The Falcon Out West

When Lyle Talbot rich Texas rancher dies of snake bite at a New York night club while he's celebrating his upcoming marriage to Carole Gallagher, that's enough cause for suspicion on its face. Tom Conway gets involved when the Talbot's ex-wife tries to hire him to break up the forthcoming nuptials. Conway says that isn't his line, but being on the scene of the murder he has to get involved if for no other reason than the cops in the persons of Cliff Clark and Edward Gargan. Whatever the answers are they're out west back at the ranch.

So all the suspects and the Falcon meet up at Talbot's ranch. They include Talbot's former business partner Minor Watson and his daughter Barbara Hale, lawyer Don Douglas, and of course the ex-wife Joan Barclay.

Barclay in fact goes west with Conway and the cops follow them. With all the Dramatus Personae in one spot the better for Conway to find the culprit.

The Falcon Out West is a decent enough entry in the Falcon series, in the middle of the pack. Fans of the series should approve.

Mrs. Irwin tries to recruit Tom "The Falcon" Lawrence (Tom Conway) to stop her ex-husband cattle baron Tex Irwin from marrying gold-digger Vanessa Drake. They are all at a New York nightclub. The Falcon turns down Mrs. Irwin. Tex dies mysteriously from an unseen rattle snake bite. Police Inspector Timothy Donovan is in disbelief and he starts investigating accompanied by the less than competent Homicide Detective Bates. They all head out west.

This is the 8th movie in the series. The Falcon has always been a light crime mystery franchise with a comedic touch. He does his 'work' with a smirk. In this one, the series is doing it with a cowboy motif. Instead of a mansion, it's a ranch. There are horses, Indians, and plenty of cowboy gear. There is even a piece of scalp. It is what it is. The best way to describe this is if a buddy cop comedic TV show does a case in a western-style fake town. It happens as old western sets get some use. No one expects greatness and non is found here.

While George Saunders originally starred as the Falcon in the first few films, brother Tom Conway took over the series as the original Falcon's brother - and made it his own. Although not as famous as his brother, Conway was perfect as the Falcon - being witty, urbane and sophisticated.

When a wealthy Texas rancher (Lyle Talbot) collapses on a dance floor and dies presumably from a snake bite - the Falcon takes a train ticket and follows the rancher's fiancée (Carole Gallagher) out west to the rancher's spread.

Mysterious things start happening - the Falcon finds an Indian scalp on his door as a death warning, someone takes a shot at him when he is out riding and lots of other things. Then Hayden (Tex's lawyer) is killed in the same puzzling way. It is all solved in 65 minutes and the Falcon finds another "lady in distress".

Barbara Hale is first introduced saving a runaway coach. She plays the independent daughter of Tex's partner (Minor Watson) who is soon to be a suspect.

Barbara Hale was one of RKO's promising young starlets of the 40s. She eventually found lasting fame as Della Street in the TV series "Perry Mason".

Joan Barclay, who played Tex's ex wife had a reasonable career, starting with a bit in "The Gaucho" (1927) and ending with "The Shanghai Cobra" (1945). Carole Gallagher had a short, lack lustre career.

I am watching The Falcon Out West right now on TCM. It's one of the better Falcon movies with Tom Conway. This one features a Texas rancher/playboy dying in a New York night club of rattlesnake bite. How could that be possible? This interesting premise takes The Falcon to the rancher's Texas ranch where all the suspects are gathered. And there's no shortage of them. Cliff Clark and Edward Gargan are on hand as the bumbling police detectives trying to keep up with Tom Lawrence's shenanigans. Minor Watson is chief suspect Dave Colby. Lyle Talbot has a small role as victim Tex Irwin. Lovelies Carole Gallagher and Joan Barclay are the women in Tex Irwin's life. Barbara Hale appears in her second straight Falcon movie (she was also in The Falcon in Hollywood) as Marion Colby, Dave's daughter. Barbara didn't have many physical scenes when she was playing Della Street on Perry Mason, but in real life she was an expert horsewoman. Barb gets to demonstrate that here as she gets a closeup while riding at full gallop to catch up with a runaway stagecoach. After the closeup scene, the stunt person takes over the actual stopping of the runaway coach. The Falcon Out West is quite interesting with a good blend of action and witty dialogue. Just sit back for 64 minutes and enjoy this one. It's worth watching.

Wealthy Texas rancher Lyle Talbot dies of snakebite in a Manhattan night club. This sends Tom Conway out west, where he has blonde Carole Gallagher and brunette Barbara Hale to distract him from the corpses that pile up.

It's a settled and well greased series by this time, with lots of pretty girls, a decent mystery, and as a bonus, the process shots are not fouled up beyond belief. Even by RKO's fiscally responsible standards, this series never wasted money; likewise, it invariably ran on the diffident charms of Conway and cheesecake. Both are in evidence here.