This is the 15th of the 16 Falcon films, and the second starring John Calvert as the Falcon. There are no witty lines in this film at all, which is entirely without humour, and it is all played absolutely straight. There is no pet dog, as the rather inadequate dog of the previous film has been dropped without explanation, and Calvert does not try to be 'cute' this time. (In the previous film he did a few magic tricks with things appearing and disappearing in his hands, which were not very good either, and they have been ditched too.) The story is about two stolen paintings by the renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), the intrigues, two murders, and other attempted murders, connected with them. Are they fakes? Are they real? Some of the characters believe one thing and some believe the other. No less than two corpses are left lying while the characters go off and do other things. In one case, the Falcon flies to America leaving a dead man lying in a room in Milan. And in the other case, a hotel desk clerk's corpse is left lying behind his desk, entirely forgotten by both the Falcon and the police as they leave the hotel. Evidently, the script writer did not remember that murder victims cannot be disposed of simply by turning a page in the script, but require people to collect and bury their bodies. This is another extremely low budget effort, and an undistinguished one. Calvert has the annoying habit of grinning most of the time, for no particular reason. Either he was sternly lectured as a child to 'smile, Jonnny, smile', or some acting coach told him he must lighten up, so that he thought contorting his face in inappropriate grins was the way to do it. You know how some dogs attempt to imitate the smiles of their owners, well Calvert is like a dog who does that. As for this film, undemanding fans of old mystery films will find it interesting for the complexities of the story.
12 Reviews
The Magician John Calvert stars as "The Falcon"
blanche-222 September 2019
The remarkable John Calvert stars as The Falcon in "Appointment with Murder" from 1948. This was one of three Falcon films made in 1948 by Calvert.
In this film, The Falcon (now called Michael Waring) is working for an insurance company and is sent to Europe to trace some paintings. He becomes involved with art forgers and the murder of an art forger in Italy.
A note about the name - supposedly The Falcon's name here is Michael Waring but it sounded in the film like Watling every time someone said it.
Calvert was debonair and sophisticated, but the movies aren't as much fun as the films with George Sanders. This film was very dry without the usual humor seen with The Falcon.
Calvert's actual career was that of a magician. He was the inspiration of Siegfried and Roy, and Mrs. Houdini said he was second to Harry as far as talent. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively doing magic shows, teaching, and occasionally doing a bit of acting.
Calvert was invited to perform his magic act both on Broadway in New York City and at the London Palladium Theatre on his 100th birthday. He died at the age of 102.
In this film, The Falcon (now called Michael Waring) is working for an insurance company and is sent to Europe to trace some paintings. He becomes involved with art forgers and the murder of an art forger in Italy.
A note about the name - supposedly The Falcon's name here is Michael Waring but it sounded in the film like Watling every time someone said it.
Calvert was debonair and sophisticated, but the movies aren't as much fun as the films with George Sanders. This film was very dry without the usual humor seen with The Falcon.
Calvert's actual career was that of a magician. He was the inspiration of Siegfried and Roy, and Mrs. Houdini said he was second to Harry as far as talent. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively doing magic shows, teaching, and occasionally doing a bit of acting.
Calvert was invited to perform his magic act both on Broadway in New York City and at the London Palladium Theatre on his 100th birthday. He died at the age of 102.
Murky little potboiler
Leofwine_draca4 July 2016
APPOINTMENT WITH MURDER is a late entry in a long-running series of films about The Falcon, an international crime fighter who tours the globe bringing various criminals to justice. I haven't seen any of these films before - at least, I don't think I have - so I wasn't sure what to expect from this one.
What I got was a murky little potboiler with a few neat action sequences to recommend it, but a film which is overall let down by a convoluted plot line and a poor choice of hero. The pockmarked John Calvert has a face that is permanently contorted into a sneer, so he ends up looking more like a villainous henchman than the hero of the piece. By contrast one of this movie's chief villains looks like a cuddly teddy bear so you can't take him seriously as a menacing figure.
The plot is about the hunt for a couple of stolen and priceless paintings but it doesn't really amount to much apart from lots of back and forth sort of stuff with the authorities and some tacked-on romance type material. You have to laugh at the way the police don't bother getting involved in the proceedings and corpses are left laying around at various intervals. I didn't mind the brief fight scenes but overall APPOINTMENT WITH MURDER is a letdown.
What I got was a murky little potboiler with a few neat action sequences to recommend it, but a film which is overall let down by a convoluted plot line and a poor choice of hero. The pockmarked John Calvert has a face that is permanently contorted into a sneer, so he ends up looking more like a villainous henchman than the hero of the piece. By contrast one of this movie's chief villains looks like a cuddly teddy bear so you can't take him seriously as a menacing figure.
The plot is about the hunt for a couple of stolen and priceless paintings but it doesn't really amount to much apart from lots of back and forth sort of stuff with the authorities and some tacked-on romance type material. You have to laugh at the way the police don't bother getting involved in the proceedings and corpses are left laying around at various intervals. I didn't mind the brief fight scenes but overall APPOINTMENT WITH MURDER is a letdown.
A Flat Ball That Bounces Around
dougdoepke25 November 2018
The movie may lack visual style, but the two leads, Calvert & Craig, certainly don't. They wear their wardrobes like statuesque models that make for an eye-catching duo. Plot-wise the screenplay should have been junked-- no suspense, no whodunit, and barely any interest, unless, that is, you care whether the classic paintings are original or not. In fact, the narrative plays sloppily with the idea bouncing it around for 67-minutes. At the very least, a re-write was in order, but then the budget production may have been on a hurry-up schedule.
On the plus side is comparatively decent acting, especially from the lively Craig who steals the show, at least in my little book. Also picking up a payday is the versatile Ben Welden who has a real knock-down-drag-out with Calvert. I also like the way the detective shows his battle scars for the rest of the film, something Hollywood usually erased in the next scene. Also, watch for the deliciously eccentric James Griffith just starting out and as a detective, no less. There're also a few good location shots of downtown LA circa 1948.
But on the whole, the detective flick fails to register, thanks mainly to a boring screenplay.
On the plus side is comparatively decent acting, especially from the lively Craig who steals the show, at least in my little book. Also picking up a payday is the versatile Ben Welden who has a real knock-down-drag-out with Calvert. I also like the way the detective shows his battle scars for the rest of the film, something Hollywood usually erased in the next scene. Also, watch for the deliciously eccentric James Griffith just starting out and as a detective, no less. There're also a few good location shots of downtown LA circa 1948.
But on the whole, the detective flick fails to register, thanks mainly to a boring screenplay.
There is a big difference between these Calvert films and the previous ones.
planktonrules25 March 2019
During the 1940s, there were 16 different Falcon movies starring three different actors. The first to play the character was George Sanders. When he tired of the role and wanted to do other projects instead, his real life brother, Tom Conway, took over the role. Then, after making nine of these films, Conway was replaced by John Calvert*. "Appointment with Murder" was the second of three Falcon films starring Calvert.
When the story begins, Michael Waring ('the Falcon') is in Italy. He's there investigating some forged and stolen paintings. When it appears he has everything wrapped up, someone tries to burglarize his room AND they also kill the forger and ransack his flat. Waring then heads back to the States and continues his investigations.
This is not a bad film but after seeing and hearing the very smooth brothers play the Falcon in other films, the much more ordinary Calvert is a huge letdown. It's not that Calvert is bad....but Sanders and Conway were much more memorable and sophisticated. You can't help but compare the actors if you've seen any of the previous films. Plus, the writers had Calvert involved in far more fighting than the previous two...and he punches and gets punched a lot in "Appointment with Murder". Overall, a modestly interesting film...one that is not up to the standards of the earlier Falcon films.
*Calvert only made a baker's dozen films. His main claim to fame was as a magician...one of the more famous ones of the 20th century.
When the story begins, Michael Waring ('the Falcon') is in Italy. He's there investigating some forged and stolen paintings. When it appears he has everything wrapped up, someone tries to burglarize his room AND they also kill the forger and ransack his flat. Waring then heads back to the States and continues his investigations.
This is not a bad film but after seeing and hearing the very smooth brothers play the Falcon in other films, the much more ordinary Calvert is a huge letdown. It's not that Calvert is bad....but Sanders and Conway were much more memorable and sophisticated. You can't help but compare the actors if you've seen any of the previous films. Plus, the writers had Calvert involved in far more fighting than the previous two...and he punches and gets punched a lot in "Appointment with Murder". Overall, a modestly interesting film...one that is not up to the standards of the earlier Falcon films.
*Calvert only made a baker's dozen films. His main claim to fame was as a magician...one of the more famous ones of the 20th century.
Appointment with Boredom
utgard1426 November 2018
Another forgettable in-name-only Falcon movie from Film Classics starring John Calvert. The plot has the supposed Falcon Michael Watling (Calvert) tracking down stolen paintings for an insurance company. Riveting stuff. Most scenes involve Calvert walking into a drab room and exchanging boring lines with someone you wouldn't be able to pick out of a lineup five minutes later. It's a cheap-looking film with little action or humor. Just lots of talking and not a single line of memorable dialogue. Calvert is very dull. He may sound a bit like Lee Van Cleef but has none of his screen presence. I miss Conway and Sanders. This is not a good movie. Only of interest to insomniacs.
A Pencil Thin Mustache
boblipton23 March 2019
In the second of three 'Falcon' mysteries starring John Calvert, he is working for Lyle Talbot's insurance company recovering stolen paintings. The trail leads to Italy, where an interesting variation on the 'Gold Ring' confidence game is in operation. Artist Peter Brocco offers Calvert a painting by the artist of the stolen paintings. While Calvert is thinking the deal over -- because he's not sure they're real -- he is offered a huge profit on them; the confidence game will end after he has paid and taken possession, whereupon they will be stolen from him.
It's a nicely tangled mystery that leads him to Catherine Craig, a gallery owner and art authenticator in Los Angeles, and cross and double cross. Every time Calvert seems to have been swindled, he gets out of it with such nonchalant ease that all suspense is drained out of the movie: demonstrating that it takes more than a pencil-thin mustache, an erratic Ronald Colman imitation, and the writers on your side to make a movie star.
It's a nicely tangled mystery that leads him to Catherine Craig, a gallery owner and art authenticator in Los Angeles, and cross and double cross. Every time Calvert seems to have been swindled, he gets out of it with such nonchalant ease that all suspense is drained out of the movie: demonstrating that it takes more than a pencil-thin mustache, an erratic Ronald Colman imitation, and the writers on your side to make a movie star.
Falcon on poverty row
bkoganbing18 June 2019
Not that RKO was the cream of studios in Hollywood. But those Falcon movies
that were done there looked like Gone With The Wind next to these last Falcon
movies with John Calvert. In fact this independent makes a typical PRC film
look good.
Calvert is off to Italy and back searching for a pair of paintings that the owner Peter Brocco claims were stolen. When Calvert finds one of them he finds out also it's a fake and the artist who copied it is murdered.
So it's back to Los Angeles and to art dealer Catherine Craig who is involved though Calvert does not know how much.
These Falcon films aren't a patch on the George Sanders/Tom Conway films done at RKO. This one is one dull snooze.
Calvert is off to Italy and back searching for a pair of paintings that the owner Peter Brocco claims were stolen. When Calvert finds one of them he finds out also it's a fake and the artist who copied it is murdered.
So it's back to Los Angeles and to art dealer Catherine Craig who is involved though Calvert does not know how much.
These Falcon films aren't a patch on the George Sanders/Tom Conway films done at RKO. This one is one dull snooze.
post-Tom Conway "Falcon" mystery, from dir. of "Decoy"
django-125 July 2003
After the Falcon series ran its course with Tom Conway at RKO, the character was taken over for a few films with John Calvert in the role, made on a low budget for the interesting "Film Classics" company, which specialized in indie crime/noir/mystery films for a few years in the late 40s--this was the 2nd of 3 such Falcon entries. It most resembles the later PRC product, but is a step below PRC in the professionalism department, with a mix of veterans and seeming amateurs in the cast, and with a few small cheap sets. The plot revolves around art theft and fraud, and setting is LA and Italy, Italy being represented by a room and a staircase! John Calvert is quite different from Tom Conway as an actor--yes,he is tall and has a thin moustache, and he speaks in an subdued, educated manner, but he isn't the charmer or the wit of Conway's character, and here he is in the employ of an insurance company, where he reports to the hardest-working-man-in-b-movies, Lyle Talbot. There's never really any doubt about who does what to whom, but the various characters are all attempting to fool other characters as to their true identity and motives, so the "mystery" is how long that will keep up... as well as whether the Falcon will be able to resolve the art fraud situation. I've watched this film twice in the last year, and it's a decent late 40s low-budget mystery that's as good as the average 45-47 PRC film or late 40s/early 50s Eagle-Lion/Lippert output. Like a good little-known detective novel that you stumble across from the 40s or 50s, this film does what it needs to do and no doubt satisfied its audience in its day. Director Jack Bernhard--who made the amazing Decoy and the almost-as- amazing Violence the year before at Monogram--doesn't have the same kind of over-the-top, pulpy material to work with here, but no doubt could work efficiently in the vein of a William Berke or a Sam Newfield. Don't expect another Decoy here. Anyone who is seriously into low-budget post-WWII detective movies enough to even know what this film is will probably want to see it.
The Counterfeit Art Racket
profh-130 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Michael Waring (inexplicably dubbed "Watling" on existing prints) is hired by an insurance company to recover a pair of stolen paintings. From LA to Italy, he runs into a local artist who makes a shady living creating absolutely-authentic fakes of old masters, fraud, theft, MURDER, and a gallery run by a woman he takes a liking to. She's a bit on the shady side, too, but not nearly as much as her business partner. The big question over the course of this story is, are the two paintings FAKES-- or, the ORIGINALS?
Once more for those who came in late: Michael Waring was the creation of Charles H. Huff. The character appeared in 3 novels from 1936-38, a long-running radio show from 1943-54, 3 low-budget movies from 1948-49, and a TV series from 1954-55. He had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the character created by Michael Arlen, who RKO based their series of 13 films on from 1941-46. Leslie Charteris (creator of "Simon Templar, The Saint") SUED both Arlen and RKO. My question is, why didn't Charles Huff?
So, just to be clear: the 3 John Calvert "Falcon" movies are NOT in any way a continuation of what RKO did-- if anything, they're a spin-off of the THEN-CURRENT radio show! At the time of these films, Les Tremayne was starring on that; I can't help but wonder why HE wasn't in these movies!
Anyway, yeah, "Falcon Pictures Corporation" and their distributor "Film Classics" made PRC look like Monogram by comparison (HEH), but this is a nice little film, provided you know what you're in for and go in without any high expecatations. And I enjoyed this just enough to wish someone could find decent prints and put them out. The print in OnesMediaFilms' 16-film FALCON box set has very fuzzy picture, tinkling sound, a few damage cuts, and for about a minute, a bit of text saying who "digitally remastered" it. Hmm. Oh well, at least it's on DVD, which is handy.
John Calvert, a famous and highly-successful stage magician, somehow made a detour into a brief Hollywood career. His performance was nicely toned-down here from the previous installment, though I got a laugh in that one scene where the baddie finds a BLANK canvas, and Calvert says, "It disappeared-- like MAGIC!" Cute. I think I'd have loved to see this guy on stage!
Catherine Craig plays the art gallery manager, who seems nicer than one might expect of a possible crook. I found it a nice twist that she genuinely seemed concerned about Waring, and-- just like something Simon Templar would have done-- he makes sure she's completely cleared of any wrong-doing at the end!
Jack Reitzen ("Chopstick Joe" from TERRY AND THE PIRATES) is "Norton Benedict", who really is too shady for his (or anyone else's good). He reminded me a bit of Lloyd Corrigan's "Arthur Manleader" from the BOSTON BLACKIE series, apart from turning out to be a real RAT.
Familiar faces included Lyle Talbot (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) as the insurance company boss; Peter Brocco (THE HAUNTED PALACE) as the Italian art forger; Ben Welden (THE BIG SLEEP) as an enthusiastically-brutal thug; and Michael Mark (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN) as a baggage claim clerk. Both Talbot & Mark had played other characters in the previous film!
I'm strongly considering looking up the Michael Waring FALCON radio show and TV series when I'm done with these. I do have to wonder: why DID they dub "Watling" over "Waring" on TV prints of these? That's like calling Godzilla "GIGANTIS".
Once more for those who came in late: Michael Waring was the creation of Charles H. Huff. The character appeared in 3 novels from 1936-38, a long-running radio show from 1943-54, 3 low-budget movies from 1948-49, and a TV series from 1954-55. He had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the character created by Michael Arlen, who RKO based their series of 13 films on from 1941-46. Leslie Charteris (creator of "Simon Templar, The Saint") SUED both Arlen and RKO. My question is, why didn't Charles Huff?
So, just to be clear: the 3 John Calvert "Falcon" movies are NOT in any way a continuation of what RKO did-- if anything, they're a spin-off of the THEN-CURRENT radio show! At the time of these films, Les Tremayne was starring on that; I can't help but wonder why HE wasn't in these movies!
Anyway, yeah, "Falcon Pictures Corporation" and their distributor "Film Classics" made PRC look like Monogram by comparison (HEH), but this is a nice little film, provided you know what you're in for and go in without any high expecatations. And I enjoyed this just enough to wish someone could find decent prints and put them out. The print in OnesMediaFilms' 16-film FALCON box set has very fuzzy picture, tinkling sound, a few damage cuts, and for about a minute, a bit of text saying who "digitally remastered" it. Hmm. Oh well, at least it's on DVD, which is handy.
John Calvert, a famous and highly-successful stage magician, somehow made a detour into a brief Hollywood career. His performance was nicely toned-down here from the previous installment, though I got a laugh in that one scene where the baddie finds a BLANK canvas, and Calvert says, "It disappeared-- like MAGIC!" Cute. I think I'd have loved to see this guy on stage!
Catherine Craig plays the art gallery manager, who seems nicer than one might expect of a possible crook. I found it a nice twist that she genuinely seemed concerned about Waring, and-- just like something Simon Templar would have done-- he makes sure she's completely cleared of any wrong-doing at the end!
Jack Reitzen ("Chopstick Joe" from TERRY AND THE PIRATES) is "Norton Benedict", who really is too shady for his (or anyone else's good). He reminded me a bit of Lloyd Corrigan's "Arthur Manleader" from the BOSTON BLACKIE series, apart from turning out to be a real RAT.
Familiar faces included Lyle Talbot (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) as the insurance company boss; Peter Brocco (THE HAUNTED PALACE) as the Italian art forger; Ben Welden (THE BIG SLEEP) as an enthusiastically-brutal thug; and Michael Mark (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN) as a baggage claim clerk. Both Talbot & Mark had played other characters in the previous film!
I'm strongly considering looking up the Michael Waring FALCON radio show and TV series when I'm done with these. I do have to wonder: why DID they dub "Watling" over "Waring" on TV prints of these? That's like calling Godzilla "GIGANTIS".
A blank canvas would be more exciting.
mark.waltz14 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
While there's some snappy dialog between "Falcon" John Calvert and Catherine Craig, most of this film is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The film deals with Michael Waring (the Falcon) searching for stolen paintings, and it seems that nobody does anything but sit around and talk about it. The claustrophobic sets seem tiny so there's no real dimension, although this does work for some shadowy photography.
I know that this was done at Film Classics which in the late 40's made Monogram and the recently defunct PRC look like MGM, but in taking on the series previously made at RKO, more focus should have been taken in details. Calvert is certainly no replacement for predecessors George Sanders and Tom Conway, and is surrounded by a cast playing cliched one dimensional characters that don't aide in making this any more exciting.
I know that this was done at Film Classics which in the late 40's made Monogram and the recently defunct PRC look like MGM, but in taking on the series previously made at RKO, more focus should have been taken in details. Calvert is certainly no replacement for predecessors George Sanders and Tom Conway, and is surrounded by a cast playing cliched one dimensional characters that don't aide in making this any more exciting.
The 15th of 16 movies for the detective nicknamed "The Falcon"
Bernie44449 October 2023
This is the second of John Calvert's three "The Falcon" features released on 24 NOV 48.
You may recognize many of the actors from the time. That is part of the fun in watching; this includes the third Falcon, John Calvert, who might not be as revered as the first two Falcon actors.
-------- Michael Waring aka The Falcon (John Calvert) is hired by an insurance company to retrieve two stolen paintings. In the process, he travels to Italy and encounters murder.
The plot thickens when many people are double-crossed and even the paintings are suspected to be forgeries.
Will the Falcon succeed? Or there just might be another murder!
You may recognize many of the actors from the time. That is part of the fun in watching; this includes the third Falcon, John Calvert, who might not be as revered as the first two Falcon actors.
-------- Michael Waring aka The Falcon (John Calvert) is hired by an insurance company to retrieve two stolen paintings. In the process, he travels to Italy and encounters murder.
The plot thickens when many people are double-crossed and even the paintings are suspected to be forgeries.
Will the Falcon succeed? Or there just might be another murder!
See also
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