The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946)

This might be my favourite of the "Lone Wolf" adventures as it frequently reminded me of one of the Rathbone/Bruce "Sherlock Holmes" stories. This time, "Lanyard" (newcomer Gerald Mohr) and his reliable sidekick "Jameson" (Eric Blore) find themselves embroiled in their usual gem-snatching scenario. Also, as usual, "Insp. Crane" (William B. Davidson) is keen to get the cuffs on our reformed jewel thief without really investigating the crime. It now falls to our sleuthing duo to resort to some impersonating - of a visiting Maharajah and his aide, no less - and exercise of their grey cells to save the damsel "Carla" (Janis Carter) from the evil clutches of their nemesis and return the sapphire - without paying the huge ransom - to the Prince before they both end up in San Quentin. Ian Wolfe ("Wheelright") delivers reliably and there is some enjoyably quick-witted dialogue between Mohr & Blore as we race through an hour towards the predictable, slighly slapstick, conclusion. An easy hour to watch, this.