The Power of the Whistler *** (1945, Richard Dix, Janis Carter, Jeff Donnell) – Classic Movie Review 13,248

The Power of the Whistler (1945).

Richard Dix stars in Columbia Pictures’ third Whistler series film, the 1945 mystery film noir The Power of the Whistler, as an ambiguous amnesiac.

‘Radio’s Mystery Man Will Hold YOU Spellbound!’ Richard Dix stars in Columbia Pictures’ third Whistler series film, the 1945 American mystery film noir The Power of the Whistler, as an ambiguous amnesiac.

Janis Carter stars as amateur fortune teller Jean Lang, an attractive young woman who uses a deck of cards to predict death within 24 hours for an older stranger (Richard Dix) sitting near her at a bar, and then follows him out to warn him. The stranger has lost his memory after an accident in the street, and she then tries to help him to remember who he is based on items in his pockets. Janis Carter is kindly but she likes the looks of the polite, handsome stranger, and is charmed by his pleasing, cultured manner, so she has mixed motives for helping. She is blinded to any danger she might be in by her fascination for the stranger.

She quickly falls for him. But the stranger may be stranger than he seems.

The Power of the Whistler starts as a satisfying mystery film, with the heroine and her sister Frances (Jeff Donnell) unravelling the mystery, turns half way into an equally satisfying horror thriller. And very successfully too. The film starts to get real creepy, and so does Richard Dix, turning his charm attack on its head. Although previously a silent movie star, Dix does have a mellifluous voice that he uses beautifully. Maybe he still overdoes the eye acting, but his performance works, going from smooth to sinister seamlessly. Janis Carter and Jeff Donnell are highly effective too in strong female roles.

Director Lew Landers shoots briskly and efficiently. There are no wasted moments in the 66 minutes of running time.

Talking about mellifluous voices, it is narrated by Otto Forrest as The Whistler, and this time The Whistler format works much better than in the first two films. It fits nicely into the film’s frame and there’s no sense of strain with it. Actually it adds to it.

The format is based on the 1942-55 radio series The Whistler by J Donald Wilson.

‘Each Caress like a bolt of lightning… Chilling You!’ (print ad).

The cast are Richard Dix as William Everest, Janis Carter as Jean Lang, Jeff Donnell as Frances, Loren Tindall as Charlie Kent, Tala Birell as Constantina Ivaneska, and John Abbott as Kaspar Andropolous.

The Power of the Whistler is directed by Lew Landers, runs 66 minutes, is made by Larry Darmour Productions, is distributed by Columbia Pictures, is written by Aubrey Wisberg, based on The Whistler radio series by J Donald Wilson, is shot in black and white by L William O’Connell, and is produced by Leonard S Picker.

Release date: April 19, 1945 (US).

Richard Dix stars in the first Western movie to win the Best Film Oscar (in 1931). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the Best Picture-winning epic Cimarron (1931)

Jean Marie ‘Jeff’ Donnell (July 10, 1921 – April 11, 1988) was nicknamed Jeff as a child after the character in her favorite comic strip, Mutt and Jeff. To avoid gender confusion, she was sometimes billed as (Miss) Jeff Donnell.

The Whistler.

The Columbia Pictures Whistler series

The Whistler (1944) directed by William Castle, The Mark of the Whistler [The Marked Man] (1944) directed by Castle, The Power of the Whistler (1945), Voice of the Whistler (1945) directed by Castle, Mysterious Intruder (1946) directed by Castle, The Secret of the Whistler (1946), The Thirteenth Hour (1947), The Return of the Whistler (1948).

The first seven of the eight all star Dix.

The Whistler is an American radio mystery drama series that ran from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955, on the US West Coast regional CBS radio network.

The whistling at the beginning of each of the movies is by Dorothy Roberts, backed by the theme’s composer Wilbur Hatch and his orchestra.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,248

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