Before he became a producer and conjured up all those publicity gimmicks for his cheesy horror pictures, William Castle churned out a series of nifty little pictures as a director for Harry Cohn's B unit -- including the immortal "When Strangers Marry". "The Whistler" is a clever noir that tackles the old premise of a despondent man hiring a contract killer to murder him, only to change his mind later. Castle provides a higher standard of mise-en-scene than in most pictures of this ilk, with nice camera movement and grungy, realistic sets. The absurd plot twists and lapses of logic stretch credulity to the utmost -- but that's one of the "beatitudes of the B's" (as Andrew Sarris would say). It's surprising that Cornell Woolrich was not the original author, so close is the atmosphere to his oeuvre. Dix is a bit of a cipher, but Naish is as compelling as always in another offbeat role as the philosophical hit man who suffers from fear of death; plus there are plenty of familiar faces in minor roles. The mysterious omniscient Whistler narrator is effective, if somewhat underused here. Castle went on to direct two even better entries in the series.
32 Reviews
Entertaining, exemplary B picture
bob.decker16 August 2006
I watched this last night on TCM and found it not only thoroughly entertaining but a textbook example of how a B-grade picture from a poverty row studio could rise above its budget limitations thanks to the efforts of a clever director (William Castle) and strong players (Richard Dix and J. Carroll Naish in particular). Superior in some respects to entries in parallel series based on radio programs (like Universal's Inner Sanctum with Lon Chaney, Jr.), perhaps the most appealing aspect of "The Whistler" is the economy with which the story is told. There are no needless lines, no needless scenes. Whether it belongs within the "noir" cycle is a matter to be debated, but nevertheless "The Whistler" has its share of the quirky characters and shadowy settings that typify that genre, not to mention the creepy portrayal by Naish of a hit-man who reads a monograph on "necrophobia" in his spare time.
Please cancel my death!
jotix10024 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Earl Conrad is convinced his life is worthless without his wife who has been killed overseas. Earl, who obviously can well afford it, gives ten thousand dollars to a shady character to "dispose" of someone. The only information he gives is an address, but he never tells this man he is the intended victim. The intermediary gives the address to the real killer. The shady man, who has kept half of the money, dies on the street in a confrontation with the police. Everything is set in motion as the killer cases the house where his victim lives.
At this point of the story, Earl Conrad's secretary, the loyal Alice Walker, comes to give her boss the wonderful news his wife has not died. Earl, who has been despondent, suddenly wants to live. After all, he has a good reason for wanting to annul the contract he has put on his own life. When he finds out about the go-between man death's he starts to look for his would-be-assassin. Will he be able to talk him out of killing him?
William Castle, the director of this enjoyable, and seldom seen film, makes the most of it in filling 59 minutes of celluloid with a taut drama that is credible and gives a new dimension to a crime that will be committed, but has to be stopped by all means. James Brown's photography works well in the film, as does the screen play written by Eric Taylor.
Richard Dix appears as Eric Conrad the man that puts a contract on his own life and then decides he wants to live. Gloria Stewart makes a wonderful Alice Walker, the secretary secretly in love with her boss. J Carrol Naish, who never utters a word is perfect as the killer.
The film is a curiosity not seen too often.
At this point of the story, Earl Conrad's secretary, the loyal Alice Walker, comes to give her boss the wonderful news his wife has not died. Earl, who has been despondent, suddenly wants to live. After all, he has a good reason for wanting to annul the contract he has put on his own life. When he finds out about the go-between man death's he starts to look for his would-be-assassin. Will he be able to talk him out of killing him?
William Castle, the director of this enjoyable, and seldom seen film, makes the most of it in filling 59 minutes of celluloid with a taut drama that is credible and gives a new dimension to a crime that will be committed, but has to be stopped by all means. James Brown's photography works well in the film, as does the screen play written by Eric Taylor.
Richard Dix appears as Eric Conrad the man that puts a contract on his own life and then decides he wants to live. Gloria Stewart makes a wonderful Alice Walker, the secretary secretly in love with her boss. J Carrol Naish, who never utters a word is perfect as the killer.
The film is a curiosity not seen too often.
First of an Outstanding Series
dougdoepke1 November 2006
This movie is the first installment of The Whistler series from Columbia Pictures, all but one of which starred Richard Dix whose A-picture career was then on an alcoholic downgrade, but whose liquor-ravaged face was just right for the overall atmosphere. (For a complete list of series titles, consult "movie connections" on web page.) Of all the movie series to emerge from the 30's and 40's, this is easily one of the most fascinating and unusual. Each entry presents a different self-contained story, tied together only by the mysterious figure of The Whistler who comments briefly on plot developments, but appears only in shadow to whistle his trademark refrain. He seems to be a figure of fate since the hand of destiny emerges in most of the entries. But most importantly, the plots follow no formula (unusual for any series) and are entirely unpredictable in their outcome. This unpredictability is what distinguishes the series from others of the time.You really don't know what's going to happen or how each episode will turn out. Moreover, there's a strong noirish quality to many of the entries, with a suspenseful atmosphere, an underlying sense of doom, and imaginative characters and plot twists. All in all, the productions are a first cousin to the celebrated Val Lewton horror cycle from RKO, minus the supernatural. I'm surprised that with all the scholarly interest in film noir, that this noirish series has not received the critical attention it merits.
Though weaker in many ways (the script appears put together on the fly), this initial entry contains many features generic to the others. Dix, a prosperous manufacturer, arranges for his own death following the presumed death of his beloved wife, only to find out ironically that she is not dead. The problem is he can't undo the arrangement and is thus forced to escape through the labyrinthine venues of the city's skid row. The entire 60 minutes has something of a nightmarish quality since it starts off with Dix expecting death, though in what form, he can't be sure. Looking convincingly like a real bum, it's Dix's tour through the seedy parts of the city that really commands attention, especially the 25-cent flop-house with its rows of coffin-like cots, snoring vagrants, and sneak thief. You can almost smell the rot-gut whiskey peeling off the walls. The sets are bare-bones, the cafes, bars, and city sidewalks sometimes suggesting the unadorned depths of urban despair. Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt and disappointing. It's almost as though the production suddenly ran out of film and had to wrap it up right then. Nonetheless, many of the distinctive elements of the productions are already present. Unfortunately copies of the series are hard to obtain ( my own burned in a house fire some time ago). So let's hope our friends on cable TV follow up on this initial entry some time soon. It's well worth tuning in.
Though weaker in many ways (the script appears put together on the fly), this initial entry contains many features generic to the others. Dix, a prosperous manufacturer, arranges for his own death following the presumed death of his beloved wife, only to find out ironically that she is not dead. The problem is he can't undo the arrangement and is thus forced to escape through the labyrinthine venues of the city's skid row. The entire 60 minutes has something of a nightmarish quality since it starts off with Dix expecting death, though in what form, he can't be sure. Looking convincingly like a real bum, it's Dix's tour through the seedy parts of the city that really commands attention, especially the 25-cent flop-house with its rows of coffin-like cots, snoring vagrants, and sneak thief. You can almost smell the rot-gut whiskey peeling off the walls. The sets are bare-bones, the cafes, bars, and city sidewalks sometimes suggesting the unadorned depths of urban despair. Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt and disappointing. It's almost as though the production suddenly ran out of film and had to wrap it up right then. Nonetheless, many of the distinctive elements of the productions are already present. Unfortunately copies of the series are hard to obtain ( my own burned in a house fire some time ago). So let's hope our friends on cable TV follow up on this initial entry some time soon. It's well worth tuning in.
Hitchcock-Like Drama With Comic Elements
louis-king16 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Oh, what Hitchcock could have done with this story and a bigger budget! Dix plays a man depressed and ridden with guilt over his wife's death. He decides to put a contract out on himself. He gives $10,000 to shady character who in turn hires the killer (Naish). Dix doesn't know who the killer is, what he looks, or whether it is a man or woman.
The shady character dies in a shootout with the police shortly after hiring the killer, so when Dix changes his mind and decides he wants to live, he has no way of canceling the contract.
There are some amusing twists in this fast paced noir which Hitchcock would have enjoyed. The best one is when the killer (well-played by Naish) poses as a fast-talking insurance salesman and tries to sell the man he plans to kill some life insurance! Also, as in Hitchcock movies, there is a ying-yang relationship between hero and killer. Hero initially wants to die, killer is morbidly afraid of death.
The seamy low-life characters that Dix encounters are very well-played by obscure character actors.
The whole thing is beautifully photographed in typical doom-noir style.
The plot is very similar to 1971's "The Face of Fear" where a young woman who thinks she's dying of leukemia, hires a mob killer to eliminate her, then changes her mind.
The shady character dies in a shootout with the police shortly after hiring the killer, so when Dix changes his mind and decides he wants to live, he has no way of canceling the contract.
There are some amusing twists in this fast paced noir which Hitchcock would have enjoyed. The best one is when the killer (well-played by Naish) poses as a fast-talking insurance salesman and tries to sell the man he plans to kill some life insurance! Also, as in Hitchcock movies, there is a ying-yang relationship between hero and killer. Hero initially wants to die, killer is morbidly afraid of death.
The seamy low-life characters that Dix encounters are very well-played by obscure character actors.
The whole thing is beautifully photographed in typical doom-noir style.
The plot is very similar to 1971's "The Face of Fear" where a young woman who thinks she's dying of leukemia, hires a mob killer to eliminate her, then changes her mind.
The first is oddly the weakest in the series
AlsExGal11 September 2021
This first Whistler film, unlike the others, has recognizable supporting players in the cast besides Richard Dix at the center of the story who plays a different character with different problems in every film. This supporting cast includes J. Carrol Naish as the hired killer, Gloria Stuart as Alice Walker, the main character's secretary, and Alan Dinehart as the shady friend of the hired killer.
In this first installment Richard Dix plays industrialist Earl C. Conrad. It is explained that Conrad's marriage was in trouble so the couple went on a cruise. But Conrad's wife was lost at sea, and all of his friends ostracized him when he came back alone, thinking that he might have killed her to get rid of her. Three years of this and Conrad decides to kill himself but doesn't have the nerve to do it himself. So he hires a hitman to do it for him. He has contact with the middleman who arranges the hit, but will have no idea where or when or by whom his death will take place.
But then a telegraph comes telling Conrad that his wife has been found in a Japanese internment camp, and that the International Red Cross will be transporting her home. Now Conrad will not only have his wife back but will be exonerated among his friends. Thus he thinks life will be worth living again. But in the interim, the middleman who arranged the hit has been killed in a shootout with the police, so he has no way to call the thing off.
And most unfortunately , for the hitman this is not just business. He likes to read criminology books and wants to see if he can scare Conrad to death by making himself seen so Conrad knows he's being stalked.
Most of The Whistler movies have lots of twists and irony in them. This is just one long manhunt/chase scene after the first fifteen minutes with nothing special about it. Although Naish as the hitman is effectively creepy. Also different about this first Whistler film - The Whistler's whistling actually enters into the plot.
In this first installment Richard Dix plays industrialist Earl C. Conrad. It is explained that Conrad's marriage was in trouble so the couple went on a cruise. But Conrad's wife was lost at sea, and all of his friends ostracized him when he came back alone, thinking that he might have killed her to get rid of her. Three years of this and Conrad decides to kill himself but doesn't have the nerve to do it himself. So he hires a hitman to do it for him. He has contact with the middleman who arranges the hit, but will have no idea where or when or by whom his death will take place.
But then a telegraph comes telling Conrad that his wife has been found in a Japanese internment camp, and that the International Red Cross will be transporting her home. Now Conrad will not only have his wife back but will be exonerated among his friends. Thus he thinks life will be worth living again. But in the interim, the middleman who arranged the hit has been killed in a shootout with the police, so he has no way to call the thing off.
And most unfortunately , for the hitman this is not just business. He likes to read criminology books and wants to see if he can scare Conrad to death by making himself seen so Conrad knows he's being stalked.
Most of The Whistler movies have lots of twists and irony in them. This is just one long manhunt/chase scene after the first fifteen minutes with nothing special about it. Although Naish as the hitman is effectively creepy. Also different about this first Whistler film - The Whistler's whistling actually enters into the plot.
Anyone Can Whistle?
BaronBl00d24 October 2009
Solid, low-budget film noirish yarn about a man who takes out a contract on himself and then through a reversal of fortune decides against it. The Whisteler open up the film with that delightfully creepy little tune and a brief narrative and the reigns are handed over to a competent corp of character actors(and Richard Dix and Gloria Stuart). Dix plays the lead well-enough though incredibly lethargically. He literally looks like he hasn't slept in days. Stuart is peppy and pretty in a smallish role, but J. Carrol Naish does an outstanding job as the contracted killer. He gives a layered performance is what was a truly difficult role. The film barely spans an hour and ten minutes or so but never lags. we get suspense, action, and answers rather quickly. The Whistler has a much more subdued role then what you would hear in the radio series. This film would go on to spawn many sequels and was one of the earliest directorial forays of horror icon William Castle. Castle, as always, does a more than workmanlike job.
Dix Needs a Bed for 25 Cents
whpratt16 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This film is another very mysterious story dealing with the Whistler Series and Richard Dix plays the role as Earl C. Conrad who is very upset about the death of his wife in a Japanese Concentration Camp during WW II and decides to end his life by hiring someone to kill him. Earl goes through different people in order to get his own hit man and pays five-thousands dollars to have this carried out. Earl has a secretary named Alice Walker, (Gloria Stuart) who really loves Earl but he does not seem to realize this and she helps him to feel better about himself. However, Earl finds out that his wife is not really dead and is coming back to the United States. The hit man or killer is J. Carrol Naish who is determined to accomplish his killing of Earl and there are many events which seem to keep changing until the very end of the film. There is a scene in this picture which shows Earl Conrad going into a flop house and getting a bed for 25 cents and how he almost gets rolled over by the bums. This is a very entertaining film and great to look at a film produced in 1944, with classic actors.
I know, cause I'm the Whistler!
sol12187 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
(There are Spoilers) In an almost empty bar on the city docks businessman Earl C. Conrad, Richard Dix, has a prearranged meeting with this stranger who's to get a "job" done for him. The stranger a local hoodlum named Lefty Vigran, Don Costello, is to set up a hit on someone that Conrad want's iced by no later that Friday. What Lefty doesn't know, since everything between the two is done on a no name basis, is that the person that Conrad want's to be hit is non other then himself!
Dark creepy and unnerving suspense drama that has a man wanting to commit suicide but not having the guts to do it himself. Hiring a hit-man to do him in Conrad's contact Lefty, who it turns out is a fugitive cop killer, ends up getting gunned down by the police resisting arrest moments after he leaves Conrad drinking away his troubles in the bar. Lefty having his runner the deft mute, who reads only Superman comic books, William Benedict get the message, with the $5,000.00 fee, to the hit man's, J. Carrol Naish, hotel room put everything into motion to get Earl C. Conrad the wish that he's been hoping for. A death wish Conrad had since he, in his confused and disturbed mind, left his wife Claire to drown in a boating accident in the Pacific Ocean.
It's later that a shocked Conrad gets the "good news" from his secretary, who's secretly in love with him, Alice Walker( Gloria Stuart) that the Red Cross had found that his wife in fact survived and is interned in a Japanese internment camp ; the film takes place during WWII. Conrad now not waning to have his life snuffed is in a dilemma in not being able to contact Lefty, who's dead, and not knowing who the hit-man, J. Carrol Naish, is! This all leaves Conrad, if he wasn't already, to become a paranoid individual suspecting anyone he runs into to be the man who's out to take his life! The man that he in fact paid to do it!
Excellent performance by former silent film and cowboy star Richard Dix as a man, Earl C. Conrad, who screwed himself by overreacting to a tragedy that he in fact had nothing to do with. In fact Conrad heroically saved a number of passengers from the sinking cruise ship that he and Claire were on but had her slip out of his hands at the last moment. The insane hit that Conrad arranged on himself was in fact far worse that any conceived notion of guilt that he had about his wife's death. Arranging a mob hit, even on oneself, is murder and knowingly wanting and paying to murder someone, even himself, is far worse then even letting, which Conrad didn't, someone purposely drown!
The movie has a really good double surprise ending that, even though it's very contrived, ties all the loose ends together. The ending not only rights all the wrongs of what Conrad crazily did to himself, and those like Alice who loved him, but shows the audience that "The Whistler" was right all alone in his assertion that a curtain individual's destiny was to die tonight.
Dark creepy and unnerving suspense drama that has a man wanting to commit suicide but not having the guts to do it himself. Hiring a hit-man to do him in Conrad's contact Lefty, who it turns out is a fugitive cop killer, ends up getting gunned down by the police resisting arrest moments after he leaves Conrad drinking away his troubles in the bar. Lefty having his runner the deft mute, who reads only Superman comic books, William Benedict get the message, with the $5,000.00 fee, to the hit man's, J. Carrol Naish, hotel room put everything into motion to get Earl C. Conrad the wish that he's been hoping for. A death wish Conrad had since he, in his confused and disturbed mind, left his wife Claire to drown in a boating accident in the Pacific Ocean.
It's later that a shocked Conrad gets the "good news" from his secretary, who's secretly in love with him, Alice Walker( Gloria Stuart) that the Red Cross had found that his wife in fact survived and is interned in a Japanese internment camp ; the film takes place during WWII. Conrad now not waning to have his life snuffed is in a dilemma in not being able to contact Lefty, who's dead, and not knowing who the hit-man, J. Carrol Naish, is! This all leaves Conrad, if he wasn't already, to become a paranoid individual suspecting anyone he runs into to be the man who's out to take his life! The man that he in fact paid to do it!
Excellent performance by former silent film and cowboy star Richard Dix as a man, Earl C. Conrad, who screwed himself by overreacting to a tragedy that he in fact had nothing to do with. In fact Conrad heroically saved a number of passengers from the sinking cruise ship that he and Claire were on but had her slip out of his hands at the last moment. The insane hit that Conrad arranged on himself was in fact far worse that any conceived notion of guilt that he had about his wife's death. Arranging a mob hit, even on oneself, is murder and knowingly wanting and paying to murder someone, even himself, is far worse then even letting, which Conrad didn't, someone purposely drown!
The movie has a really good double surprise ending that, even though it's very contrived, ties all the loose ends together. The ending not only rights all the wrongs of what Conrad crazily did to himself, and those like Alice who loved him, but shows the audience that "The Whistler" was right all alone in his assertion that a curtain individual's destiny was to die tonight.
Good little B-movie
planktonrules4 January 2007
The "Whistler" was very odd for a B-movie series and so much unlike its contemporaries (such as Charlie Chan or The Falcon). Richard Dix starred in 8 of the 9 films. though he played a totally different character in each--sometimes a good guy and other times a bad one. In many ways, this is reminiscent of Universal's INNER SANCTUM series in that the same actor often played different roles in each film AND the series was NOT the standard detective film but an anthology series--much like TV's TWILIGHT ZONE. The "Whistler" in the titles of most of the films is an unseen guy in the shadows that narrates the film and occasionally makes comments during the film. This format was apparently created for the radio version of "The Whistler".
In this first of the series, Dix plays a depressed man who, instead of suicide, pays an unknown assassin to kill him!! While the whole idea is ridiculous and contrived, it is pretty entertaining--especially when Dix changes his mind and truly wants to live but he isn't sure who is coming to kill him or how to stop the contract! The biggest negative, other than the silliness of the story, was the narration by The Whistler. This narrator talks too much--sometimes making comments or saying things that were obvious to the viewer. I haven't seen the rest of the series, but surely hope this was corrected.
In this first of the series, Dix plays a depressed man who, instead of suicide, pays an unknown assassin to kill him!! While the whole idea is ridiculous and contrived, it is pretty entertaining--especially when Dix changes his mind and truly wants to live but he isn't sure who is coming to kill him or how to stop the contract! The biggest negative, other than the silliness of the story, was the narration by The Whistler. This narrator talks too much--sometimes making comments or saying things that were obvious to the viewer. I haven't seen the rest of the series, but surely hope this was corrected.
Weak thriller from Columbia is strictly assembly-line stuff...
Doylenf15 August 2006
Inspired by a popular radio series, THE WHISTLER shows its B-picture limitations early on and never becomes more than routine material for the Saturday afternoon kiddie crowd that loved this sort of thing back in the 1940s.
RICHARD DIX is a man who changes his mind about hiring a contract killer to have himself murdered when he thinks his wife is among the dead during World War II. His pretty and efficient secretary, GLORIA STUART, is around to comfort him as he undergoes various attempts to thwart the killer when he discovers his wife is still alive.
Blonde Gloria Stuart is as pretty as a picture and it's sad to see how wasted this vibrant young actress was in all of her early films. She had to wait until she was in her old age to get the role of Rose in TITANIC. Here she has virtually nothing to do while Dix carries the bulk of the story.
There's not much of a storyline to comment on. J. CARROL NAISH is competent enough as a hired killer but has little to work with in the way of making an interesting character out of his minor role. It's all quite forgettable and not especially worthy of viewing, unless you're a fan of THE WHISTLER series.
This was hardly an auspicious way to start the film series.
RICHARD DIX is a man who changes his mind about hiring a contract killer to have himself murdered when he thinks his wife is among the dead during World War II. His pretty and efficient secretary, GLORIA STUART, is around to comfort him as he undergoes various attempts to thwart the killer when he discovers his wife is still alive.
Blonde Gloria Stuart is as pretty as a picture and it's sad to see how wasted this vibrant young actress was in all of her early films. She had to wait until she was in her old age to get the role of Rose in TITANIC. Here she has virtually nothing to do while Dix carries the bulk of the story.
There's not much of a storyline to comment on. J. CARROL NAISH is competent enough as a hired killer but has little to work with in the way of making an interesting character out of his minor role. It's all quite forgettable and not especially worthy of viewing, unless you're a fan of THE WHISTLER series.
This was hardly an auspicious way to start the film series.
It started with a twist
Spondonman7 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I've always enjoyed this atmospheric little thriller, a remarkable film even more remarkable for continually being overlooked it's hardly ever on UK TV. Sure it's very 1940's and has a brooding melancholic black and white quality about it that might be a problem to some, but had it been made by Val Lewton over at RKO instead of William Castle at Columbia it would surely have been feted as art by now. The Whistler had been running successfully on CBS radio since 16th May 1942 and was transferred intact to the big screen.
Starts out with company boss played memorably by Richard Dix terminally depressed at the accidental death of his wife in a sleazy bar to get a go-between to get a hit-man to "remove" him. The twists continue when the go-between is removed instead and Dix's wife is discovered alive with the hit-man programmed. What an extra 10 minutes to the film could have brought to the part J. Carrol Naish played as the psychotic hit-man with the penchant for psychology! A lot is packed into the 58 minutes running time including an intriguing car crash and a night in a flop house, where the vulture is killed by the cat playing with the canary. Dependable Dix is a goodie in this first Whistler film, he starred in the first 7 alternating at various points between goodie and baddie, bringing to each one a chunky sincerity and clear diction that, along with the nature of the plots made them a unique movie series. In this one the Whistler himself is responsible for a couple of key plot moments, in future he confined himself to sneering from the shadows "Man cannot change his destiny" but apparently the Whistler can!
A great film, totally inconsequential but engrossing from the word go and one I can savour repeatedly.
Starts out with company boss played memorably by Richard Dix terminally depressed at the accidental death of his wife in a sleazy bar to get a go-between to get a hit-man to "remove" him. The twists continue when the go-between is removed instead and Dix's wife is discovered alive with the hit-man programmed. What an extra 10 minutes to the film could have brought to the part J. Carrol Naish played as the psychotic hit-man with the penchant for psychology! A lot is packed into the 58 minutes running time including an intriguing car crash and a night in a flop house, where the vulture is killed by the cat playing with the canary. Dependable Dix is a goodie in this first Whistler film, he starred in the first 7 alternating at various points between goodie and baddie, bringing to each one a chunky sincerity and clear diction that, along with the nature of the plots made them a unique movie series. In this one the Whistler himself is responsible for a couple of key plot moments, in future he confined himself to sneering from the shadows "Man cannot change his destiny" but apparently the Whistler can!
A great film, totally inconsequential but engrossing from the word go and one I can savour repeatedly.
"I know many things for I walk by night..."
utgard1427 March 2014
A man (Richard Dix) is despondent after the death of his wife but can't bring himself to commit suicide.. So he hires a professional hit-man (J. Carrol Naish) to do the deed for him. But suddenly things are looking up for him and he wants to live. The problem is he has a killer after him that he already paid for! An outlandish premise but a fun start to Columbia's Whistler series. The Whistler was a popular radio program of the time. I am way too young to remember the radio show when it first aired, but I have heard many episodes on satellite radio. It's a good show. The movie series is good, as well, with iron-jawed Richard Dix playing the lead in all but one of them. He plays a different role in each movie, just like Lon Chaney, Jr. was doing over at Universal in their Inner Sanctum series.
Like I said, this is a fun movie despite the unbelievable premise. Nice supporting cast backing up Dix including Gloria Stuart, Alan Dinehart, William Benedict, and J. Carrol Naish. Benedict first appears on screen reading a Superman comic book. This has to be one of the earliest appearances or mentions of Superman in a live-action movie. It's also one of the earliest directing jobs from William Castle.
Like I said, this is a fun movie despite the unbelievable premise. Nice supporting cast backing up Dix including Gloria Stuart, Alan Dinehart, William Benedict, and J. Carrol Naish. Benedict first appears on screen reading a Superman comic book. This has to be one of the earliest appearances or mentions of Superman in a live-action movie. It's also one of the earliest directing jobs from William Castle.
Hardly memorable...but fun while it's on
moonspinner556 October 2009
The first in a series of "Whistler" films to be based on the popular radio show, which evolved into a television series by 1954. This theatrical film actually looks and plays like a TV episode, with defunct writing and mostly generic casting, though it is entertaining for the brief time it stays on. Businessman, mourning the loss of his wife at sea (for which he harbors guilt and shame), orders a contract hit on himself before ultimately changing his mind; unfortunately, the deal-maker has been shot dead and the hit-man is determined on finishing the job (though we're not sure why...maybe he's anal-retentive?). Richard Dix is a most unusual actor for the lead: tough and robust, yet playing at sad-eyed, he's hardly vulnerable and looks as if he can take care of himself. We don't fear for the character's safety, but it does look as if he's about to lose his job at any moment. The Whistler sets the scene for us, popping up in the narrative only briefly--a ploy which is risky and fascinating for a thriller. ** from ****
Faithful to the Radio Series
StreepFan12625 March 2003
Fans of the radio series will not be dissapointed by this little gem of a thriller. Richard Dix gives a great performance as a man who puts a contract out on his own life. He is upset because he has not gotten over his wife drowning in the Pacific Ocean on a vacation three years ago. He then gets a wire saying his wife is alive, will be home soon, and now has to hurry and stop the contract. The only thing this was missing that was common in the radio play was a suprise ending. Very often in the radio series, it was never a question of whodunit, as it was often told through the killer's point of view, but it was how they were going to trip themselves up or get caught. And it was always with a twist.
Good entry to a good series of B films
Paularoc1 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
So many B films I have seen were poor prints on VHS tapes. How very nice it was to see such an excellent print on TCM. I listened to many episodes of The Whistler and found them engaging. In this, the first of the series, Richard Dix as businessman Earl Conrad has suffered from serious depression over the accidental death of his wife three years earlier. His friends seem to to blame him for not saving her from drowning. Extremely despondent he contracts with a killer's middleman to kill him. After sending the contract money and a message to the killer, the middleman is shot to death by police. Soon thereafter Conrad is notified that his wife did not die but has been in a Japanese internment camp for the past three years. Oops - now he doesn't want to die but doesn't know who the killer is and sets out to find someone who knows the middleman and perhaps then the killer. He returns to the bar where he made the deal with the middleman and a woman (played by the always capable Joan Woodbury). As they are driving to the place the middleman hung out she tells Conrad that she was the middleman's wife and accuses Conrad of setting up her husband for the police to kill. Proving that even the most nasty characters have someone who loves them, she tries to kill Conrad by running the car down a cliff. Didn't work - she dies, he lives. But the real threat is the killer, played by the wonderful J. Carroll Naish who, as a matter of twisted honor, decides to fulfill his contract to kill Conrad although it is now pointless to do so. The killer decides he wants to frighten Conrad to death by following him and making him fearful. Naish plays the psychotic killer to a tee. Specially interesting in this film are the scenes in the flop house and those with a security guard at the docks. There were many familiar faces in this movie including Billy Benedict, Cy Kendall, Woodbury and Kermit Maynard. Gloria Stuart did a good job in the thankless role of faithful secretary. Not as impressive is Richard Dix. He's OK but really kind of bland and weak in the role. This is a superior B film more interesting than many a so called A film.
Radio thriller comes to the screen with wonderful results.
mark.waltz18 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A grieving widower decides that life isn't worth living and arranges for his own murder but ultimately changes his mind to his own detriment. Richard Dix starts off "The Whistler" series literally with a bang, continuing for several more years playing always different characters finding their darkness at dawn. As the war years began to wind down, America found itself in a new crisis: a domestic one not involving enemy agents from other countries or tensions between various parts of the country. This involved individual moralities, pretty much disintegrating as embittered survivors of a depression era world decided to just enjoy life, and to hell with the consequences of their own amoralistic actions. 1944 exploded with such movies, two of them ("Double Indemnity" and "Laura") considered "classics", and others featuring a cynicism that American movies had not previously been allowed to show. Radio got away with it more since the visual aspect of their stories were missing, but with many popular radio shows becoming as American as apple pie, it was only a matter of time before many of them began showing up on the movie screen.
In the case of "The Whistler", the mysterious narrator pops in and out of the drama, adding a darkness on-screen that was only psychological on radio. Seeing the dark streets, cynical heroes and world-weary derelicts doing anything just to stay afloat brought the truths of the world out into the open. Dix's character doesn't reveal to the man he pays $1000 to that it is himself he wants bumped off, and later when that man is killed by the police, his widow arranges for a meeting with Dix in order to seek out her own revenge. The hit-man, given the instructions by a deaf mute, follows Dix around with the intention of simply scaring him to death, and when Dix ends up in a homeless shelter, he is almost made a victim of robbery by another homeless man. Every time this film turns another street, more darkness appears, and it is very appropriate that ultimately, it ends up down at the docks of the unnamed city it takes place in.
Fans of the 1997 "Titanic" will be intrigued to see a young Gloria Stuart as Dix's devoted secretary, worried about him being missing, while "B" movie favorite Joan Woodbury makes an interesting femme fatal as the widow of the man Dix hired to bump himself off. Billy Benedict, of the "Bowery Boys" movies, is very haunting as the deaf mute (too busy reading the comics to even morally considering what he's passing on), and J. Carroll Naish is quietly sinister as the actual hit-man. Then, there's Charles Wagenheim as the man who tried to pick Dix's pocket in the flophouse who ends up manipulating him into leaving with him only so he can rob him later. This is filled with spooky, unforgettable characters of every dimension of low life, and even the ending is rather a downer, reminding the audience that not every story, whether crime related or not, has to end up happy. It seems that more people end up dead because of this man's grief than what he intended, giving an ironic twist to the darkness of a story that could only be told by "The Whistler".
In the case of "The Whistler", the mysterious narrator pops in and out of the drama, adding a darkness on-screen that was only psychological on radio. Seeing the dark streets, cynical heroes and world-weary derelicts doing anything just to stay afloat brought the truths of the world out into the open. Dix's character doesn't reveal to the man he pays $1000 to that it is himself he wants bumped off, and later when that man is killed by the police, his widow arranges for a meeting with Dix in order to seek out her own revenge. The hit-man, given the instructions by a deaf mute, follows Dix around with the intention of simply scaring him to death, and when Dix ends up in a homeless shelter, he is almost made a victim of robbery by another homeless man. Every time this film turns another street, more darkness appears, and it is very appropriate that ultimately, it ends up down at the docks of the unnamed city it takes place in.
Fans of the 1997 "Titanic" will be intrigued to see a young Gloria Stuart as Dix's devoted secretary, worried about him being missing, while "B" movie favorite Joan Woodbury makes an interesting femme fatal as the widow of the man Dix hired to bump himself off. Billy Benedict, of the "Bowery Boys" movies, is very haunting as the deaf mute (too busy reading the comics to even morally considering what he's passing on), and J. Carroll Naish is quietly sinister as the actual hit-man. Then, there's Charles Wagenheim as the man who tried to pick Dix's pocket in the flophouse who ends up manipulating him into leaving with him only so he can rob him later. This is filled with spooky, unforgettable characters of every dimension of low life, and even the ending is rather a downer, reminding the audience that not every story, whether crime related or not, has to end up happy. It seems that more people end up dead because of this man's grief than what he intended, giving an ironic twist to the darkness of a story that could only be told by "The Whistler".
The beginning of a popular series.
michaelRokeefe7 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
One of William Castle's early directing jobs is this entry level drama that would lead to a popular series for Columbia Pictures. Richard Dix starred in all but one; and each time as a different character. THE WHISTLER has Dix playing Earl C. Conrad, a successful business man who is consumed with the guilt of his wife's death. Conrad just can't come to grasps with continuing on and cancels his life insurance policy. The despondent man doesn't have the gumption to commit suicide so he hires a hit man(J. Carrol Naish)to kill him within a week. When Conrad is notified by telegram that his wife is actually still alive; he is not so eager to welcome his own death and must find the mystery man he paid to kill him.
A suspenseful thriller that sustains your interest from the very beginning. And there is the eerie sound of The Whistler(Otto Forrest).The finale is not especially unexpected. Worth watching again.
Rounding out the cast: Gloria Stuart, William Benedict, Alan Dinehart, Kermit Maynard, Pat O'Malley and Charles Coleman.
A suspenseful thriller that sustains your interest from the very beginning. And there is the eerie sound of The Whistler(Otto Forrest).The finale is not especially unexpected. Worth watching again.
Rounding out the cast: Gloria Stuart, William Benedict, Alan Dinehart, Kermit Maynard, Pat O'Malley and Charles Coleman.
Great atmosphere, but too much 'destiny'
binapiraeus24 January 2014
This unusual Film Noir (the only one ever to be made into a whole series of films) certainly catches the sinister atmosphere of its genre, both visually with very well done shadow effects and the adequate 'cheap' harbor surroundings of a B movie, and thematically, using a lot of psychology which doesn't fail to have its effects, neither on the protagonists nor on the audience - but just a little bit of an overdose of the belief in 'destiny'...
Whose destiny is it to live or to die? Who has a 'right' to live or to die? Questions like these are maybe somehow out of place in a Film Noir - because they've got too much to do with morality. The Noir world (at least that of the 40s) is usually quite immoral (see "The Maltese Falcon", "The Shanghai Gesture", "Gilda"); and it's not always the good ones who get away - that's the cynical Noir philosophy...
But anyway, "The Whistler" still remains an enormously suspenseful film with a very capable cast and direction; and a 'must' for every fan of classic crime.
Whose destiny is it to live or to die? Who has a 'right' to live or to die? Questions like these are maybe somehow out of place in a Film Noir - because they've got too much to do with morality. The Noir world (at least that of the 40s) is usually quite immoral (see "The Maltese Falcon", "The Shanghai Gesture", "Gilda"); and it's not always the good ones who get away - that's the cynical Noir philosophy...
But anyway, "The Whistler" still remains an enormously suspenseful film with a very capable cast and direction; and a 'must' for every fan of classic crime.
Atmospheric
gridoon202415 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The first entry in the little-known today "Whistler" series is an atmospheric and intriguing little thriller that keeps you watching because you never know what will happen next. However, I think it missed an opportunity of being even better by not keeping the killer's face hidden from the audience for a longer time: the scene where Dix mistakes a phone repairman for his executioner creates a terrific feeling of paranoia that, after the killer goes from a voice and a shadow to a visible face, the film cannot quite recapture. Also, the striking Joan Woodbury's role is far too small. And a trivia note: if IMDb is correct, the guy doing the (hypnotic) voice and, well, whistling of the Whistler is still alive and almost 111 years old!!! **1/2 out of 4.
Guess I'm the only one not crazy about this series
blanche-28 January 2008
"The Whistler" is a film version of the radio show, where a whistling man serves as narrator. On film, he's only seen in shadow. "The Whistler" was one of many B movie series done by Hollywood, and I can't say it's one of my favorites. The story in this particular one concerns a despondent man who takes out a hit on himself and then tries to revoke it.
My major problem with this series is Richard Dix. I can't get past what looks like a cheap hairpiece and everything about him seems blah. Because he's the star (and plays a different role in every Whistler film) this film and the others drag for me, even though the stories are good. Gloria Stuart plays an assistant to the boss here, and she's just beautiful. I was really looking forward to watching these on TCM, but Richard Dix just sucks the life out of them.
My major problem with this series is Richard Dix. I can't get past what looks like a cheap hairpiece and everything about him seems blah. Because he's the star (and plays a different role in every Whistler film) this film and the others drag for me, even though the stories are good. Gloria Stuart plays an assistant to the boss here, and she's just beautiful. I was really looking forward to watching these on TCM, but Richard Dix just sucks the life out of them.
"I want to have a man removed"
hwg1957-102-2657041 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Based on the rather good old time radio series of the same name this is a poor attempt to adapt the series to screen. The original radio programmes were only half an hour so they told their stories in a crisp and compact way. The film at an hour is too drawn out. The radio version always ended with a twist in the tale, but this doesn't. On the radio the 'Whistler' narrated in a dry, dispassionate way as he commented on the actions of the characters. Here at one point he actually affects the action of a character which is absurd. Take out the 'Whistler' and it will still be just an ordinary B crime movie anyway so why have him in it in the first place. The only thing that made it worthwhile was J. Carrol Naish as the soft spoken assassin.
Quick and eerie little thriller
preppy-37 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"The Whistler" started out as a radio show. You hear a man whistling and he walks the night and tells thrillers. This was the first movie version of it and led to a short series of Whistler fans. You never see the Whistler--you hear him speak and whistle--that's about it.
This is story of Earl Conrad (Richard Dix). His wife died of an accident years ago and he's completely depressed. He hires a man to hire a killer to murder him. The killer (J. Carrol Naish) gets the message--but then Conrad changes his mind. But he doesn't know who's going to kill him...or when.
Tight compact little thriller. It's short (only an hour), well directed by the then unknown William Castle, has a good script and has a truly grim and spooky atmosphere. Also there's good acting by Naish and Gloria Stuart (in a thankless good girl role). The only debit is Dix. He looks uncomfortable and gives a very one note performance. But, him aside, this is a strong little B movie. Worth catching.
This is story of Earl Conrad (Richard Dix). His wife died of an accident years ago and he's completely depressed. He hires a man to hire a killer to murder him. The killer (J. Carrol Naish) gets the message--but then Conrad changes his mind. But he doesn't know who's going to kill him...or when.
Tight compact little thriller. It's short (only an hour), well directed by the then unknown William Castle, has a good script and has a truly grim and spooky atmosphere. Also there's good acting by Naish and Gloria Stuart (in a thankless good girl role). The only debit is Dix. He looks uncomfortable and gives a very one note performance. But, him aside, this is a strong little B movie. Worth catching.
interesting premise
SnoopyStyle13 September 2022
The Whistler narrates this story. Earl C. Conrad (Richard Dix) hires a killer to do a hit. The target is himself. He is distraught over his wife's death. After hiring the hitman, he finds out that his wife is still alive but has trouble calling off the hit.
This seems to have a good paranoid noir thriller premise. The thriller aspect is where this falls down. It's not at all exciting. It tries to gin up some thrills with some dark alley foot chases. It's not that good. It's only 59 minutes but it feels like a longer grind. I had high hopes for this noir B-movie and especially its premise. The hopes are not paid off.
This seems to have a good paranoid noir thriller premise. The thriller aspect is where this falls down. It's not at all exciting. It tries to gin up some thrills with some dark alley foot chases. It's not that good. It's only 59 minutes but it feels like a longer grind. I had high hopes for this noir B-movie and especially its premise. The hopes are not paid off.
Early Castle
Michael_Elliott25 February 2008
Whistler, The (1944)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
First film in Columbia's series has Richard Dix playing a man wanting to commit suicide due to the death of his wife but he doesn't have the courage to do so. Wanting to die, Dix hires a killer (J. Carrol Naish) to do the job but then he learns that his wife is still alive so he too must try and stay alive. Based on a radio show, this first film is actually pretty entertaining due to some nice direction by Castle and the two leads turning in fine performances. The story itself is pretty interesting and the B-budget gets all out of it that it can. Dix makes for a very good leading man and his performance is very good especially during his depression scenes. Naish is a great character actor and makes for a very good killer. Gloria Stuart plays Dix secretary and does nice work, although she has the weakest character.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
First film in Columbia's series has Richard Dix playing a man wanting to commit suicide due to the death of his wife but he doesn't have the courage to do so. Wanting to die, Dix hires a killer (J. Carrol Naish) to do the job but then he learns that his wife is still alive so he too must try and stay alive. Based on a radio show, this first film is actually pretty entertaining due to some nice direction by Castle and the two leads turning in fine performances. The story itself is pretty interesting and the B-budget gets all out of it that it can. Dix makes for a very good leading man and his performance is very good especially during his depression scenes. Naish is a great character actor and makes for a very good killer. Gloria Stuart plays Dix secretary and does nice work, although she has the weakest character.
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