THE LONE WOLF SERIES-This series of films concerned a retired jewel thief named Michael Lanyard. Author Louis Joseph Vance created the character, which had already been filmed many times dating back to the silent days. These four entries are the most popular and they all starred actor Warren William (quite popular in his day as well).
THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT-1939-Here the title character Michael Lanyard is a well off widower with a small daughter (Virginia Weidler; later in Katherine Hepburn’s sister in THE PHILIDELPHIA STORY) and a butler (Leonard Carey). He gets in hot water when some gangsters (Ralph Morgan and soon to be famous Rita Hayworth) want him to crack a safe containing some government rocket plans. Ida Lupino is his “younger” girlfriend who tries to help but usually just gets in the way. A police inspector (Don Beddoe) and his Sgt. (Tom Dugan) spend a lot of time trying to pin the crime on Lanyard.
The ensuing entries are nothing like this one that may have been an attempted to compete with the popular THIN MAN series. Some of the dialogue is quite funny.
Ben Weldon is the lead henchman. An un-billed Jack Norton is featured as his usual drunk and there are other un-billed appearances by I. Standford Jolly, Vernon Dent, Marc Lawrence and James Craig.
Director Peter Godfrey directed a few other films including THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS and THE WOMAN IN WHITE. Star William was D’Artangan in James Whales’ THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK the same year. Leading lady Lupino became a star a few years later co-starring with Bogart in THE DRIVE BY NIGHT and HIGH SIERRA.
THE LONE WOLF STRIKES-1940-In the second of the popular series William is still the ex-thief Michael Lanyard but now he is no longer a widower nor does he have a daughter. He’s obsessed with raising fish instead! Eric Blore is now cast as his comical butler who longs for the “old days” of crime. Here he’s involved with the theft of some expensive pearls and the murder of a friend. Don Beddoe returns as the police inspector still trying to pin any crime on Lanyard but Fred Kelsey is now his second in command. Also with Addison Richards, Mongtagu Love, Alan Baxter and Joan Perry (who later married Columbia head honcho Harry Cohn). Sidney Salkow directed the next episode too.
THE LONE WOLF MEETS A LADY-1940-Once again The Lone Wolf, Michael Lanyard (Warren William) gets involved in another theft, this time a rare family heirloom. Eric Blore is still his butler. Jean Muir holds the valuables and her ex-husband (Roger Pryor) tries to help thief Victor Jory get them. Lanyard tries to help her and winds up getting the crime pinned on him. Fred Kelsey returns as a detective but his boss is now played by Thurston Hall! Strangely Don Beddoe who played the police inspector in the first two is now reduced to an un-billed role as a coroner! Shemp Howard has one scene as a pickpocket.
THE LONE WOLF TAKES A CHANCE-1941-Warren William and Eric Blore return in the most far-fetched and comical entry of the four. Lanyard uses a plane and a blow-up of a newsreel short to help solve a crime involving an inventor (Lloyd Bridges) and his burglar proof railroad car. Thurston Hall and Fred Kelsey return as the police determined to pin a murder rap on Lanyard. Don Beddoe is now a local sheriff! June Storey, Henry Wilcoxon and Regis Toomey co-star.
Star William (sometimes referred rather unfairly as "the poor man's John Barrymore), would play The Lone Wolf in 5 more features and was the first film portrayer of Perry Mason. He had a small role in Universal’s THE WOLF MAN the same year as TAKES A CHANCE. He played Sam Spade in the second remake of THE MALTESE FALCON, SATAN MET A LADY (although Bette Davis was the star). After The Lone Wolf features he portrayed another detective Philo Vance. He died in 1948 of bone marrow cancer at age 52. One of his last roles was as the villain in Edgar Ulmer’s STRANGE ILLUSION.
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