Watch The Return of the Whistler For Free

One of my all time favorites.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Great Film overall

Good concept, poorly executed.

The Whistler series was an excellent B mystery series from the 1940s. Each of the films had starred Richard Dix...but in 1947 he had a heart attack and was in ill health until his death in 1949. But the studio wanted to carry on the series and brought us "Return of the Whistler"...a similar but Dix-less installment in the series. It turned out to be the last in the series as well. Additionally, the exciting director William Castle directed most of the Whistler films...though not this one.The mystery in this film is a good one. When Ted (Michael Duane) and his fiancée, Alice (Lenore Aubert), arrive at a hotel, things seem pretty normal. But when Ted leaves and then returns, he finds Alice missing--and the hotel desk manager is lying about her leaving on her own. But who took her...and why?! Well, the solution turns out to be very interesting...and well worth seeing.Despite the stars of this film being pretty much complete unknowns, the film works well because the acting is good AND, most importantly, the mystery is very well written and engaging. Overall, actually one of the better entries in the series...and it's a shame this was the last.

by the end of the 1940's, the entrance of television into American households cause movie-going audiences to drop weekly box office since they could watch many of the same type of shows at home for free. One of the first movie genres to be affected was the crime series, low budget B pictures that often at the bottom of a bill. After eight films, "The Whistler" series ended its four year run with a new leading man, Michael Duayne, replacing Richard Dix. Obviously younger than Dix, Dwayne was more realistic being cast opposite the younger leading ladies, and in this film, he is quite good, having been in previous installments of the series in supporting roles.The plot is very film noir like in atmosphere, dealing with Duane on the verge of marrying his French sweetheart, Lenore Aubert, and various circumstances end up getting in the way of their getting hitched. Hwr sudden disappearance brings on more mystery, and along the way Duane is introduced to a series of odd characters who seemingly have sinister motivations that Duane completely understand. Among the standouts in the supporting cast are Ann Shoemaker as a seemingly sweet but devious matriarch and Olin Howland is a rather obnoxious hotel clerk. Hints of something big going on will keep you glued, making this one of the better entries in the series which deserved a longer run or at least a T.V. series of its own.

Richard Dix decided to retire and so Michael Duane took his place playing the role as Ted Nichols who meets up with a young French girl named Alice Dupres Barkley, (Lenore Aubert). This couple only knew each other for two days and they decided to get married by a Justice of the Peace (Judge) and it is pouring rain when they pull up to the Judge's home and find out he is not home and will not return until the next day. As the couple are inside the house you see some one lift up the hood of their car and takes an automobile part from the engine. Once you see this event happening you realize this couple is in for a big surprise and the story beings to reveal a very mysterious event which surrounds Alice Barkley and so poor Ted Nichols starts out with plenty of trouble and no marriage. Good mystery, but I missed Richard Dix. Enjoy.

I hate reading reviews that say something like, 'Don't waste your time, this film stinks on ice.' It does to that reviewer yet for me, it may have some sort of naïve charm. If you like the other 'Whistler' series films, this one will be watchable. If you like 40s noirish films, this one will be watchable.This film is not as good, in my opinion, as any of the earlier series entries which starred Richard Dix as the protagonist. It's much slower, and the plot is trite. You've seen this same narrative device used in many other films, and usually better.But the acting is good, and so is the lighting, and the dialog. It's just lacking in energy and you'll likely figure out exactly what's going on and how it's all going to come out in the end not more than a quarter of the way through.The 'Whistler' series is semi-noir, and there character, mood, lighting, camera movement and angles are more important than the story itself. But this film is not noir. It's too light weight and Hollywood innocent for that. Neither Richard Dix's character nor those of any of his ladies in the previous films had to come to a good end. You just never knew until the end.But still, I'll recommend this one for at least a single viewing. I've watched it at least twice myself, and got a reasonable amount of enjoyment out of it both times.