The Power of the Whistler (1945)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Best movie ever!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Power of the Whistler, The (1945) ** (out of 4) Third film in the series has Richard Dix being hit by a car and losing his memory. A card reader (Janis Carter) befriends the man as the two search for his real identity but who he turns out to be is the real shock. Based on a radio show episode, this film manages to be somewhat entertaining, although it seems long even at just 66-minutes. It takes a while for the story to get going but the twist in the man's identity comes out of no where and is handled very well. This is when the film really picks up and leads to a very good final act. Dix is very good in his role and Carter comes off good as well. Landers steps in to direct this one after William Castle handled the first two. I was a little letdown that he didn't keep the action moving better because he usually handles these B films a lot better. There's some nice humor scattered throughout and also a rather mean spirited side, which includes killing of a lot of animals.

This 40s b movie boasts mediocre acting, awkward dialog and a fairly ridiculous story, but it all sort of works, generating genuine suspense and moving at a fairly quick pace. The premise is interesting, with an amnesiac helped by a a stranger, but it requires you to accept that a bunch of people think it's a better idea to figure out a stranger's identity by searching his pockets than by seeing a doctor or contacting the police.One interesting thing about this movie is how trusting everyone is. Some people get into a stranger's car to rest, and when the stranger shows up he offers them a ride. Stuff like that keeps happening throughout the movie. Were people really that trusting back then? If so, the movie suggests it might not be such a good idea.

Amnesia themes were a favorite of detective stories in the '40s, and THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER is no exception. A man who is befriended by a woman who senses danger in his future (JANIS CARTER) is unable to recall anything about his past. She and her sister both combine forces to delve into the few clues they found in the man's pockets and go about trying to hunt down someone who knows his identity.If you can get past the implausibility of the set-up--a complete stranger (Carter) willing to become a full time detective upon short acquaintance of a man she knows nothing about--well, then you can sit back and watch the story unfold without too much cynicism.The man's identity remains a teasing enigma up until the last fifteen minutes or so. JEFF DONNELL is the helpful sister who unravels a few clues of her own.The script is full of loopholes, coincidences, contrivances, as all of these Whistler series are, but it makes an engrossing story if you're willing to suspend your disbelief.

Jean Lane and her sister Frances are dining in a restaurant when Jean pulls out a pack of playing cards and decides to tell the fortune of a man who is sitting at the counter.Twice in a row, even though she's thoroughly mixed the deck, the same cards come up--he will die within the next twenty four hours.She approaches him, and finds out that he has amnesia. Well, she thinks he's cute, and she's naturally concerned besides, so she helps him out. She finds out that he has some keys on him, and she finds out that such keys are used only by detectives or criminals. He has some other items in his pocket, including a train route.Through lots of detective work, her sister establishes that a prescription slip he had on him was for a very deadly poison, and that a bakery slip he had in his pocket was for a five pound birthday cake sent to a mental institution for the receipt of one John Crawford. She's seen a cigarette lighter that the man had which was marked "To J.C. from C.C." She concludes that the J.C stands for John Crawford.Meanwhile he's been waiting for Jean to meet him in a park. While he's feeding a squirrel, he suddenly regains his memory. But when Jean meets him, he doesn't tell her that, he tells her that he remembers the name of a man he knew, a man who lived in one of the towns listed in his train route; Edward Nesbitt. But he doesn't tell her his name; William Everest.Everest wants to take Jean to the town where Nesbitt lives. She tries to call her sister but doesn't get through to her. He hurries her up, tells her she can call again later. They leave.Meanwhile, her sister Frances is getting very worried. She goes to the police while her boyfriend rounds up some witnesses she's discovered during the day.It's looking as though Everest may be a very dangerous man. Is he? Or is he heading Jean and himself towards a meeting with some other very dangerous man? The police take action, but they're far away. Will the day be saved by Frances and her fiance? Watch this exciting film to find out.