The Falcon in San Francisco (1945)

Wonderful Movie

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

That was an excellent one.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Executive producer: Sid Rogell. Copyright 20 July 1945 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 20 July 1945. U.S. release: August 1945. U.K. release: 6 January 1947. Australian release: 10 January 1946. 6,050 feet. 67 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An impossibly complicated plot starts off when the Falcon befriends a young girl on the train to San Francisco. She claims she is being held prisoner.NOTES: Number eleven in the sixteen-picture Falcon series. COMMENT: Disappointing. True, director Joseph H. Lewis does what he can with some long, fluid takes, some through-the-bars shots and the availability of some fine standing sets. But he's ultimately defeated by the confused and confusing, not-worth-the-effort but incredibly complex plot. Edward S. Brophy's Goldy is not much help either. Whilst he does have a few amusing moments (particularly a run-in with Dorothy Adams' put-down widow), mostly he's a pain. Conway sails through his role in his usual suave but increasingly detached manner, but Rita Corday makes a most attractive heroine, and Sharyn Moffett is quite tolerable as the young girl. The other players, with the exception of Faye Helm's villainess and her sadistic henchman Carl Kent, make little impression (including Robert Armstrong's routine shipping fleet owner).Visually, the film is more interesting. There are only a few shots of San Francisco (most notably Conway boarding a cable car), but the sets (some doubtless standing from The Magnificent Ambersons) are extensive and well-lit. It's easy to separate the work of the two cameramen. Although they're a good match, Miller's glossy black images using little if any fill light, such as the scenes in Moffett's bedroom, are a characteristic that few other cinematographers would duplicate.Despite its fair-sized budget (and its many echoes from Hammett and Chandler), The Falcon in San Francisco is definitely one of the lesser entries in the series. It's just too contrived.OTHER VIEWS: With his sweeping camera movements through crowded sets, and other establishing shots through all sorts of "frames", plus a bit of location shooting in San Fancisco itself, director Joseph H. Lewis manages to get a fair bit of production value into this entry. Unfortunately his efforts are largely wasted on a mindlessly convoluted-but-who-cares plot. Conway is unperturbed, but some of the other principals try hard (in Brophy's case too hard) to interest us in the characters, but with only passing success.

"The Falcon in San Francisco" is a 1945 entry into The Falcon series starring Tom Conway. This one has some nice shots of San Francisco and captures the city's atmosphere - old timers familiar with the city will love it. In this one, Tom and Goldie (Edward Brophy) meet a cute little girl (Sheryl Moffett) and her dog Diogenes on a train. While traveling, the girl's nurse is found dead. The Falcon and Goldie soon find themselves in a web of intrigue involving a crime ring, a shipping company, and a secret kept by the girl's beautiful sister (Rita Corday). King Kong's Robert Armstrong plays the shipping company's business manager. The mystery is actually pretty good, and the film moves quickly.For some reason, these Falcon films always end somewhat abruptly. However, it's enjoyable.

This is the eleventh Falcon film, notable for the entry of a child actress in a major role. Having the Falcon exchange witty lines with Sharyn Moffett who in the film 'will be 18 in nine years' time', as she puts it, and who 'has decided to marry Tom Lawrence (the Falcon)' when she grows up 'but then he'll have to stop chasing after other girls', is a refreshing and amusing change. Tom Conway does very well at communicating with a kid, and Sharyn is charming in the part. Unfortunately, the hideously boring and coarse Edward Brophy is the Falcon's sidekick in this one, which is so annoying. There is a marvellous wicked femme fatale in this one played by Fay Helm, who obviously finds it delicious to be devilish. Rita Corday appears in her fifth Falcon film, and has become a reliable fixture in the series. Robert Armstrong, solid and good viewing, appears in this one and adds conviction to a double identity. The film is well directed by Joseph H. Lewis, his one foray into falconry, with some good San Francisco location shots, excellent framing, and a nice pace. The story is satisfying in its puzzling complexity, and we really can't figure out very much at all until we get near the end. Falconers will enjoy this one, and lesser mortals should too.

After 5 Falcon films without him, Goldie Lock makes his return with Ed Brophy in his first of 2 – although he had played a cop in the 1st Falcon film in 1941 too. This was also Tom Conway's 8th outing in the title role - this time with a cold - to Rita Corday's 5th as suspect. "In San Francisco" was an earthier entry in the series, with some realistic acting, more violence to go with some of the seedier locales and a punchier storyline: all adding up to make an excellent film [11/13].A little girls' guardian is found dead on a sleeper train, suave passengers Tom Lawrence and Goldie offer to take her home but get arrested for child abduction. It turns even nastier when various shady parties think that the Falcon's working for the other side, leading to him getting roughed up in his quest to find out what's going on. The trail leads to an ex-bootlegger, an old moll in a ridiculous hat, silk smuggling – in short, an interesting and cogent plot with a satisfying climax. Thankfully the possibilities with cute little Annie in tow were not taken up, a very brief bedtime reading of Peter And The Wolf was as close as we got. Comedy was supplied by Brophy with the running gag of him trying to become a married poyson to save on his income tax payments.It's always been my favourite Conway Falcon movie, best for those of us who like watching 1940's b&w detective b pics whether in a series or not.