It’s probably impossible to run out of beautiful promo posters for old movies. This was made for The Gay Falcon, which hit cinemas today in 1941. The lead character, a nationally famous sleuth, is named Gay Laurence, so that’s the front part of the title. Nothing to do with either gay or happy. The back part derives from the source material, in which author Michael Arlen gave his creation the name Gay Falcon. Why RKO Radio Pictures changed it for its adaptation we can’t say, especially since the name lives on in the film as a moniker, but okay, Gay Laurence it is.
The Gay Falcon was the first of sixteen movies in a series, built along similar lines as the Thin Man films—mystery, murder, and humor, with a dapper lead. In this case it was Russian born George Sanders, who’d had major success in Rebecca, The House of Seven Gables, and the Saint series. He’s ensnared in the mystery of a shooting that’s somehow related to a jewel theft. With his panache never coming under duress, he solves it in sixty-six highly competent minutes.
Sanders isn’t the only positive element. The movie benefits greatly from Wendy Barrie’s charming performance as Sanders’ flirtation-turned-girl Friday, and the actual solution to the mystery is pretty clever. On the negative side there’s a questionable Asian character played by Willie Fung, but as always it was either act the role as written or get the hell off the studio lot. Fung is blameless. For that and other reasons The Gay Falcon isn’t quite as good as The Thin Man, but it’s enjoyable. No wonder there were fifteen sequels.
