The Lone Wolf and His Lady * (1949, Ron Randell, June Vincent, Alan Mowbray, William Frawley, Colette Lyons, Douglass Dumbrille) – Classic Movie Review 13,050

Ron Randell takes over as Michael Lanyard / The Lone Wolf for a single, final episode, the 1949 The Lone Wolf and His Lady, in which he is yet again accused of a jewel theft.

‘BULLETS AND MYSTERY PURSUE.. The Lone Wolf and His Lady.’

With Gerald Mohr (Michael Lanyard) and Eric Blore (Jamison) both dumped, Ron Randell takes over as Michael Lanyard / The Lone Wolf for a single, final episode, the 1949 The Lone Wolf and His Lady, in which unbelievably he is yet again accused of a jewel theft at an exhibition he is reporting while working for a newspaper.

The Tahara diamond is stolen during its opening showcase at an international diamond exhibition and likeably bumbling New York City Police Inspector J D Crane (William Frawley) suspects Michael Lanyard and arrests him. So who actually nabbed the diamond? Lanyard adds blonde femme fatale Grace Duffy (June Vincent) on the list of suspects and valet Jamison adds the name of Marta Frisbie (Colette Lyons).

Australian actor Randell is not particularly well cast as Michael Lanyard / The Lone Wolf and he gives a subdued turn. Nor had he been a success when he played Bulldog Drummond in two 1947 Columbia Pictures movies: Bulldog Drummond at Bay and Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back. Meanwhile, the yarn is boring, leaving Alan Mowbray as the main bright spot playing the Wolf’s gentleman’s gentleman, the valet Jamison.

It is the 15th and final Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures.

It is  written by Edward Dein and Michael Stuart Boylan.

The cast are Ron Randell as Michael Lanyard / The Lone Wolf, June Vincent as Grace Duffy, Alan Mowbray as Lanyard’s valet Jamison, William Frawley as Inspector J D Crane, Collette Lyons as Marta Frisbie, Douglass Dumbrille as John J. Murdock, James Todd as Tanner, Steven Geray as Mynher Van Groot, Robert Barrat [Robert H Barrat[ as Steve Taylor, and Arthur Space.

The Lone Wolf and His Lady is directed by John Hoffman, runs 60 minutes, is made and released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan (screenplay) and Richard Dein (story), is shot in black and white by Philip Tannura, is produced by Rudolph C Flothow, is scored by Mischa Bakaleinikoff (musical direction), and designed by James Crowe.

It was shot from August 9, 1948 to August 20, 1948, two weeks’ work.

Columbia Pictures were looking to reboot the series, hoping for three or four of these movies with Ron Randell, but the film was not considered a success and Columbia ended the series. RIP Lone Wolf.

Lois Maxwell was announced as Randell’s co-star but was replaced by June Vincent, and Maxwell was re-cast in The Crime Doctor’s Diary (1949).

The Lone Wolf features:

The Lone Wolf’s Daughter (1929), Last of the Lone Wolf (1930), Cheaters at Play (1932), The Lone Wolf Returns (1935), The Lone Wolf in Paris (1938), The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939), The Lone Wolf Strikes (1940), The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940), The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1941), The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941), Secrets of the Lone Wolf (1941), Counter-Espionage (1942), One Dangerous Night (1943), Passport to Suez (1943), The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946), The Lone Wolf in Mexico (1947), The Lone Wolf in London (1947), The Lone Wolf and His Lady (1949).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,050

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