Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Wizard-8 After taking a stumble of sorts with the previous entry in the "Whistler" series ("Mysterious Intruder"), the series made a sort of comeback with this next entry. I will admit by today's standards that the movie, even though it only runs sixty five minutes in length, is a little slow at times - though it is never so slow that it really tries the patience of the viewer. It does manage to set things up early on in a way that gets viewers intrigued and make them curious as to what will happen in the end. And there are several surprise twists along the way that help the story stay fresh and interesting. I'm not sure, however, that finding a bottle of poisoned medicine alone would be enough to prove that the lead character committed murder - a good defense attorney would be able to correctly argue that anyone could have put the poison in the bottle. (Though to the movie's credit, eventually there is additional evidence that pops up.) Apart from that quibble, the movie ends up being one of the best entries in this B movie series.

utgard14 The sixth Whistler movie from Columbia starring Richard Dix. This time Dix plays a real slimeball. He's an artist married to a rich lady with heart problems. Dix has his lusty sights set on gold-digging model Leslie Brooks and can't wait for the wife to kick the bucket. But then wifey's health takes a turn for the better. She ought to know better than that.A few neat twists & turns as one might expect from this fine series of B films. Dix turns in a good performance as the creepy husband. Leslie Brooks is a knockout as the model all the fuss is about. The supporting cast includes greats like John Hamilton and Byron Foulger. One thing that irked me is the way Brooks' mercenary character is turned into the heroine in the final act. It was a hard sell to me. Altogether, this was a pretty solid B movie.

audiemurph In this, the penultimate Whistler movie, Richard Dix, aging and hulking, is simply deliciously evil. Though acting with seeming sweetness and kindness to those around him, Dix's eyes give it all away: hideous, subtly maniacal eyes, eyes in which we can see the selfish egotistical dementia of a man who has apparently spent a lifetime manipulating and using every person unfortunate enough to cross his path. A great job by Dix, and I hope he had fun with this role.Otherwise, as is usual in the Whistler fliks, the supporting actors are adequate, and the dialogue slightly corny and dated, but with a time of barely over an hour, the pace is quick and satisfying.A very interesting directorial decision: three years before this movie was made (that is, 1943) the great western, The Ox-bow Incident, was released. In the famous last scene, Henry Fonda reads aloud the last letter written by the lynched Dana Andrews. Fonda's eyes, and eyes alone, are not visible, hidden behind the brim of Henry Morgan's hat, while we see his mouth move. A very effective idea.Well, here, in The Secret of the Whistler, the director uses the exact same idea: in a late scene, Richard Dix's wife makes a startling confession, her eyes hidden by an intruding lamp shade, but her mouth visible as she speaks, with Dix looking on behind her. Again, interesting.Lastly, look for Dix's wife walking around with about a half-dozen dead minks or stoles or whatever they are, complete with heads, draped across her left shoulder. I don't why this struck me as funny, but, in its gratuitous pointlessness, it did.Definitely a fun way to spend 65 minutes.

dougdoepke Lesser entry in the offbeat Whistler series. The story is worthy enough. Richard Dix plays an "artist' and kept man who takes a fancy to a shapely blonde model while his wealthy wife is stricken with a serious heart problem. The intrigue goes on from there. The problem is that the screenplay is filmed in straightforward fashion, with none of the moody atmospherics that distinguish other entries. The result is an entertaining 60 minutes, but minus the usual visual panache. Apparently, journeyman director George Sherman wasn't advised of the proper lighting or feel of the series. Either that or the producers were seeking a stylistic departure.Nonetheless, the story keeps us watching. As usual we can't be sure how events will turn out since Dix's character is as morally compromised as in the other entries. Unlike other Hollywood films of that era, there is no one to root for as the plot unfolds. Thus, it's the story itself that holds our interest, and not the more predictable question of how a hero will triumph. Fortunately, the ending comes up with the usual fine touch of irony that fans expect.There's an expertly shaded performance by Mary Currier as Dix's star-crossed wife. Watch the subtlety of her expressions as she learns about her wayward husband. The series itself did not depend on subtle acting-- and certainly Dix doesn't manage the Lothario role very well. Nonetheless, Currier delivers an A-grade performance. (In passing-- I expected the screenplay to develop the scheming relationship between blonde model Kay and her effete boyfriend Jim more fully than it did. That could have set up an interesting dynamic of those schemers competing against another schemer, Dix.) Anyway, stylish or not, this remains a very watchable hour of frustrated passion and the hand of fate.