The Falcon's Alibi (1946)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The twelfth film in the Falcon seriesAlthough Rita Corday portrays a character named Joan, like she did in the previous Falcon film, this time her last name is Meredith (not Marshall), in her sixth (and final) appearance in the series. Vincent Barnett plays Goldie. A couple of known actors also appear: Jane Greer and Elisha Cook Jr., as well as several actors that appeared in earlier Falcon films, Esther Howard, Jason Robards Sr., and Emory Parnell.The film begins at a racetrack, where the Falcon (Tom Conway) and Goldie meet a rich woman, Gloria Peabody (Ms. Howard, who played a different Mrs. Peabody in the previous Falcon film) and her entourage including Joan (Ms. Corday), her personal assistant, and Harvey Beaumont (Robards Sr.). They are being closely monitored by Metcalf (Mr. Parnell), an insurance man who (in lieu of the police, in this film) serves as the comic foil for the Falcon and his sidekick. Metcalf, who recently paid Mrs. Peabody a large settlement for some jewels which were stolen, suspects Joan had something to do with it. At Joan's urging, the Falcon and Goldie join the group, which is celebrating Mrs. Peabody's 37th (ha!) birthday party, when it moves to her hotel.Ms. Greer's character, Lola Carpenter, is introduced as a singer at the hotel, where there is also a radio station on the penthouse level. The station's late night disc jockey, Nick (Cook Jr.), is secretly married to Lola. We (though none of the characters in the film) see Nick returning to the station through the fire escape shortly after a man is murdered in Mrs. Peabody's suite, where it turns out her pearls were stolen. The police inspector (Al Bridge, a familiar character actor), with input from Metcalf, suspects the Falcon until Joan vouches for him. The Falcon and Goldie are later shot at (for no apparent reason, other than it kind of helps the plot later) from the fire escape outside their hotel room window.The next day while relaxing by the pool with Lola, the Falcon discovers that the 11 carat ring she's wearing, which she believes is fake, is actually real. Shortly thereafter, while lunching with Mrs. Peabody et al, the Falcon arranges for Goldie to cause a smudge fire in Beaumont's hotel room to witness, surreptitiously, that he has the pearls hidden in a false book in his room. The Falcon decides to take the pearls to "smoke out" the fence, whom he presumes (correctly) is the nightclub operator. After denying he is the fence, the nightclub operator has the Falcon tailed. But the Falcon suspects this, and mails the pearls to himself to avoid losing them.The mailed pearls arrive about the same time the police inspector visits the Falcon's hotel room. However, when they go to question Beaumont about them, it's discovered that he's been killed. So, naturally, the Falcon is arrested. After showing the police inspector how clever he is, especially in comparison to his accuser Metcalf, the Falcon is given 24 hours to solve the crimes or face the charges himself.The Falcon discovers the connection between Lola and the disc jockey, as well as another secret relationship. Another person is murdered, and the Falcon is again a suspect. But, of course, he escapes and arrives just in time to save the day.The film ends with an unnecessary twist, and no lead in to the next (and last) film in the series.

The Falcon RKO film series is mostly very enjoyable, with both George Sanders and his brother Tom Conway who took over from him being great in the title role.Admittedly, some are better than others. For examples there are some particularly fun entries such as 'The Gay Falcon', 'A Date with the Falcon', 'The Falcon Strikes Back', 'The Falcon and the Co-eds', 'The Falcon in Hollywood' and 'The Falcon in San Francisco', while others while still very much watchable disappoint a little such 'The Falcon's Brother', 'The Falcon in Danger', 'The Falcon Out West' and 'The Falcon in Mexico'.On the most part, while not fitting among either extreme of whether among the best or weakest Falcon films, 'The Falcon's Alibi' is solid fun and works well. The culprit is pretty obvious early on, almost from when they are first introduced, and the ending is a little hasty and abrupt (not an uncommon problem in this series). While most of the supporting cast are great, there are a few that don't quite make an impression.Jean Brooks is wasted due to being given so little to do, and while Al Bridge and Edmund Cobb do alright, they are in types of roles filled more effectively in the Falcon series by Cliff Clark and Edward Gargan as well as James Gleason. Vince Barnett was only serviceable as Goldie, personally thought that Edward Brophy had more enthusiasm and that Allen Jenkins was more of a scene-stealer, Barnett was an admirable stooge but his material is a little bland in places and he occasionally overdid it (by all means not a bad performance).However, a lot also does work. The music is lively and haunting, the songs are particularly great and the use of them ingenious, and on the most part the production values are slick and atmospheric with particularly nicely done photography. The film is directed with liveliness and tautness, while the script is playful and much of the story is absorbing and goes at a bright and breezy pace with the odd bit of dark suspense.Conway is dapper, suave, charismatic and amusingly cutting here, he always thrived in the title role and 'The Falcon's Alibi' sees him give one of his most confident performances in the role. Rita Corday is low-key and charming, while Emory Parnell is amusing (though his screen time is short) and Esther Howard and Jason Robards Snr are solid. The two best supporting performances are a sizzling Jane Greer and a sinister Elisha Cook Jnr.All in all, solid fun if not among the best or weakest of a mostly enjoyable series of films. 7/10 Bethany Cox

During a day at the races, Guy Lawrence meets the wealthy Mrs Peabody and her ward, Judith Meredith and he accepts their invitation to a party later that night. Judith confides in The Falcon that she fears she will be accused if more of Mrs Peabody's jewels are stolen – she already has a suspicious insurance investigator on her case due to a previous claim. When the jewels do get stolen and a butler murdered, Judith is suspected and turns to the Falcon to help solve the mystery and save her.Several years after the falcon series changed hands, and everyone seems a lot more comfortable than they did in that first vehicle where Conway first went solo. The plot here is the usual mix of pretty girls, mystery, red herrings and gentlemanly action. It is hardly the most original stuff ever made but it is a reasonably enjoyable little story even if it didn't grip me in the way that a really good thriller should do. The film has enough energy, intrigue and humour to do the job and, although the material is just entertainment, everything more or less comes together. The first song of the two is really cute and the humour is mostly good.A big part of this is everyone hitting their marks right. Conway seems perfect for the role now and seems a lot more confident. He is as good as Saunders was here. Barnett is on point as Goldy as well; at first he was a poor replacement for Lefty but, after being dropped from at least one of the movies, he is good here. It is just as well really since the comic relief usually provided by the police is absent and replaced with a dour insurance man who has little to do. Corday is yet another blonde for the Falcon to woo and she does well enough for that sort of role. He's a little hammy but Cook is always interesting and we also have solid support from Robards Snr, Howard, Jane Greer and Bridge.Overall not a superb film but a better than average entry in an entertaining series of films. Everyone seems at home and enjoying their roles and it is almost a shame that the series was just approaching the end of its 13 film run.

Tom Conway as the Falcon re-playing the part his brother George Sanders did in the first of this series -- The Gay Falcon -- breaking up a phony insurance scam. Supporting cast includes Rita Corday again. For some reason in this entry we see Vice Barnett playing the role of Goldie Locke that is much better done elsewhere by Edward Brophy. Best part of movie is watching Elisha Cook play the small insecure and obsessed man married to a beautiful woman -- Jane Greer. Cook gives you a glimpse of what he does better in more notable films, but his performance warrants your attention in this otherwise formula entry.