The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939)

As a lover of old movies from the Golden Age of cinema (from talkies to television), it's always fun to discover talented people on both sides of the camera that never got the kind of recognition they deserved. One of these was Warren William, who this writer first noticed in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1939.) Besides playing a Musketeer, his roles ranged from Julius Caesar to Perry Mason. Additionally, he played detectives Sam Spade, Philo Vance and the Lone Wolf, his most famous role. While the Lone Wolf series was never quite as good as the Thin Man's from all I've seen and read, this entry was entertaining for a good many reasons, most of all for having Rita Hayworth and Ida Lupino in the cast. Although a bit long in the tooth to be Ida's love interest (he was 45 when he made this picture, though he plays a 35-year old, which means he was really old enough to be Val Carson's dad, despite her line quoted above), he played the character with at least as much zest as William Powell imbued the Thin Man. Add to this some well-written and well-played supporting actors and you have a pretty fair crime/spy drama. It's not THE 39 STEPS, but it's still enjoyable to watch Michael Lanyard and gang in a mostly fine film series. Dale Roloff