hyped garbage

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Associate producer: Robert Lord. Executive producer: Hal B. Wallis. Copyright 8 March 1941 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. A Warner Brothers-First National picture. New York opening at the Strand: 14 March 1941. U.S. release: 8 March 1941. Australian release: 12 June 1941. 10 reels. 8,699 feet. 96 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A mystery comedy of manners featuring a socialite who writes detective novels (under an assumed name) without the knowledge of his wife and more importantly, his mother-in-law.COMMENT: Errol Flynn made only four comedies in his entire movie career. This is the third—and a delightfully amusing, thoroughly entertaining and utterly enjoyable outing it is too! Although the comedy is fast and furious, the situations become so believable, the mystery itself turns into a fascinatingly suspenseful exercise. All the players approach their roles with exactly the right injections of carefree enthusiasm. Flynn is rippingly debonair. His scenes with waspish Lucile Watson (whom he was to battle again in his fourth and final comedy, "Never Say Goodbye") are laced with diverting barbs which he delivers (and avoids) with charming ease. Also good to see the alluring Brenda Marshall (actually more colorful and picturesque here than in her previous Flynn vehicle, The Sea Hawk), plus the ever-loyal Allen Jenkins. Co-star Ralph Bellamy, as always, provides some of the movie's principal pleasures. The script also provides delicious encounters with other appealing players, including Lee Patrick, Alan Hale, William Frawley, Grant Mitchell and sneeringly sinister Turhan Bey (whom we find so much more adept as a slippery villain than a cut-price romantic lead). Hard to believe that Lloyd Bacon is the director responsible for this vigorous ensemble playing. He also keeps the plot snapping along at scintillating speed, expertly making the most of the film's marvelous production values. In short, "Footsteps in the Dark" comes across as a most agreeably acted, lightly humorous, tongue-in-cheek, impeccably mounted entertainment dessert.

. . . for an hour and a half during FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK. This flick is structured pretty much as a spoof of THE MALTESE FALCON, but short-sighted set decorators forgot to include an iconic prop which could be auctioned off for millions 75 years later. No harm done, since if you pro-rate the enduring entertainment value of FOOTSTEPS against that of FALCON, a hypothetical objective correlative for FOOTSTEPS might go for about 59 cents at the final gavel at Bonham's today. Mr. Flynn looks somewhat lost without his sword, and one glance at co-star Brenda Marshall is enough to see why the prop people "kept it real" by placing her and husband DON JUAN in twin beds. It's too bad Lucile Watson, who plays Flynn's live-in mother-in-law Agatha, wasn't around to take a similar role in TV's BEWITCHED a couple decades later--Ms. Watson makes a far better nag than Agnes Moorehead. Maybe you can only get away with James Cagney's grapefruit scene once in Tinsel Town, but Flynn Coulda-been-a-contender for PUBLIC ENEMY, JUNIOR, if he'd ad-libbed a Double Grapefruit during FOOTSTEP's breakfast episode.

Not exactly a comedy, although very funny. Not exactly a drama, but a clever detective story. I liked this movie.Even its beginning is clever. You assume that Errol Flynn is a cat burglar breaking into a house, but no, he's sneaking in late at night to escape his wife discovering him coming in so late. Turns out he's secretly writing mystery novels under a pen name, instead of tending to business at the investment firm. He gets involved in a murder case and ends up being a suspect. But again, the same story could have been told straight with no humor, but this is done with a good dose of laughs. In fact, it's nice to see Errol Flynn in a role where in some scenes he could be so silly.There are some other nice performances here, too. Alan Hale (Sr.) is fine as the detective, and it's always nice to see him in films with Flynn. William Frawley ("I Love Luce") is great as the dumb cop. And Lee Patrick is fine as the dumb burlesque queen.Highly recommended and a great change of pace for Errol Flynn. This could have easily become a serial.

"Zorro" detective style meets the "Thin Man" franchise in this unbelievably bland crime comedy with broad farcical humour that's not funny and a weak murder mystery that's not thrilling.Flynn vehicles are often silly, but seldom boring. This dud is both. Were it not for the last half hour which is, at least, a little speedier and for the still personable cast, this instantly forgettable by-product would be without any merit. It's evident Warner Bros. just wanted to make a fast buck!Even Alan Hale looks tired!3 out of 10 idiotic aliases