The Lone Wolf and His Lady
| The Lone Wolf and His Lady | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Hoffman |
| Produced by | Rudolph C. Flothow |
| Screenplay by | Michael Stuart Boylan |
| Story by | Edward Dein |
| Based on |
Lone Wolf by Louis Joseph Vance |
| Starring |
Ron Randell June Vincent Alan Mowbray William Frawley |
| Cinematography | Philip Tannura |
| Edited by | James Sweeney |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates | August 1949 |
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Lone Wolf and His Lady (1949) is the fourteenth and final Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures. The picture features Ron Randell in his first and only performance as the protagonist detective Lone Wolf. The film was directed by John Hoffman and written by Edward Dein and Michael Stuart Boylan.
The film centres on the robbery of a prized diamond. Former jewel looter Michael Lanyard, also known by the alias "Lone Wolf", is accused as the perpetrator. Aiming to clear his name, he tracks down the actual masterminds. Filming took place in August 1948. The Lone Wolf and His Lady was theatrically released in the United States in August 1949.
Plot
The much-valued Tahara diamond is looted during its opening showcase. A suspicious Inspector Crane (William Frawley) suspects reformed jewel thief and current detective Michael Lanyard (Ron Randell), or the Lone Wolf, to be the perpetrator and promptly arrests him. In actuality, the true masterminds are Steve Taylor (Robert H. Barrat) and Joe Brewster (Philip van Zandt).
An eagle-eyed Jamison (Alan Mowbray), Lanyard's butler, spots the two criminals' hideout. It is revealed that they are involved with precious stone cutter Myriber Van Groot. Nearby news anchor Grace Duffy (June Vincent) decides to join Jamison and the Lone Wolf, who has evaded capture, in storming into the jewel thieves' hiding spot. Taylor and Brewster are handcuffed but in the middle of the scuffle, the Tahara is accidentally flung out of the window. Upon retrieval by Duffy, the jewel is found to be a fake. Lanyard deduces that Van Groot took away the real diamond and has the police capture him.
Production
After Gerald Mohr discontinued portraying the title character Lone Wolf, also known as Michael Lanyard, the production company and distributor Columbia Pictures selected Ron Randell as his replacement. In addition, Alan Mowbray replaced Eric Blore as Lanyard's butler Jamison.[1] John Hoffman served as director of the film. Rudolph C. Flothow was in charge of production for Columbia Pictures, while Michael Stuart Boylan wrote the screenplay based on a story by Richard Dein. Philip Tannura signed on as cinematographer. The set decorator was James Crowe. Mischa Bakaleinikoff headed the musical direction, and James Sweeney edited the film. Principal photography officially began on August 9, 1948, and ended on August 20, 1948.[2] After production of the film, Columbia ended the theatrical series.[3]
References
- ↑ Blottner 2012, p. 232.
- ↑ Blottner 2012, p. 252.
- ↑ Mayer 2012, p. 256.
Bibliography
- Gene Blottner (2012). Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926—1955: The Harry Cohn Years. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3353-7.
- Geoff Mayer (2012). Historical Dictionary of Crime Films. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6769-7.