ending. I understand the actor's wishes but there has to be better ways to retire the character without resorting to that. Also it's done in an off-camera which is rather confusing. Nevertheless, it's mostly fun and if it has to end, it ends.

George Sanders goes to meet his brother on the boat, but he is informed that brother is now a corpse. He follows a blonde to a fashion show, and after meeting up with his brother, played by his brother, Tom Conway, gets conked on the head while Conway continues the investigation.

Confusing enough for you? It's a pretty good entry in the series, with at least four murders -- I lost track after a while -- the usual bevy of pretty RKO starlets and the very pleasant conceit that if Sanders has had enough of this profitable B series for RKO, we'll continue it with someone who can do a good impersonation of him, like brother Conway. Eventually it leads into spy stuff, which was all the rage in 1942, but more than good enough with Jane Randolph, Keye Luke and Andre Gwili in her last screen appearance.

This is the worst of the Falcon series. There's not a shred of mystery and suspense. The comedy is lame except for Keye Luke's bits. Why confine Sanders to a bed with a concussion and never have him and real life brother Tom Conway work together to solve a mystery is an unforgivable omission by the writers. I don't know their personal history or if there was a conflict. Both brothers were masters at playing easygoing, extremely bored, well-dressed, disdainful sophisticates. Sanders had the edge on Tom in that department. Jane Randolph with her smart sex appeal provides the only spark in this dry timewaster.

Wow, I really enjoy "The Falcon" movies and this has it's good moments. It also has some very bad moments. George Sanders is good for as long as he is in the movie. Tom Conway also does a good job as the Falcon's brother, Tom. Suave and smooth go hand in hand with Sanders and Conway. There is a real problem with the supporting actors, especially Don Barclay as "Lefty," the Falcon's side kick. The actor is just terrible, a droning monotone, complete lack of facial expressions and a delivery that shows the actor just walked through his lines. Cliff Clark as Inspector Donovan mugs his way through all of his scenes and Jane Randolph as reporter Marcia Brooks is entirely too predictable and annoying. But then so is her character. Mind you, I don't expect Academy Award material from these "B" movies but the first three "Falcon" movies were much better. Well, the first and third movies were better than this. I haven't seen the next movie with Conway, where Conway takes over the role of The Falcon but with the name of Tom Lawrence. The ending is also a bit abrupt and unsatisfying. All in all there are much better examples of these "B" movies. But there are worse ones as well. If you really want to see all of the movies, don't miss this one. It would leave a gap in your knowledge. One thing I really enjoy is seeing character actors doing bit parts that are quite often uncredited. Keye Luke in this one and Hans Conrad in several of the Falcon and Saint movies. Good stuff.

Falcon's Brother, The (1942)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fourth in the series was also the last to feature George Sanders as he was growing tired with the role. This time out The Falcon (Sanders) gets put into a coma so his brother (Tom Conway) shows up to take over a case involving Nazis. Having Sanders top billed here is a major cheat since he's only in the opening ten minutes and the final five. The rest of the time has his character lying in bed but all the scenes in his room are shot without showing an actor, which makes it clear Sanders wasn't there. Conway was Sanders real life brother so that's a unique little thing and he does a fine job at carrying the film and he would do so for eleven more features. The story itself is pretty interesting but it certainly misses Allen Jenkins whose character isn't here but another character played by Don Barclay takes over.