The Silver Screen Oasis

Get ready for an onslaught of fascinating "B" noir at its darkest, most delirious best on Monday, November 5 as TCM unveils six of the seven WHISTLER films: THE WHISTLER, THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER, THE VOICE OF THE WHISTLER, THE MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER, SECRET OF THE WHISTLER and THE RETURN OF THE WHISTER. THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER is the only one of the group not being shown.

Produced by Columbia Pictures between 1944 and 1948, these quirky programmers are among the very best 40s "B" noirs made, given over to fatalistic themes and eloquently expressionistic images. Four of the eight were directed by William Castle (at the beginning of his illustrious career) and two were adapted from stories written by Cornell Woolrich. All but one (RETURN OF THE WHISTLER) star Richard Dix. Of interest is the fact that in each film Dix plays a completely different character, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes sinister.

Each of the films merit attention; some are considerably better than others. My own personal favorites are: THE WHISTER (44), in which Dix plays a man consumed by grief over the loss of his beloved wife. In desperation, he enlists the services of an anonymous assassin to kill him. An unusual turn of events gives him pause to reconsider, but will it be too late? Extremely eerie and morose entry. THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER (44) which, unfortunately isn't being aired, is from a Woolrich story about a tramp (Dix) who stumbles upon a scheme to claim a hefty inheritance. His comeupance is ingenious and unexpected, really terrific. THE MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER (46) casts Dix as a grungy private eye with larceny in his blood; it's probably the one with the strongest noir elements, with a dizzying array of bizarre plot twists.

Hopefully Sony will someday see fit to release these great films in a DVD package. Fans of film noir and series films will no doubt find them to be an absolute and unexpected treat!

Dewey,
Thanks for the reminder. This is one of the few detective-type series that I've never seen any of and am very anxious for. I have listened to several radio episodes of The Whistler and have always really enjoyed the stories.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or was there a Whistler TV show at one point, maybe from the 50's?

Hey Chris -
I don't recall there being a TV series based on THE WHISTLER, but there probably should have been! It would have been perfectly suited to a 50s mood. The radio show, however, lasted until the mid-50s.
Hope you get a chance to catch the films; I look forward to your reactions!

Thanks for the notice Dewey. The recorder will be rolling.

Hi Dewey - I've only just become aquainted with Richard Dix due to TCM playing a slew of his films earlier this year, and I like him a lot! I was planning on recording The Whistler and due to your recomendation, I will also include The Mysterious Intruder. There are some other familiar names in the cast; Barton MacLane, Charles Lane and Mike Mazurki, so it looks like it would be a notch above a ho-hum B flick.

BTW, I've not been able to identify the fellow in your avitar - a big band leader? Or is that you?

Hey Jezebel - I think you'll enjoy the WHISTLER films, especially if you're a fan of unusual "B" noir films. MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER was the only film in the series that didn't carry the WHISTLER name in the title; ironically, it's one of the best of the lot! None of the them are the least bit ho-hum!

The fellow in my avatar is ALAN FREED, the notorious New York (by way of Cleveland) disc jockey from the 1950s who was (unfairly) brought down in the payola scandal of 1959. He's credited with coining the phrase "rock 'n roll." He's one of my pop culture idols.

I got up early this morning and caught the first one. I enjoyed it quite a bit. My dad is a fan of old radio plays (along with Glenn Miller, Paul Harvey and Bing Crosby's "Swing on a Star" which were my childhood listening--especially in his car) and I vaguely remember this. I will ask him at work today of he remembers any of the films (he was born in '35). I'm pretty sure he knows the radio show.

If your dad was a fan of radio plays, then he most likely remembers THE WHISTLER, which was a popular item well into the 1950s. As for the films, my guess is that he probably caught them as a kid in the theater or maybe later on television (I remember seeing them on TV when I was a kid and being genuinely creeped out!) I think they hold up pretty well.

He actually remembered going to see them in the theater! He said The Whistler radio show was pretty adult for it's time. It came on later at night and dealt with deeper subjects than some of the others like Suspense or The Shadow.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the Whistler movies today. What a great idea for a series, just one thing to tie them together, but actually separate movies by themselves that didn't need the others for explanation or introductions. e.g. In every Thin Man, you have the reason why he doesn't work, and where her money comes from. With the Saint, he's an ex-thief, etc., etc.

I also liked Richard Dix, but I liked that last guy too. I don't recall him from anything much but this was a good story line, that poor bride was in a real mess.

Anne

Hey Dewey!

Agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the Whistler films.

One thing, though, is that there are actually eight of them, not seven.

The other one, which also was not shown on Monday. is called THE THIRTEENTH HOUR. It's from 1947 and is the last film in the series to star Richard Dix. It's Dix's last film as well.

Directed by B meister William Clemens, it's the story of a small trucking company owner (played by Dix), who has just successfully defeated a policeman in a competition for roadside diner owner Karen Morley's affections. The two announce their engagement, the cop and Dix have a quarrel, then the cop turns up dead. Did Dix do it? Hey, no spoilers here!

It's a fine, brisk little entry in the series, and worth seeing if it should turn up.

Wow, nightwalker, thanks for the dope on THE THIRTEENTH HOUR; it sounds great. For reasons unknown, I've never been aware of it! Hopefully Turner will be of a mind to show this one and MARK OF THE WHISTLER sometime in the future!
I sure hope someone at Sony is paying attention to this thread; what a great little box-set these films would make!

If it will help the cause I'd be there on the first day of the set's release to buy one!

With a little digging I was able to discover that there was a short-lived Whistler television series. It was produced in 1954 for syndication and they made 39 30-minute episodes starring William Forman as The Whistler. This had been bugging me because I remember as a kid seeing a show that had a shadowy figure introducing that weeks story and then walking off whistling. I can't find out much more information on the show at this point so it probably doesn't exist on DVD or tape anywhere right now.

cinemalover wrote:With a little digging I was able to discover that there was a short-lived Whistler television series. It was produced in 1954 for syndication and they made 39 30-minute episodes starring William Forman as The Whistler. This had been bugging me because I remember as a kid seeing a show that had a shadowy figure introducing that weeks story and then walking off whistling. I can't find out much more information on the show at this point so it probably doesn't exist on DVD or tape anywhere right now.

I have shadowy memories of that TV show too, Chris. I remember the sound of whistling and footsteps, but I was pretty small in 1954, and I'm not sure my family even owned a TV at that time, so if I did see that program, it was at someone else's home. There were so very many such short-lived syndicated shows then - they all run together in my head.

The website tvacres.com says the whistling was done by Dorothy Roberts, and that the theme was written by Wilbur Hatch (music director for "I Love Lucy"). I do remember a spooky-sounding voice saying "I am The Whistler."