The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date

"Lanyard" (Warren William) and honourable factotum "Jamison" (Eric Blore) are in Havana on the trail of a rare stamp when they encounter "Patricia" (Frances Robinson) who wants to pinch their cab for an urgent trip to the airport. Charmed, the "Lone Wolf" agrees but after a few moments wishes he hadn't. It turns out that she is embroiled in a ransom plot that involves a kidnapped businessman, $100,000 and her poor old fiancé "Scotty" (Bruce Bennett) who is likely to fry if they don't get to the truth and free the victim in time. Of course, as soon as he is seen anywhere near the investigation, "Insp. Crane" (Thurston Hall) and the hapless "Dickens" (Fred Kelsey) are back on his case hoping and praying that this might be the time they finally manage to apprehend him. It's not the best story here, it's a bit thin and a little too contrived, but there are plenty of amiable one-liners and some fun with boats that sees "Dickens" getting a well deserved ducking once or twice.

THE LONE WOLF KEEPS A DATE is one of the more lively instalments of the series, and one I found largely enjoyable, if familiar. The story is set in Cuba, where our hero is somewhat bizarrely trying to complete his stamp collection (hey, we all need our hobbies). While there he encounters the usual young damsel in distress who complains of a partner wrongfully accused of a murder, so the Wolf investigates and comes up against the usual thugs. This one has a lot of amusing interludes with the Wolf's manservant, plus some fun fight scenes. I think the scene in which he deliberately scatters the stamp collection is a highlight here.

Michael Lanyard, aka The Lone Wolf is elated when he manages to complete his Cuban stamp collection at a shop in Havana, on his way to The Airport, he encounters a young woman named Patricia Lawrence, and offers to help her with a sizeable problem.

Not my favourite Lone Wolf film, but still a watchable film, Warren William is intensely watchable and good fun, and he does make it pretty enjoyable.

There is a lot going on, possibly too much, it seems to rush excitedly into one direction, pause, then veer off on another strand, stamps, kidnap, ransom, it's a bit too much at times.

I've enjoyed each of The Lone Wolf mysteries, and all of them so far have had a nice balance of comedy and mystery, I would suggest that this one is a little more balanced towards the humorous side, some of it works, some of it is a little too much, the mystery takes something of a back seat.

Eric Blore, Frances Robinson, Jed Prouty and Thurston Hall are all very good.

6/10.

The Lone Wolf Keeps A Date must have had a few showings at the White House. After all in FDR the most important and prominent stamp collector there ever was happened to be the current resident.

Warren William and Eric Blore as The Lone Wolf and his factotum Jameson are back again and this film for a B picture is rather complicated in terms of plot. It also has more comedy in it as Warren William and Eric Blore look like they're having a great old time overacting outrageously. Catch William in the scene with chief villain Don Beddoe and henchmen.

The story involves The Lone Wolf's stolen stamp collection and the kidnapping of a millionaire in which once again the cops in the person of Thurston Hall and sidekick Fred Kelsey suspect William is involved in the plot when he's really trying to help.

You have to love Kelsey who came from the Keystone Police Academy as a graduate and who is the butt of everything. The Lone Wolf Keeps A Date will give you some suspense and tickle your funny bone even more than most in the series.

A very enjoyable Lone Wolf movie, "The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date" finds Michael Lanyard (The Lone Wolf, played by Warren William) and his butler Jameson (Eric Pangborn) in Havana for a stamp convention. Well, the best laid plans -- Lanyard, a former jewel thief, soon finds himself without his collection and involved in a kidnapping, the young man who is accused sitting in prison, and his fiancé trying to pay the ransom.

This is the outrageous and sophisticated Warren William at his best, with lots of comedy contributed by Pangborn. The two of them worked so well together.

Though a B movie, this series was a lot of fun. Before William the role was played by Frances Lederer, Melvyn Douglas, and several other actors. After William departed the series in 1946, Gerald Mohr and Ron Randell played him. It was also a TV series starring the smooth Louis Hayward. I hope to see more starring William.