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The Whistler (1944)
''The Whistler'' is a 1944 American mystery film noir directed by William Castle and starring Richard Dix, Gloria Stuart and J. Carrol Naish. Based on the radio drama ''The Whistler'', it was the first of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films starring Richard Dix produced in the 1940s. The film will be under copyright until 2040 due to renewal. Plot Industrialist Earl C. Conrad, who failed to rescue his wife at sea and now suffers from grief and guilt, arranges to have a hit man end his life. He does not know how he will be killed, but knows that it will happen within days. Suddenly Conrad learns that his wife is still alive, and he tries to call off the hit. Unfortunately, the underworld go-between who made the deal with him has been killed in the meantime, leaving Conrad unable to learn the identity of the actual hit man. The pathological hired killer, obsessed with carrying out his mission, stalks Conrad as the frightened industrialist stays on the move. Always looking ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Castle
William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attention of Columbia Pictures for his talent for promotion and was hired. He learned the trade of filmmaking and became a director, acquiring a reputation for the ability to churn out competent B-movies quickly and on budget. He eventually struck out on his own, producing and directing thrillers, which, despite their low budgets, he effectively promoted using gimmicks, a trademark for which he is best known. He was also the producer for '' Rosemary's Baby''. Personal life Castle was born in New York City, the son of Saidie (Snellenberg) and William Schloss. His family was Jewish. His mother died when he was nine. When his father followed a year later, he was left an orphan at the age of 11. He then lived with his older sister. "Schloss" is G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 63. One of the best-known ''émigrés'' from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute. He has been cited as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. Lang's most celebrated films include the groundbreaking futuristic ''Metropolis'' (1927) and the influential '' M'' (1931), a film noir precursor. His 1929 film '' Woman in the Moon'' showcased the use of a multi-stage rocket, and also pioneered the concept of a rocket launch pad (a rocket standing upright against a tall building before launch having been slowly rolled into place) and the rocket-launch countdown clock. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Clemens (film Director)
William Clemens (September 10, 1905 – April 29, 1980) was an American film director. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Clemens began his Hollywood career as a film editor in 1931. His first directing project was ''Man Hunt'' in 1936. His major credits include ''On Dress Parade'' with the Dead End Kids, two Perry Mason mysteries ('' The Case of the Velvet Claws'' and ''The Case of the Stuttering Bishop''), three films featuring detective Tom Lawrence, a.k.a. "The Falcon," four films based on the Nancy Drew series, and ''Calling Philo Vance'' in 1940. Clemens' final project was ''The Thirteenth Hour'' in 1947. He died in Los Angeles, California in 1980. Complete filmography As director * '' Man Hunt'' (1936) * '' The Law in Her Hands'' (1936) * '' The Case of the Velvet Claws'' (1936) * '' Down the Stretch'' (1936) * ''Here Comes Carter'' (1936) * ''The Sunday Round-Up'' (1936 short) * ''Once a Doctor'' (1937) * ''The Case of the Stuttering Bishop'' (1937) * ''Talent Scout'' (1937 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Thirteenth Hour (1947 Film)
''The Thirteenth Hour'' is a 1947 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by William Clemens, the production features Richard Dix, Karen Morley and John Kellogg. It is the seventh of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s. This was the last of Dix's seven starring roles in the series, and one of only two that featured him in a sympathetic light. web page, San Francisco. Accessed: July 16, 2013. Suffering from heart disease, Dix was unable to continue his acting career and died in September 1949 at the age of 56. Premise A truck driver named Steve Reynolds (Richard Dix) is involved in a nasty business rivalry. He gets assaulted by a masked bandit who hijacks his truck.Cast * |
George Sherman
George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and producer of low-budget Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment industry." Biography George Sherman was born in New York City on July 14, 1908. At age 14 he sailed aboard the SS ''Mongolia'' to Los Angeles, California, where he found work in the mail room at Warner Bros. studios via a film editor friend. Sherman was credited for working on props on '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1928). Mack Sennett He worked as an assistant director on the Mack Sennett comedy ''The Lion and the House'' (1932), then the short feature '' Hypnotized'' (1932). He worked on the shorts ''A Wrestler's Bride'' (1933), '' The Plumber and the Lady'' (1933), ''Uncle Jake'' (1933), ''See You Tonight'' (1933), ''Husbands' Reunion'' (1933), and ''The Big Fibber'' (1933). Assistant Director Sherman went to First Division Productions where he assisted on '' Sunse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Secret Of The Whistler
''The Secret of the Whistler'' is a 1946 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama '' The Whistler''. Directed by George Sherman, the production features Richard Dix, Leslie Brooks and Michael Duane. It is the sixth of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, all but the last starring Dix. Plot Ralph Harrison (Richard Dix) is married to Edith (Mary Currier), a rich woman who has been suffering heart attacks. Upset by her condition, he finds consoling companionship with an artist's model, the unscrupulous gold-digger Kay (Leslie Brooks). He falls in love with Kay. Edith's health then improves. Edith overhears Ralph professing his love for Kay. Edith threatens Ralph, saying she's going to take him out of her will. He decides to poison her, with her own medicine, before she can meet with her lawyers. After Edith dies, Ralph marries Kay, who becomes suspicious of how Edith died and worried for her own fate. Finding incriminating diary pages and th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mysterious Intruder
''Mysterious Intruder'' is a 1946 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Barton MacLane and Nina Vale. It is the fifth of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, the first seven starring Dix. Plot Edward Stillwell, the aged proprietor of a music store, hires private detective Don Gale (Dix) to find Elora Lund, a then 14-year-old who vanished seven years ago at the time her mother died. Stillwell can only pay $100, but hints mysteriously that finding Lund could make Gale a rich man. A young woman claiming to be Elora Lund shows up at Stillwell's shop, supposedly in answer to his newspaper advertisement. Stillwell tells her that her mother gave him some "odds and ends" to sell; he discovered something very valuable among them, but refuses to give her any details until he telephones Gale. Meanwhile, Harry Pontos sneaks into the basement and finds a package mark ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voice Of The Whistler
''Voice of the Whistler'' is a 1945 American mystery film noir directed by William Castle and starring Richard Dix, Lynn Merrick, and Rhys Williams. It was the fourth of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, all based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Plot A dying millionaire, trying to do good, marries his penniless young nurse so she can inherit his wealth and live in comfort. He then miraculously recovers, but the troubles for both husband and wife are just beginning. Cast * Richard Dix as John Sinclair, alias John Carter * Lynn Merrick as Joan Martin Sinclair * Rhys Williams as Ernie Sparrow * James Cardwell as Fred (Doc) Graham * Tom Kennedy Thomas or Tom Kennedy may refer to: Politics *Thomas Kennedy (Scottish judge) (1673–1754), joint Solicitor General for Scotland 1709–14, Lord Advocate 1714, Member of Parliament for Ayr Burghs 1720–21 * Thomas Kennedy, 9th Earl of Cassilis ... as Ferdinand / Hammerlock References External li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lew Landers
Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, he appeared in two features: D.W. Griffith's drama '' The Escape'' and the comedy short ''Admission – Two Pins'', under his birth name. He became an assistant director at Universal Pictures in 1922. He began making films in the 1930s, one of his early ones being the Boris Karloff / Bela Lugosi thriller '' The Raven'' (1935). After directing a few more features, he changed his name to Lew Landers and directed more than 100 films in a variety of genres, including Westerns, comedies, and horror movies. He worked for every major film studio—and many minor ones—during his career. Since 1943, he began to alternate his movie work with directing television series, including two episodes of '' Adventures of Superman'' and the campy '' Capt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Power Of The Whistler
''The Power of the Whistler'' is a 1945 film noir thriller film based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by Lew Landers, the production features Richard Dix. It is the third of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, seven starring Dix. Plot Dix plays an amnesiac who learns about his name and past through the help of amateur fortune teller Jean Lang (Janis Carter). The fortune teller sees the mysterious-looking man when she is in a restaurant with her sister and the sister's boyfriend. Without meeting him, she predicts that he will be near death twice in the coming day. Outside the restaurant, she saves him from being struck by a car. It is then that he realizes he has no memory of his past. Charmed by his pleasant, cultured manner, she resolves to help him uncover the mystery of his life. She continues to do so, even as she encounters signs that they may find something scary. Cast * Richard Dix as William Everest * Janis Carter as Jean L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Mark Of The Whistler
''The Mark of the Whistler'', (aka ''The Marked Man'') is a 1944 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Porter Hall and Janis Carter. It is the second of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, all but the last starring Dix. Plot summary A drifter claims the money in a dormant bank account. Later, he becomes the target of men who are the sons of the man's old partner, who is now in prison due to a conflict with him over the money. Cast * Richard Dix as Lee Selfridge Nugent * Janis Carter as Patricia Henley * Porter Hall as Joe Sorsby * Paul Guilfoyle as 'Limpy' Smith * John Calvert as Eddie Donnelly * Matt Willis as Perry Donnelly * Bill Raisch as the truck driver, best known for playing the One Armed Man in '' The Fugitive''. He lost an arm in World War II between the making of this film and The Fugitive. Reception Bosley Crowther, the film critic for ''T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
When Strangers Marry
''When Strangers Marry'' (rerelease title ''Betrayed'') is a 1944 American suspense film directed by William Castle and starring Dean Jagger, Kim Hunter and Robert Mitchum. Plot Millie Baxter, a naïve woman, comes to New York City to meet her salesman husband Paul Baxter, whom she had met only months before, and discovers that he may be a murderer. Cast * Dean Jagger as Paul Baxter * Kim Hunter as Millie Baxter * Robert Mitchum as Fred Graham (billed as Bob Mitchum) * Neil Hamilton as Det. Lt. Blake * Rhonda Fleming as Girl on Train Production The film was originally known as ''Love from a Stranger'' and then ''I Married a Stranger''. Producers Frank and Maurice King liked '' The Whistler'', a film that director William Castle had made, and borrowed him from Columbia Pictures for $500 a week. Castle later said that the script originally offered to him was "horrible", the story of a gangster who is killed, rejected from heaven and returned to earth. Castle had previously d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
