The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

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moira finnie
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The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by moira finnie »

Recently, in our discussion of Framed (1949) and the interesting femme fatale featured in that leaner than usual Film Noir, Dewey mentioned that:
Dewey1960 wrote:Janis Carter truly does add a measure of spice, giving B goddesses like Ann Savage and Jean Gillie a run for their well-earned money. Next time TCM drags out The Whistler films, check out POWER OF THE WHISTLER which features another interesting Carter performance.
Since looking around the TCM schedule for the upcoming months I've found that several of the Whistler movies are being broadcast on the network on Monday, October 5th, including the one with Janis Carter. As a not so secret fan of Richard Dix, I'll definitely be there to catch these, since I honestly can't recall which ones I've seen of them, (it must be one of those film noir plot devices rubbing off on me, giving me cinematic amnesia). Though I know Dix isn't in all of these, here's the lineup--I hope someone will give this thread a bump close to the date of the broadcast:

6:00 AM
The Whistler (1944)
A grieving widower hires an assassin to kill him only to have his late wife turn up alive. Cast: Richard Dix, J. Carrol Naish, Gloria Stuart. Dir: William Castle. BW-60 mins, TV-PG

7:15 AM
The Power of the Whistler (1945)
A young woman seeks an amnesiac's true identity in the clues in his pockets. Cast: Richard Dix, Janis Carter, Jeff Donnell. Dir: Lew Landers. BW-66 mins, TV-PG

8:30 AM
Voice of the Whistler (1945)
A dying millionaire marries his nurse for companionship, only to experience a miracle cure. Cast: Richard Dix, Lynn Merrick, Rhys Williams. Dir: William Castle. BW-60 mins, TV-PG

9:45 AM
The Mysterious Intruder (1946)
A detective discovers the woman he's been hired to track down is the key to an unusual inheritance. Cast: Richard Dix, Barton MacLane, Nina Vale. Dir: William Castle. BW-62 mins,

11:00 AM
The Secret of the Whistler (1946)
An artist plots murder when his rich wife when she catches him in an affair with one of his models. Cast: Richard Dix, Leslie Brooks, Michael Duane. Dir: George Sherman. BW-64 mins, TV-PG

12:15 PM
The Return of the Whistler (1948)
When a woman goes missing on the eve of her wedding, her fiancee hires a detective to track her down. Cast: Michael Duane, Lenore Aubert, Richard Lane. Dir: D. Ross Lederman. BW-63 mins, TV-PG
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by Dewey1960 »

Of the six WHISTLER films airing on TCM in October, all but one (the noticeably inferior RETURN OF THE WHISTLER) star Richard Dix. The actor died suddenly before production began on RETURN and actor Michael Duane was used in the lead. It proved to be the final film in the series. The remaining five films being presented are all outstanding and it would be difficult to single one out as the best. The entry with Janis Carter (POWER OF THE WHISTLER) is terrific, one of the most dramatically potent of the series. SECRET OF THE WHISTLER is a genuinely creepy and disturbing film with Leslie Brooks (so malevolent as the femme fatale in the poverty row noir BLONDE ICE) proving to be resolutely despicable here as well. VOICE OF THE WHISTLER is woefully sad and haunting in its tragic depiction of loneliness and greed. THE MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER is extraordinary too, with Dix this time playing a corrupt private detective and the victim of his own avarice. I know I must sound like a broken record when it comes to these films, but they are definitely unusual and should not be missed!
Thanks Moira, for bringing them up again!!
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by CineMaven »

I saw "FRAMED" on TCM and am Janis Carter's newest fan. ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141681/ ) She made two "Whistler" movies: "The Power Of..." "The Mark Of..." I'm looking forward to seeing at least one of them this October. Along with another new discovery of mine Frances Gifford, I really like those actresses that aren't on the tip of everyone's tongue. Now to get through September...
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by Mr. Arkadin »

The Whistler films are all great, edgy little movies that took interesting experimental approaches that would probably never be allowed in "A" pictures. While some are better than others, all are entertaining and a must have if you're into seedy noir.
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by Ollie »

I don't like THE WHISTLER films or radio series too much, but they seem a bit more interesting than merely good or bad. I like the notion that we have a narrator who delivers a different tale under his auspices, and we usually have the same lead actor. Pretty interesting concept. We'd see TV use this a bit, but hardly ever using the same lead for different characters. In a way, I think The Whistler's use of Dix is a rather excellent tip o' the hat toward audience intelligence - an acknowledgement that Dix can be part of an entertainment troupe regardless of his character's name. That HAS been the history of entertainment, but here was a series that accepted it as an operational truth.

I've always wanted to see all the Dix Twins show up in a film - Richard, Chester Morris, George Reeves and maybe Ralph Byrd. I'm almost certain they all have that same square-jawed lineage!
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by MissGoddess »

I'm really looking forward to them, and to recording them! They are my favorite of all the crime/mystery series.

Ollie--I see what you mean by that "square jaw lineage"! :D
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by Ollie »

Ark, your comment about "experimental" - I'll pay attention to those. There's something that never hooked me about these movies, yet they're certainly too good for me to skip. I'm really pleased that TCM is showing a set of these that I haven't previously recorded, too.
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Re: The Whistler Movies on TCM in October

Post by moira finnie »

Since I know that many of us who posted to this thread in the past are Richard Dix fans, I thought that you might like to know about a book that has recently been published by Richard Dix's son. It is called Out of Hollywood: An Autobiography of Robert Dix. The younger Dix was an actor too who appeared in Forbidden Planet, Forty Guns, and Live and Let Die. You can read a bit about it here on The Midnight Palace, (look for the box at the bottom of the page). Robert Dix also has his own webpage, at http://www.robertdix.com/

Hope he includes some stories of Dad, even though he was only a lad when Richard Dix passed away.
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