The Gay Falcon (1941)

Irving Reis packs loads into the hour or so it takes George Sanders' "Gay" to try to sort out a complex series of jewel robberies whilst fending off the affections of ladies from all over the place! "Maxine" (Gladys Cooper) is the society matriarch concerned when she realises that her lavish and exclusive parties might be being used as a vehicle for some thievery and insurance fraud. That nervousness isn't helped when another renowned hostess whose dancing really does make your toes want to curl - "Vera" (Lucile Gleason) finds her own toes have curled up - permanently. Poor old "Gay" is just trying to get on with his peaceable life with fiancée "Elinor" (Nina Vale), but together with sidekick "Goldie" (Allen Jenkins) and the aforementioned, rather smitten "Helen" (Wendy Barrie) must now endeavour to track down the conspirator, thief, murderer - before they strike again. If anything, it's all a bit rushed, which doesn't really suit Sanders' style of delivery, but the story is solid and the characters offer us as many breadcrumbs as they do him in the search for the protagonist. I'll admit that I didn't get it right - backed the wrong horse completely. This all smacks of a cheap and cheerful but reasonably well written and watchable adaptation of a radio play designed for some wartime diversion. It just about does the trick, too.