The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

Once you've watched a few Warren William pictures you'll find yourself loving the guy. If that's you, this film is brilliant because it's essentially just him having a blast....plus there's Ida Lupino who is clearly a goddess.

Is this culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant? No, definitely not but it's great fun and a perfect example of those fast moving, comedy murder mystery type of things that these days make up about half our TV schedules. Had TV been around in the mid-thirties, this would have been on Saturday nights.

So what's the point of watching this? 1) it's predictable, it's corny but it's dripping with wonderful 1930s atmosphere. 2) Warren William fans (if you're not already, you will be) will love this. 3) It's got 21 year old Ida Lupino (already in her 22nd film) looking unbelievably stunning. Having left Twickenham Films for Hollywood a few years earlier, she was now starting to get lead roles in B pictures like this. She really shines here - you can see that she's destined for stardom. She's not just another pretty Hollywood face but, like she did in her early English films, she emotes real character and personality.

So do you want an action packed adventure where you don't have to engage your brain too much? Do you want a dashing hero (complete with a sarcastic butler), a secret sinister organisation with a dastardly plot, a pair of bumbling policemen, a classic femme fetale (Hayworth) and Ida (I think I'm in love with her) Lupino? This might just be what you're looking for.

While no reasonable reviewer would give any B-detective series movie a score of 10 (after all, they were not exactly deep and they tended to focus much more on entertainment instead of originality), for such a film, this Lone Wolf film scores a bullseye. As far as quality and watchability goes, I would place it on par with the average Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan or Saint film of the era. In fact, in many ways, this film seems a lot like one of the Saint films because the hero is a reformed gentleman thief who investigates crimes for kicks--and chases women along the way. While the film starred Warren William, I could have just as easily imagined Tom Conway or George Sanders (from the Saint and Falcon detective series) playing the lead in this film. This isn't meant as a negative per se--it's a very familiar but also very satisfying formula.

Warren William was wonderful in the lead but he was also ably supported by a better than usual supporting cast. Having Ida Lupino AND Rita Hayworth playing the female leads was pretty amazing, as neither were exactly stars at the time and it was just a case of dumb luck in casting. In addition, the other supporting players all provided some needed depth to the film--something often lacking in B-movies.

As far as the plot goes, it was pretty interesting but also purely secondary--not at all unusual for this type of film. You certainly don't watch this type of film because of the finely crafted mystery, but more for the personalities and style. In many ways, this sort of film is like a warm and familiar pair of old shoes you put on after a long day at work.

As a lover of old movies from the Golden Age of cinema (from talkies to television), it's always fun to discover talented people on both sides of the camera that never got the kind of recognition they deserved. One of these was Warren William, who this writer first noticed in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1939.) Besides playing a Musketeer, his roles ranged from Julius Caesar to Perry Mason. Additionally, he played detectives Sam Spade, Philo Vance and the Lone Wolf, his most famous role. While the Lone Wolf series was never quite as good as the Thin Man's from all I've seen and read, this entry was entertaining for a good many reasons, most of all for having Rita Hayworth and Ida Lupino in the cast. Although a bit long in the tooth to be Ida's love interest (he was 45 when he made this picture, though he plays a 35-year old, which means he was really old enough to be Val Carson's dad, despite her line quoted above), he played the character with at least as much zest as William Powell imbued the Thin Man. Add to this some well-written and well-played supporting actors and you have a pretty fair crime/spy drama. It's not THE 39 STEPS, but it's still enjoyable to watch Michael Lanyard and gang in a mostly fine film series. Dale Roloff

I dusted this one off after nearly 10 years to see if it was really as bad as the previous reviewers stated. I'm glad to say at least I didn't waste my 67 minutes precious time watching (and then passing comment on) rubbish but imho rather a good grade B screwball comedy.

Michael Lanyard (45 year old Warren William's first of nine films as the reformed cracksman) is being framed by an arch-enemy and his inept gang as part of a plot to steal some secret government plans. For most of the picture he also has to fend off the attentions of his jealous and lively girlfriend Val (21 yo Ida Lupino) and scatty stepdaughter Pat played by the always exuberant Virginia Weidler. Rita Hayworth played baddie Ralph Morgan's sexy sidekick, but seemed out of place, and I half expected Tom Dugan as the detective to launch into some wacky routine every time he appeared; thankfully he didn't. And at the surrealist party Lanyard was standing outside the upstairs window simply by means of an elaborate balcony with plenty of climbing plants on show – so no goof there (as stated in the goofs section) from the Columbia continuity department!

To fans of this film genre, a pleasure from start to finish, to others, why bother?

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt marks the first appearance of Warren William as the dapper retired cracksman, Michael Lanyard who now occasionally assists the police instead of trying to evade them for a job he's committed.

Yet in this film William is indeed trying to shake the cops because they think he's stolen some highly secret war plans. Actually the guy doing it not only wants to get the plans, but he wants to make sure he frames William for the job and goes to all kinds of lengths to make that come about.

I'm surprised that Warren William lasted in the role of the Lone Wolf. No fault of his because he's as debonair and charming as the role calls for. But the film did get a bit silly at times. Ida Lupino is the dizzy daughter of a U.S. Senator and Virginia Weidler is William's daughter. Between the two of them and their crazy machinations, the Lone Wolf was lucky to get the case solved at all. I don't think it was an accident that Weidler's character was dropped in future Lone Wolf series films.

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt is also known as being an early film that Columbia used to showcase one of their new discoveries, Rita Hayworth. Rita plays the moll of the leader of the spies and her beauty makes her stand out. No doubt she was going to be a star.