Noir-Vember: The Whistler (1944)

Based on the radio program by J. Donald Wilson, The Whistler is a very economical and fun little noir from director William Castle. He wasn't yet the William Castle that we know and love as the master salesman, this was very near the start of his feature directorial career, but he certainly already knew how to deliver thrills to an audience. It helps that the runtime just about nudges right up against the one hour mark, making everything feel more urgent and fast-paced.

Earl C. Conrad (Richard Dix) is seen arranging for a hit man at the start of the movie. It soon becomes apparent that the target is himself. He remains grief-stricken after the loss of his wife. Things change, however, when he receives news that his wife may actually still be alive. It should just be a case of calling off the hit, letting those who arranged it keep the money, and getting on with a happier life ahead. The middle man is no longer available though, having been caught in a shootout with police just after arranging the hit. Conrad needs to find out who the killer is, and he then needs to convince him that the job is no longer going ahead.

Despite the framing device (The Whistler is an unseen character who comments on the events like some omniscient figure who enjoys being caretaker of some kind of criminal Twilight Zone), which feels strangely redundant, The Whistler is essentially everything you could want from an enjoyably basic and cheap noir. It's a solid premise, one we've seen many times (sometimes with slight variations to the methodology, of course), the cast are all working well enough with the material, and Castle does his utmost to put his stamp on everything. Everything is dark and slightly askew, a nightmare landscape that our lead character seems unable to escape.

Dix is decent enough, and we can stick with him as the hero because we're given clear motivation for his initial decision and subsequent turnaround (hey, isn't love always the most noble of motivators? or maybe that is just too cheesy for us noir fans to keep in mind). J. Carrol Naish is a suitably focused and dangerous killer, and it's obvious from early on that he won't be easily swayed to drop a job that he's already been paid for. The cast also includes Alan Dinehart (as Gorman, a friend of the killer), Gloria Stuart (a concerned secretary/friend named Alice), Charles Coleman (a loyal butler), Don Costello (the middle-man), and Joan Woodbury (a widow searching for some information that she might get from Conrad).

I can see why this would work better on the radio, despite being a decent little feature, but I got to the end of this film and wondered why we needed The Whistler to be part of the whole thing. Of course, that name allowed this one film to start off a series of eight features, which I'll definitely check out some time (especially as I now own them all). Maybe later instalments will allow The Whistler to play a more integral part in the proceedings. Or maybe not. I'll have to wait and see.  

6/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share 

The Invisible Man (1933)

 "We'll begin with a reign of terror, a few murders here and there, murders of great men, murders of little men, just to show we make no distinction." 

James Whale was quite a talent. Horror fans should already know that, of course, but it's worth repeating until everyone, young and old, takes the time to explore his filmography and remember just how great a director he was. Arguably best known for Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein, he also gave cinema fans at least two other movies that many consider classics, one being The Old Dark House and the other being this, a movie adaptation of the H. G. Wells tale.

Claude Rains plays the titular character (although his face remains unseen for the majority of the movie, of course), a man who becomes invisible after using a serum that he doesn't realise will also drive him insane. Quickly becoming drunk on the power, he starts to terrorise the entire country, throttling some people, causing a train to crash, and generally being really quite spiteful and dangerous just because he can get away with it. There are some people who still think that he can be saved (Dr. Cranley, played by Henry Travers, and his daughter, played by Gloria Stuart) but the standard reaction is fear, a reaction which leads Dr. Kemp (William Harrigan) to betray the invisible man, which is a huge mistake.

"Power, I said! Power to walk into the gold vaults of the nations, into the secrets of kings, into the Holy of Holies; power to make multitudes run squealing in terror at the touch of my little invisible finger. Even the moon's frightened of me, frightened to death!" 

With a final screenplay by R. C. Sherriff, after the many treatments attempted by other writers, and that direction from Whale, this is a perfect blend of black comedy, wonderful special effects (that still hold up to this day), tense moments and some wanton violence.

Rains, despite really only being judged on a vocal performance for a lot of the runtime, is superb in the main role. He really does convey lunacy and menace with almost every line uttered, especially in the second half of the movie. Travers, Stuart and Harrigan are all decent, as is Holmes Herbert in his role as Chief Of Police.

The Invisible Man, like a number of the classics from the '30s and '40s, feels just as fresh and entertaining today as it did decades and decades ago. I hold my hands up as a fan of most films featuring invisibility (including the daffy and enjoyable Hollow Man), but this remains the very best of the lot. Easily.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Classic-Monsters-Essential-Collection/dp/B008H45YSO/ref=sr_1_17?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1392843164&sr=1-17&keywords=the+invisible+man