Waste of time

Memorable, crazy movie

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is the first time I've seen a Lone Wolf movie, and I was struck by the similarity to the Bulldog Drummond series from the same era. Not only did the main characters have a canine nom de plume, but each featured a comic relief butler and a fetching female hanger on that can't wait to get married. In the Drummond franchise, the marriage just around the corner bit was carried from film to film, though I don't know how the Lone Wolf series handled it. I'll have to wait and see.The caper involving Lone Wolf Lanyard (Warren William) also hints at those encountered by Drummond, Charlie Chan, and Mr. Wong, to name a few other detectives of the era, even though Lanyard isn't a detective per se, but a retired safe cracker who appears to be on the right side of the law. I found it odd that he considered himself 'old' at thirty five; it gives one a sense of how far we've come as a society that puts a premium on perpetual youth. Can you picture George Clooney admitting that he's old?The story involves a set of plans for a new anti-aircraft gun, with lead villain Gregory (Ralph Morgan) attempting to steal the prints and frame Lanyard for the theft. I couldn't shake the feeling that the whole thing was done pretty much tongue in cheek, as the Lone Wolf seemed to be the only competent character amidst a jealous girl friend (Ida Lupino), bumbling henchmen, inept detectives, and an aspiring G-Man, er, Woman daughter (Virginia Weidler) who likes to stick up the butler in repeated scenes. You even get Rita Hayworth as a femme fatale, a pretty classy villainess I must say. It's too bad attempts at humor often fell flat, like the Charlie Fenton gimmick at the surrealist party. Speaking of which, you can see the folks behind this 'B' grade mystery didn't have a big budget to work with, as party guests showed up with boxes or cellophane wrapped around their head, making Lanyard's tree branch outfit look almost creative.Hey, I did get a kick though out of that car chase around the coffee shop. By the third time around, someone figured out there should be a police car in front of it so the cops could give pursuit!If you're a fan of the earlier mentioned mystery and detective flicks of the Thirties and Forties like I am, you'll be able to have some fun with this one. They're interesting diversions and offer a glimpse of what audiences considered entertaining at the time. Just don't hold them under a magnifying glass.$38.70 for lunch!!!!

As a lover of old movies from the Golden Age of cinema (from talkies to television), it's always fun to discover talented people on both sides of the camera that never got the kind of recognition they deserved. One of these was Warren William, who this writer first noticed in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1939.) Besides playing a Musketeer, his roles ranged from Julius Caesar to Perry Mason. Additionally, he played detectives Sam Spade, Philo Vance and the Lone Wolf, his most famous role. While the Lone Wolf series was never quite as good as the Thin Man's from all I've seen and read, this entry was entertaining for a good many reasons, most of all for having Rita Hayworth and Ida Lupino in the cast. Although a bit long in the tooth to be Ida's love interest (he was 45 when he made this picture, though he plays a 35-year old, which means he was really old enough to be Val Carson's dad, despite her line quoted above), he played the character with at least as much zest as William Powell imbued the Thin Man. Add to this some well-written and well-played supporting actors and you have a pretty fair crime/spy drama. It's not THE 39 STEPS, but it's still enjoyable to watch Michael Lanyard and gang in a mostly fine film series. Dale Roloff

This was an interesting low budget film with Warren William,(Michael Lanyard) playing the Lone Wolf safe cracker who gets involved with secret weapons and their blueprints. Ida Lupino,(Val Carson) constantly follows everywhere he goes and even walks in while he is having a shower in his bathroom. Val knows that Michael likes plenty of women and she has her designs on him for marriage. There is plenty of laughs and Rita Hayworth,(Karen) plays the role of a sexy gal who tries to trap the Lone Wolf breaking into a safe and obtain these government secret weapons plans. Lupino and Hayworth were just starting out their careers on the silver screen and both became great movie stars and producers. Enjoy

Don't let a couple of previous negative comments about this film put you off from watching it the next time it appears on TCM. If you like stylish and witty mystery-comedies from the old days, then THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT is definitely for you. Warren William is impeccable as the urbane, laid-back Lone Wolf, and Ida Lupino is endearing as his protective and frustrated girlfriend. The exchanges between them are both amusing and warm, and add another flavoring to the Nick and Nora Charles School of Relationships. Rita Hayworth stands out in an atypical role as the baddie's chilly girlfriend, while Virginia Weidler lends the right amount of natural tom-boyish charm in her role as the Lone Wolf's daughter, Patricia. (The film was titled THE LONE WOLF'S DAUGHTER in the UK.) Production values for this type of B-film are top-notch. TCM's fresh looking print shows them off exquisitely. Cozy up to this one with some nice hot beverage and enjoy!