The Power of the Whistler (1945) User Reviews

"How far is image from mirage? The two words sound alike."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 28 March 2014]

I really like The Whistler movies. Richard Dix plays a different role in each one. Sometimes he's a good guy, sometimes bad. The plot here has Dix as a man suffering from amnesia after being struck by a car. A woman (Janis Carter) playing around with tarot cards predicts death for Dix within 24 hours so she feels the need to warn him. She finds out he has lost his memory so she tries to help him figure out who he is so together they can prevent his death.

There is one part that amused me a great deal. It really has no significance to the plot or how much you will like the movie but I will share it anyway. During the first meeting of Dix and Carter, he feels faint so she opens a car door and they sit down in the back seat to talk. After their conversation, some guy gets in and is surprised to see them. He's the owner of the car! So the girl explains they just needed a place to sit down, to which the car owner replies "Oh okay" like it's perfectly normal. Then he offers to drive them some place! I don't know if this scene just shows how much times have changed or what, but it made me laugh when I watched it. I just can't see that scene playing out the same way in a movie today.

This is a fun B movie with some good performances and an interesting story. There are some bugs in the plot but nothing that detracts greatly from the entertainment level, at least for me. Fans of Dix and The Whistler series should like it a lot.

Richard Dix in one of the better of "The Whistler" series...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 5 January 2008]

Amnesia themes were a favorite of detective stories in the '40s, and THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER is no exception. A man who is befriended by a woman who senses danger in his future (JANIS CARTER) is unable to recall anything about his past. She and her sister both combine forces to delve into the few clues they found in the man's pockets and go about trying to hunt down someone who knows his identity.

If you can get past the implausibility of the set-up--a complete stranger (Carter) willing to become a full time detective upon short acquaintance of a man she knows nothing about--well, then you can sit back and watch the story unfold without too much cynicism.

The man's identity remains a teasing enigma up until the last fifteen minutes or so. JEFF DONNELL is the helpful sister who unravels a few clues of her own.

The script is full of loopholes, coincidences, contrivances, as all of these Whistler series are, but it makes an engrossing story if you're willing to suspend your disbelief.

Death is in the Cards

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 10 November 2007]

(There are Spoilers) Having a lot of things on his mind William Everest, Richard Dix, stumbles across a well traveled city street and almost gets run down by a speeding car. Hitting his head against a lamp-post Everest completely loses his memory and stumbles into this Greenwich Village night club "The Salt Shaker" to get a drink. It's there where his future is uncannily foretold by Jean Lang, Janis Carter, in a deck of cards that she's playing with: Everest the cards predict has just 24 hours left to live.

Leaving both her sister Frankie played by Jeff, a strange first name for a girl, Donnell and her boyfriend Charlie, Loren Tindall, Jane follows Everest outside in order to keep him from his date with death. Not knowing who Everest really is, since he doesn't know himself, Jean calls him "George" and the two try to figure out his true identity. Looking through "George's" pockets Jean comes up with a number of clues that eventually leads to who he really is. The strange clues include a skeleton key and receipts for a bouquet of flowers and birthday cake as well as a doctors perception and railroad schedule and most of all a Canadian dollar bill with a car license plate written on it! Spending most of the evening together tracking down the clues the two soon fall in love with each other and George ends up staying the night with both Jean and Frankie in their apartment.

George besides being a real dreamboat, in Jean's eyes, also turns out to be a great cook in his God-given ability in frying perfect sunny-side up eggs as well as him being a perfect gentleman; he also says grace before meals. This has the very suspicious Frankie, who's not as turned on by "Gerorge" as her sister is, to soon fall heads over heels for him as well. There's only one slight imperfection, that goes almost unnoticed by the two women, about this "George" that's very disturbing! Any living thing that he touches, parrakeet's kittens and squirrels, suddenly and mysteriously die!

It doesn't take long to realize, with the exception of the love and star-struck Jean, that "Geroge" is bad news to anybody that he comes in contact with and that includes Jean Lang who by then really should have known better.

Without giving away any more of "The Power of the Whistler's" storyline Jean's cards did in fact predict "George", or William Everest's fate. ***SPOILER ALERT***It was only too bad that Everest, an escaped and on the loose psycho from a local mental institution, came across so likable and friendly at the beginning of the movie. Knowing who and what he is would have saved a number of our innocent and fellow living creatures, I can't remember Evererst or "George" murdering any human being in the movie, from the horrible fate, by him poisoning the sweet and lovable little critters to death, that he had in store for them.

It's All in the Cards

[dougdoepke · 12 November 2007]

Far from the best of the series. The first twenty minutes or so are intriguing, after which the film trails off into a conventional suspenser. Dix plays a mysterious man who's suffered memory loss following an accident. Lovely Janis Carter steps in to assist after a prophetic portent from an ordinary deck of cards. Dix appears a decent sort eager to uncover his lost identity, but as events unfold the situation becomes darker, with an ending that would warm feminist hearts of decades later.

Some nice touches that build ambiguity, such as the frilly apron as Dix prepares breakfast for the girls, or his saying grace before the chatty sisters can dig in. On the other hand, there are the mysterious deaths trailing behind. The Whistler makes several shadowy commentaries, a neat carry-over from the radio series of the same name. Nonetheless, the material cries out for a stylish director who can lift the last half beyond the merely familiar, and create the kind urban nightmare of the original (William Castle).

Dix is again effective as the mystery man. However, Carter's high-energy smile and bubbly personality seem better suited to a Betty Grable musical than this slice of psychic noir. I just wish the imagination of the first half had carried over to the second. Still, worth a look-see from an outstanding series.

Was there no concept of stranger danger in 1945?...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 11 September 2021]

... because the leading lady here (Janis Carter as Jean Lang) makes some very questionable moves regarding a stranger she sees in a restaurant (Richard Dix as the amnesiac). She is using cards to tell fortunes, and Dix is supposed to be in grave danger for the next 24 hours according to the cards. He is a total stranger to her and yet she gets up from the table and accosts him in the street about this. It turns out Dix is an amnesiac, a condition brought on by being hit by a car a short time before. Does she take him to the police or to a hospital? NO! She takes this total stranger home to sleep on her couch in the apartment she shares with her kid sister. Yikes!

So the guy has no ID on him. Just some clues in his pockets - a prescription, an order for a birthday cake from a bakery, a train schedule with a particular town circled, a cigarette lighter, receipt for two dozen roses, a Canadian dollar with a license number penciled in, and a key. So that night and the next day Jean and her sister embark on a kind of scavenger hunt, using these clues to establish who this guy is. Jean is paired with the amnesiac, her sister paired with her fiance, both teams using the clues they have. So the amnesiac seems gentle as a lamb, even making breakfast for Jean and her sister and saying grace before eating. But one thing Jean has got to notice - every time she leaves him alone and near an animal, she returns to find that animal dead. And yet she remains unalarmed.

It's a pretty interesting story how all of these Thin Man style clues are put together into a cohesive portrait of who this guy actually is. As usual in the Whistler series, it boasts a good noir atmosphere considering it was a Columbia quickie. As with several of the Whistler films, this one has the theme of unescapable destiny as the plot comes full circle.

Pretty good

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 9 November 2007]

Jean Lang (Janis Carter) reads the Tarot cards for a man (Richard Dix) she sees sitting at a nightclub. The Death card (ace of spades) comes up twice. She goes to warn him and finds out he's got amnesia and can't remember who he is or how he got there. She searches through his wallet and finds various names and addresses which they visit to try to piece together who he is.

Fast-paced and VERY atmospheric (especially at the end) thriller. Just simply a good tight B picture that you can watch and kill time for about 70 minutes. The acting is good too--Carter is very good and even Dix (who I never liked) is pretty OK. This is worth watching just for the thunder and lightning final sequence--it really does work on you. My only complaint is the rather abrupt ending. It's very amusing to see how people in the movie readily help a total stranger without a care! How times have changed. Worth catching.

The Radio Classic from the 1940's

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 5 November 2007]

My father told me about the Whistler Series that ran on the Radio years ago in the 1940's and Richard Dix starred in this series. This film was directed by Lew Landers, a famous director who created many mystery films and especially this film which will keep you trying to figure out just what William Everest (Richard Dix) was after he received a bad blow to his head from a car running into him and he lost his memory and amnesia occurred. William Everest stops in for a drink at a bar and a young pretty blonde named Jean Lang,(Janis Carter) is playing with cards that a fortune teller would use and finds out that this man at the bar has about twenty-four hours to live and will probably die. There are many twists and turns in this dark mysterious film from the 1940's and there is a very dark side to William Everest and he always seems to attract the very pretty women. Enjoy.

surprisingly effective

[cherold · 7/10 · 5 January 2008]

This 40s b movie boasts mediocre acting, awkward dialog and a fairly ridiculous story, but it all sort of works, generating genuine suspense and moving at a fairly quick pace. The premise is interesting, with an amnesiac helped by a a stranger, but it requires you to accept that a bunch of people think it's a better idea to figure out a stranger's identity by searching his pockets than by seeing a doctor or contacting the police.

One interesting thing about this movie is how trusting everyone is. Some people get into a stranger's car to rest, and when the stranger shows up he offers them a ride. Stuff like that keeps happening throughout the movie. Were people really that trusting back then? If so, the movie suggests it might not be such a good idea.

Dark entry

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 19 February 2013]

The absurd plot points of "Power Of The Whistler" are too many to list here, from small (Dix and Carter entering an unlocked stranger's car for "a little rest"; when he finds them there, he is not upset at all, only happy to drive them to their destination!) to big (the police not issuing a description of an escaped homicidal lunatic to the patrol officers). Nonetheless, Dix is effective in a change-of-pace role (it's a credit to his acting ability that his character here is so different to those he played in the same series just one year earlier), and Janis Carter, who has a bigger (and different) role here than she had in "Mark Of The Whistler", is equally good as her character goes through a range of emotions. There is a memorable climax involving a pitchfork, too. Great late-night viewing fare, if you don't think too hard about it. **1/2 out of 4.

Well, I got through it

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 8 January 2008]

"The Power of the Whistler" is a good story with a lot of atmosphere. A young woman (Janis Carter) tells a man's fortune and sees that it isn't good, goes to warn him, and finds out he's an amnesiac. She and her roommate (Jeff Donnell) set out to help him find out his true identity.

Richard Dix stars in "The Whistler" series, which came from the radio -The Whistler is never seen but serves as narrator. I know things were different in the '40s, but first of all, why is Dix always described in these films as handsome? Doesn't anyone notice that cheap hairpiece he's wearing? When you look at who was considered handsome in the 1940s - oh, you know, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, that crowd, tell me Dix stacks up. Why would Jean (Carter) be attracted to him? And why would she trust him enough that she'd take him back to her place so he could sleep on the couch? While trying to discover his identity, Jean comes across a floral delivery receipt to a ballerina. They go and see the woman, and she says she doesn't know the man. Later we find out she did. She did, and she let this naive young woman walk out the door with him. Ridiculous. Meanwhile, every time this guy is around a little animal, it dies. This poor little girl asks him to hold her kitten for her, and when she gets it back, it's dead. Then the roommate's bird dies. And still, nothing is registering with Jean.

I'm disappointed that I can't get into this series, but I just can't get past Dix.

A minor miracle

[JohnSeal · 5/10 · 13 November 1999]

Columbia's B pictures were generally the worst of the major studios. It's hard to forgive them for those awful Jungle Jim films and producer Sam Katzman generally had no artistic quality in his product. Maybe his absence explains the relative excellence of the Whistler series, in particular this very early entry in the Psycho Killer stakes. More reminiscent of Val Lewton than Katzman, The Power of the Whistler foreshadowed many Hollywood psychological features of the next half century.

The power of the B film whetted my whistle for more.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 12 July 2016]

24 hours to live. The cards have it, twice, shocking an amateur fortune teller (Janis Carter) who out of the blue looks over at total stranger Richard Dix sitting at a bar and on a whim deals his future from her deck. Shocked by this, she decides to warn him, and after discovering that he has no idea of who he is makes it her mission to find out. Is she going to find danger as she helps him along his journey? Only the whistler knows for sure!

Absolutely superb mystery with enough twists and turns to fill out a map of the east, west and Greenwich Village where much of this takes place. As Carter gets in deeper, her sister Jeff Donnell finds out her share of information, and like a train whistle, it is a warning of approaching danger.

Deliciously complex but never convoluted, this could rank as a B film noir if it wasn't for its radio history and certain other elements that aficionados argue over. Miss Carter, who appeared in a few film noir as femme fatales, is noble here as she digs herself in deeper. The exotic Tala Birell also fits in to the fast moving nail biter that is delightfully atmospheric and gripping.

The power of the Whistler

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 26 November 2023]

Dix plays an amnesiac who learns about his name and past through the help of amateur fortune teller Jean Lang (Janis Carter), who 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.

A rather eerie tale which reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode- it's quite atmospheric in a dreamy way and boasts solid performances by Janis Carter, Jeff Donnell and Richard Dix who plays an amnesiac. The fact that three animals seems to die around him ups the suspense. It's a bit slow moving but in away it fits the moody, noirish psychological undertones.

It takes a lot of work to ruin such a great story idea, but the writer managed to do just that!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 25 November 2007]

This is one of the more frustrating movies I've seen in some time. That's because the basic story idea is brilliant and very engaging--so engaging that even with the plot's many, many faults, it still was worth watching. The bottom line is that the film had so many plot holes and irrational behaviors on the part of the characters that I was frustrated beyond belief. My wife also watched the film with me and we both found ourselves complaining out loud repeatedly at all the bone-headed actions of the cast--particularly, but not exclusively, Janis Carter (who played "Jean Lang"). The writer, Aubrey Wisberg, had great ideas but either rushed the film into production before all the kinks could be worked out or they didn't care--I'm not sure which.

Richard Dix returns again to the series and I liked his being in the Whistler films because he was a very good actor and it was neat to see the same person play different roles in the lead in every Whistler film--what a great concept. It starts off very well as he's struck by a hit and run driver and loses his memory. As he wanders about, Jean sees him and takes pity on him--discovering that he has amnesia and she tries to help him recover his memories. Not knowing what sort of person he was is a great idea--especially as the hidden truth about Dix is really exciting like an episode of the Twlight Zone or Outer Limits.

However, here is a partial list of stupid behaviors (those not by Jean are noted):

--When she discovers Dix wandering about, she never thinks to take him to the police (who can take fingerprints and check out his story very quickly), but takes him home! What if he's a maniac or a sex offender or is an Amway salesman?

--When Dix touches three animals and only a short time later they are dead, no red flag was raised to idiot Jean. A stranger appears and in the space of less than a day, three cute animals die around him and yet that doesn't result in her questioning his character!

--When you discover that he IS lying about his past and has every appearance of being a maniac up to no good, you are fortunately stopped by the police who can easily save you! Yet, when they question him and he lies, you say nothing--you don't even ask for help, even though the cops have guns drawn on Dix and to your knowledge Dix is unarmed.

--When Dix tries to kill you and chases you, you never scream for help! You just run and hide!

--When Dix acts clingy and creepy later in the film (saying he loves you after only knowing you a day), you let this slide.

--When Jean and Dix visit the actress early in the film, the actress says she doesn't know him and tells them to leave. Late in the film, she says she DID know him and that he was a dangerous maniac--yet said nothing!!! Had she just told Jean this in the beginning, the entire rest of the film would have been irrelevant!!

Now this isn't to say ALL the characters were stupid. Jean's sister and her boyfriend were both good and intelligent characters. But Jean's actions go way beyond pathetically stupid making her seem ridiculous and forcing the audience to cheer for her to die! Plus, the actress and her story made absolutely no sense at all. It's really a shame, as apart from these problems, the plot was amazing and super-exciting. I really hope someone at a studio watches this film and decides to do a remake--the story idea and most of the plot are amazing.

Never trust a man wearing a pinny

[Spondonman · 12 April 2004]

A typically spooky entry in the Whistler series [3/8] held together well by the inimitable Richard Dix in this outing as an amnesiac madman; the plot is well outlined in a previous post. Why Janis Carter falls for him and stays fallen until near the end is the biggest mystery in this film. I'd hoped that she would meet a grisly end in One Mysterious Night when she played an annoying reporter spying on Boston Blackie, and it's a pity that in this Dix couldn't have reached the pitchfork before her.

A well crafted story, as were most of the Whistler films (as was the original radio series) which keeps you thinking and second guessing all the way through. My favourite moments are Dix in the park killing the squirrel - he did didn't he? And would you have let a man as creepy and wild eyed as him sleep on the couch, but of course only the viewer would know what the man was like in the dark.

Well worth watching, but to those of you who worry about such things: don't worry about the whistling disembodied shadow - that's all it is - with a sneering voice and some choice comments.

Corny but fun, with an evil Richard Dix

[audiemurph · 7/10 · 2 August 2012]

"The Power of the Whistler" is notable for the quite interesting acting of the aging Richard Dix. At the beginning of the movie, he plays a genuinely friendly and cornily charming fellow with amnesia, not knowing who he is. But slowly, as he comes to remember his past, his dark side begins to reassert itself; and the great fun comes in watching how his face begins to register such diabolical hatred and evil that he becomes quite frightening. A great job by the hulking Richard Dix (it is also really funny how different characters must repeatedly keep referring to how "handsome" he is).

The other think that makes this film so enjoyable is how absolutely unrealistic and inane so much of the dialogue is. For example, in the beginning of the movie Janis Carter's character is trying to help a dizzy Richard Dix, as he has just been hit by a car. Looking for a place to sit, she suggests they sit in the back seat of nearby parked car, hilariously remarking, "I'm sure the owner won't mind"! And when the owner does return moments later to find two strangers in his car, he immediately accepts their explanation, and even offers to drive them somewhere! The film is full of delightful morsels such as this.

As an aside, fans of the Three Stooges will recognize Kenneth MacDonald, who plays the warden of a mental hospital. MacDonald served as the heavy in numerous late "Shemp" films.

To be honest, enjoyable as the film is, its not very tight, and, frankly, the timing of the various strands of plot don't really fit. But, at a run time of barely over an hour, those faults don't really matter.

Gullible amateur fortune teller befriends escaped mental patient in interesting but highly implausible potboiler

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 25 January 2021]

The Power of the Whistler is based on a radio show of the same name. It features an angelic sort of narrator which I presume represents the fickle hand of fate. The narrator's voice sounds kind of corny and is typical of films of this era (1945).

The film is about an escaped homicidal mental patient William Everest (Richard Dix) who is sideswiped by a car and loses his memory after formerly having been committed to an institution for the criminally insane.. While he's in a restaurant, the protagonist Jean Lang (Janis Carter) is telling fortunes using playing cards, joined by her sister Francie (Jeff Donnell) and her fiancé Charlie Kent (Loren Tindall). As she's staring at Everest at the bar, the playing cards come up as the Ace of Spades and a deuce twice, which leads Jean to conclude is the sign of death.

Much to the chagrin of her sister, Jean follows Everest out of the restaurant and goes out of her way to warn him about what the cards turned up. She immediately befriends him and begins looking for possible clues to Everest's identity found in his pockets, which she (along with her sister) later uses to try and establish who exactly Everest is. Meanwhile Jean refers to Everest as "George."

Right away one questions whether this scenario is at all believable. A young woman meets a stranger in NYC and ends up inviting him to sleep over at the apartment she shares with her sister? Are there that many incredibly gullible women out there that would do such a thing? And would an already skeptical sister go along with such a request? Possibly but highly unlikely.

Jean proves to be completely clueless especially when ominous clues start popping up about her newly minted pal George. Those include the deaths of various animals (including Francie's pet parakeet) that end up in Everest's orbit.

The second act proves to be the most interesting part of the narrative. Each of the three principals agrees to take a couple of the clues and investigate them. When Everest finds out that a license number written on a Canadian dollar bill belongs to Judge Nesbitt, he suddenly realizes that this was the Judge who had him committed to the state mental institution so he plans to drive upstate and murder the judge.

Jean has a little less luck with her clues. She goes with Everest to check on receipt for roses in the name of a dancer, Constantina Ivanska. But while at the theater, Ivanska denies knowing Everest. Jean also finds out about a doctor's address on a prescription form. The address turns out to be that of a bookstore where the proprietor recalls that a man was looking at a book about poison. He sends her across the street to a pharmacist and while Everest is outside talking to a little girl (he soon afterward kills her cat), the pharmacist recalls that he sold a special kind of poison to Everest.

But it's Francie who puts it all together by finding out from a bakery deliveryman that he delivered a cake upstate to a J. Crawford (one of the clues, a cigarette lighter inscribed to a "JC" was found in Everest's possession), who was the warden of the mental institution where Everest was imprisoned.

There's an awkward scene where Francie reports her suspicions that her sister is in dire peril but the police don't believe her. That leaves it up to Charlie-in an even more awkward scene-rounding up all the witnesses that she and Jean found and forcefully bringing them to the police to convince them of Francie's story (the way Charlie drags each of these characters into his car when they have no clue as to who he is, proves thoroughly laughable). It turns out that Ivanska reveals she wasn't truthful the first time she met Jean and Everest and now confirms he indeed is a homicidal madman.

It's too late for the police in NYC to stop Everest, who already is driving upstate to kill the judge. Two dumb cops stop them and believe Everest when he shows identification that he's Crawford, warden of the state facility where he was staying.

Somehow the state police get to the Judge's house and prevent Everest from going in and killing him. Instead Everest chases Jean through the woods and quite inexplicably Jean doesn't scream or shout out to the let the police know where she is in the woods, as they're hot on her trail (and madman Everest). Leave it to Jean to inflict the fatal blow on Everest using a pitchfork inside a barn, fulfilling the prophecy of the cards.

You really have to suspend your disbelief to go along with the scenario presented here. Nonetheless the search for the madman's identity proves fairly interesting, so it's worth at least one viewing.

Francie to the Rescue!!!

[kidboots · 9/10 · 11 March 2013]

It must have seemed strange to Richard Dix that after a career of playing dependable heroes his career was given a new lease of life with the Whistler series in which he portrayed a number of neurotics and psychotics. In this excellent entry he is a man with a ghastly mission - until he is knocked over by a car and when he wanders into a bar, unknown to him, is Jean (Janis Carter), who reads his fortune and predicts his death within 24 hours. Armed with this information she makes his acquaintance and together, with different items found in his pocket, they try to find out who he is. The first stop is the Civic Theatre where Constantina (Tala Birell) denies knowing him (he had sent her roses).

Jean is trusting in the extreme - even after leaving a little girl crying over her dead cat, "George" (that's what Jean calls him) had been looking after it - she still invites him to stay at her flat until they find out his true identity!! After another unfortunate incident involving a pet bird (there is also a scene with a squirrel - you don't see their deaths, but you do see Dix's face), Francie (Jeff Donnell), Jean's sister and flatmate, is even more skeptical about him.

Bit by bit he slowly starts to remember but while Jean is hampered by her closeness to George, Francie, who is far more "cluey" is succeeding in leaps and bounds. She finds out he has bought poison at the chemist then ordered a birthday cake to be delivered to the warden of the local mental hospital. It is now clear that George is a homicidal maniac who has escaped and is trying to rekindle an old romance (Birell did know him but didn't want to admit it) and settle old scores!!! There is a last minute rescue to stop the birthday cake being eaten and a showdown in a deserted barn!!

Janis Carter who was unforgettable as the psychotic Jill Merrill in "Night Editor" here plays a trusting victim and pulls it off equally well. Also playing a stereo typical maid was an actress who in 1930 seemed to have a huge future in films. She was Nina Mae McKinney who because of the color of her skin was unfortunately destined to play maids, no matter how talented a singer she was.

Highly Recommended.

"Well, he certainly fooled us with his maniac's cunning..."

[grizzledgeezer · 2/10 · 27 July 2014]

I've never heard the radio series "The Whistler". This movie version (one of eight Whistler films) is reminiscent of an Ed Wood project, especially the clunky script with its heavy-handed narration.

The plot revolves around an escapee from a mental institution who's out for revenge. An accident has induced brief amnesia, and a kindly young woman offers to help find out who he is. We know he's dangerous when we see him killing cats, canaries, and squirrels. (The latter is amazing, as wild squirrels do not tolerate being touched.)

The mechanical script is uninspired, as is the colorless direction. The only halfway interesting thing is a semi-passable performance by Richard Dix as the villain.

Woof-woof, bow-wow. You have been warned.

Amiable amnesia victim

[karlpov · 15 July 2001]

Richard Dix plays...well, that's the secret. He gets hit by a car early on in the movie and gets one of those handy Hollywood cases of amnesia. Shortly after being hit, he's asked by a girl in a restaurant to be allowed to tell his fortune for a lark, to show her friends how it's done. The cards come up bad, and then his amnesia comes to light, causing the amateur fortuneteller to more or less adopt him so she can help him find out who he is. You'll notice that folks trust one another in this flick a lot more than they probably ever did in real life. With the results your parents probably warned you about. Dix, as usual, is great as this befuddled but somehow sinister stranger. This is perhaps the best of the Whistler movies. Warning: Implied violence to cuddly animals!

Expecting a positve review?..... You can whistle for it!

[kalbimassey · 4/10 · 29 June 2022]

It all begins so promisingly. Suffering from memory loss in the wake of a relatively minor, but traumatic accident, thick-set, middle aged, big boy lost, Richard Dix wanders into a bar, where he attracts the interest of playing card reader Janis Carter, who believes he is in grave danger. Having befriended the befuddled Dix, the pair attempt to establish his identity and background from the few contents of his pockets. Unfortunately, in unravelling the mystery, they also unravel the movie.

What follows is a series of largely dull vignettes, compounded by inept acting and an uninspired script. Worse still, is the lack of conviction and 'pays the rent' posturing from all on show, with the possible exception of Carter, making it difficult to either believe in or engage with the characters. A gob full of lime juice facial expression and a vendetta against cute furry animals later and alarm bells are sounding to the effect that Dix may not be quite the innocuous innocent he first appears to be.

It is the oddest irony, that so forgettable a film should be indelibly etched on the memory, courtesy of one truly absurd scene. Carter along with her dazed and confused companion, turn a parked car into their own private accident and emergency unit. WAIT!......there's more. When the owner returns, he barely bats an eyelid at the two strangers perched on the back seat and EVEN offers them a lift!

Maybe this is one of those occasions when you just have to keep telling yourself.....'It's only a movie, It's only a movie.'

At a loss for having lost his memory, it gets worse when he regains it.

[clanciai · 8/10 · 29 July 2018]

This should have been an ideal part for Claude Rains, who could have added a great deal of suavity and other nuances to the weird character of William Everest, who as it is raises your suspicion from the beginning, while poor Janis Carter in spite of all her beauty and charm seems to be totally blind to the warnings that should be alarming enough to anyone, like the weird man causing the deaths of three pets - Janis seems to take it for granted that it must be accidents, but three? Just coincidence? Come on.

But the story is good, and the intrigue is fascinating. She gets the idea from her cards that a man standing by the bar only has 24 hours left to live, wherefore she will do anything to prevent this and save his life. It actually proves to be at peril, since he just had a car accident and has lost his memory, so the least thing she could do is to help him regain his memory and find out who he is. It proves however that losing his memory was the best thing that could have happened to him, and as he gets it back not even Janis can save him any more.

As it is, an interesting intrigue gets undeveloped and lost in superficiality, while a Claude Rains would have been needed to bring the film to maturity.

Exciting, suspenseful, moves right along.

[jknoppow · 12 March 2002]

Jean Lane and her sister Frances are dining in a restaurant when Jean pulls out a pack of playing cards and decides to tell the fortune of a man who is sitting at the counter.

Twice in a row, even though she's thoroughly mixed the deck, the same cards come up--he will die within the next twenty four hours.

She approaches him, and finds out that he has amnesia. Well, she thinks he's cute, and she's naturally concerned besides, so she helps him out. She finds out that he has some keys on him, and she finds out that such keys are used only by detectives or criminals. He has some other items in his pocket, including a train route.

Through lots of detective work, her sister establishes that a prescription slip he had on him was for a very deadly poison, and that a bakery slip he had in his pocket was for a five pound birthday cake sent to a mental institution for the receipt of one John Crawford. She's seen a cigarette lighter that the man had which was marked "To J.C. from C.C." She concludes that the J.C stands for John Crawford.

Meanwhile he's been waiting for Jean to meet him in a park. While he's feeding a squirrel, he suddenly regains his memory. But when Jean meets him, he doesn't tell her that, he tells her that he remembers the name of a man he knew, a man who lived in one of the towns listed in his train route; Edward Nesbitt. But he doesn't tell her his name; William Everest.

Everest wants to take Jean to the town where Nesbitt lives. She tries to call her sister but doesn't get through to her. He hurries her up, tells her she can call again later. They leave.

Meanwhile, her sister Frances is getting very worried. She goes to the police while her boyfriend rounds up some witnesses she's discovered during the day.

It's looking as though Everest may be a very dangerous man. Is he? Or is he heading Jean and himself towards a meeting with some other very dangerous man? The police take action, but they're far away. Will the day be saved by Frances and her fiance? Watch this exciting film to find out.

Superb Killer

[QueenoftheGoons · 10/10 · 4 January 2022]

Richard Dix is a superb killer. He gets a glaze over his eyes, a dark shadow and when he goes up into the hayloft after this chick its haunting. He can put the worst baddies to shame. Such evil. He played the wrong roles there for awhile. He's devious and maniacal and also has Mark Collie's eyes.

Lesser Entry

[Michael_Elliott · 25 February 2008]

Power of the Whistler, The (1945)

** (out of 4)

Third film in the series has Richard Dix being hit by a car and losing his memory. A card reader (Janis Carter) befriends the man as the two search for his real identity but who he turns out to be is the real shock. Based on a radio show episode, this film manages to be somewhat entertaining, although it seems long even at just 66-minutes. It takes a while for the story to get going but the twist in the man's identity comes out of no where and is handled very well. This is when the film really picks up and leads to a very good final act. Dix is very good in his role and Carter comes off good as well. Landers steps in to direct this one after William Castle handled the first two. I was a little letdown that he didn't keep the action moving better because he usually handles these B films a lot better. There's some nice humor scattered throughout and also a rather mean spirited side, which includes killing of a lot of animals.