The Falcon Out West ** (1944, Tom Conway, Carole Gallagher, Barbara Hale, Cliff Clark, Edward Gargan) – Classic Movie Review 3215

‘There are three things one can never be sure about – horses, the weather and women’ – The Falcon.

Michael Arlen’s débonair detective The Falcon (Tom Conway) goes out West to investigate the roots of a case of the murder of Texas playboy and cattle baron Tex Irwin (Lyle Talbot) in a New York nightclub in this below-par-for-the-course entry for the Falcon series, which began in 1941 with The Gay Falcon.

The Falcon discovers the victim was slipped rattlesnake venom, and the trail leads to Texas and Tex’s ranch, as The Falcon is kidnapped and nearly killed.

Director William Clemens 1944 thriller is a fairly slack and pretty tired series entry, with a minor and none too interesting little mystery story by Billy Jones and Morton Grant. It also stars Carole Gallagher as Vanessa Drake and Barbara Hale as Marion Colby and comedy relief series regulars Cliff Clark and Edward Gargan as Inspector Timothy Donovan and Homicide Detective Bates.

Also in the cast are Minor Watson, Don Douglas, Perc Launders, Lee Trent, Joan Barclay and Wheaton Chambers.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3215

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