Search for Danger * (1949, John Calvert, Albert Dekker, Myrna Dell) – Classic Movie Review 10,132

Director Jack Bernhard’s 1949 black and white thriller Search for Danger is the third and last of John Calvert’s Falcon films, made by the low-budget Film Classics company, and the very end of a series of 16, with The Falcon previously played by George Sanders and Tom Conway for RKO.

Calvert makes only a moderate job of Michael Arlen’s sleuth The Falcon, aka private detective Mike Waring, in this muddled, poorly-handled mystery in which a pair of gamblers run off with their partners’ stash of cash, leading to inevitable murder, of both a rival sleuth and a suspected thief. The Poverty Row production is a bit of a drawback. However, undoubtedly, the strong cast of character actors like Albert Dekker, Ben Welden, Douglas Fowley, and Michael Mark helps quite a lot.

Don Martin’s screenplay is based on a story by Jerome Epstein and the Falcon character created by Michael Arlen.

Also in the cast are Albert Dekker, Myrna Dell, Douglas Fowley, Ben Welden, Michael Mark, James Griffiths, Billy Nelson, Ann Cornell, Peter Brocco, Mauritz Hugo, Jack Daly and Peter Michael.

Search for Danger is directed by Jack Bernhard, runs 62 minutes, is made by Falcon Pictures Corporation, is released by Film Classics (1949) (US) and International Film Renters (1949) (UK), is written by Don Martin, based on a story by Jerome Epstein, based on the character The Falcon by Michael Arlen, is shot in black and white by Paul Ivano, is produced by Don Martin, is scored by Karl Hajos, with Set Decoration by Boris Leven.

It was shot at Nassour Studios, 5746 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, and released on 15 April 1949.

It follows Devil’s Cargo (1948) and Appointment with Murder (1948).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,132

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