The Falcon Takes Over

1942

Action / Comedy / Crime / Mystery / Romance / Thriller

3
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 45% · 1 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 45% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.4/10 10 1361 1.4K

private detective missing person the falcon

Plot summary

While an escaped convict, Moose Malloy, goes in search of his ex-girlfriend Velma, police inspector Michael O'Hara attempts to track him assuming him to be a prime suspect for a number of mishaps.

Director

Irving Reis Photo
Irving Reis

Top cast

Lynn Bari Photo
Lynn Bari as Ann Riordan
Dale Van Sickel Photo
Dale Van Sickel as Dancer in Fight with Waiter
Roxanne Barkley Photo
Roxanne Barkley as Hat Check Girl
Juan Varro Photo
Juan Varro as Hindu
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
579.21 MB
956*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 3 min
Seeds ...
1.05 GB
1424*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 3 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by csteidler 7 / 10

George Sanders bridges gap between hard boiled plot and comic supporting cast

Ward Bond is Moose Malloy, deranged escaped convict searching for a one time girlfriend named Velma. Drawing considerable noisy attention to himself, the Moose tracks down a shady night club manager who seems to know something—but is quickly murdered. That's just the beginning of a complicated plot that includes seedy characters, dimly lit locales, and more questions than answers.George Sanders is excellent as Gay Lawrence—also known, of course, as the Falcon. Sanders handles the picture's serious mystery elements with gravity and style. He also manages to fit into the other half of the plot, which is essentially comic relief provided by the Falcon's right hand man Goldie Locke (Allen Jenkins) and the usual bickering police duo (James Gleason and Edward Gargan as exasperated inspector and dumb assistant detective).Lynn Bari is fine as the female in the case – unexceptional but solid as the usual plucky girl that the Falcon teams up with. She and Sanders exchange some decent banter: "You believe me, don't you?" she asks at one point. "I like you," he answers, "which is much more important."Easy viewing for fans of series mysteries, with Sanders' strong performance standing out.
Reviewed by Jim Tritten 6 / 10

Poor Man's `Murder My Sweet/Lovely'

Anyone who has seen the definitive Edward Dmytryk film noir `Murder My Sweet' (1944) will blanch at this low-budget Falcon version of Raymond Chandler's 1940 `Murder My Lovely.' Life is not fair – more viewers will have seen the subsequent performance of Dick Powell as detective Philip Marlowe than George Sanders efforts as Gay Lawrence. These films are simply not comparable although they are based on the same novel. And it isn't that Dmytryk never made Falcon-class films – he directed `The Falcon Strikes Back' in 1943. It is just that `The Falcon Takes Over' comes nowhere near the superior `Murder My Sweet' and thus anyone who has seen both versions will be disappointed. Director Irving Reis was teamed with George Sanders on the first three of the Falcon films – this one being the last appearance for both in the series. George Sanders especially disappointed me – he has done better in this type role and I am pre-disposed to like anything that he has done. Ward Bond does a good job at playing the hulk Moose Malloy – but anyone who has seen Mike Mazurki will not be as impressed. Allen Jenkins does well as faithful sidekick Jonathan 'Goldy' Locke but in the Tom Conway Falcon series, Edward Brophy is a good substitute. James Gleason is always good as the policeman in charge.See this to compare or to round out your viewing of the Sanders Falcon series.
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