Actor/magician John Calvert made three low-budget features as The Falcon in 1948-49 for the small "Film Classics" company. Tom Conway made a strong impression in many Falcon films in the early and mid-40s, and Conway had a smooth, urbane, sarcastic edge that for many made him the definitive Falcon. Calvert wisely does not choose to ape Conway's approach, instead taking a more laid-back interpretation of the role. His approach works well. The film was directed (as was the previous film, APPOINTMENT WITH MURDER)by Jack Bernhard, well-regarded for the film noir classics DECOY and VIOLENCE, both made for Monogram in 1947. This film is not as over-the-top as those two, but it is a solid little murder mystery with a fine supporting cast (Albert Dekker and Ben Welden as the owners of a gambling club, Douglas Fowley as a police inspector). The intrigue gets deeper and deeper as the film proceeds and I must say that the climax was a total surprise to me. It is fun to see all the other characters get angry and flustered while The Falcon maintains his cool and gradually breaks them down, seemingly effortlessly. There is also some nice location photography of the streets of 1949 L.A., which helps to create a nice L.A. flavor for a film that is otherwise largely shot on cheap, small sets. Anyone who loves a good murder mystery and appreciates series films such as Charlie Chan, Boston Blackie, etc., should enjoy this. It's not as slick as the RKO Falcons, but the low budget creates a nice cheap ambience which in hindsight turns out to be a virtue for the film. All three Calvert Falcon films are worth watching if you can find them.
