New on DVD: The Falcon Mystery Movie Collection, Vol. 2

There's great news for fans of RKO's FALCON mysteries: The six remaining films in the series are now being released by the Warner Archive in The Falcon Mystery Movie Collection, Vol. 2.

Preorders are now being accepted for the set, which ships February 19th.

The titles in the set are THE FALCON OUT WEST (1944), THE FALCON IN MEXICO (1944), THE FALCON IN HOLLYWOOD (1944), THE FALCON IN SAN FRANCISCO (1945), THE FALCON'S ALIBI (1946), and THE FALCON'S ADVENTURE (1946). Tom Conway stars in all six films as Tom Lawrence, aka "the Falcon."

Guest stars in the films in Volume 2 include Barbara Hale (the leading lady in two films), Jane Greer, Martha Vickers, Jean Brooks, Rita Corday, Lyle Talbot, Robert Armstrong, Steve Brodie, and Myrna Dell, among others.

I find this series very enjoyable light entertainment, sort of a forerunner to favorite TV detective shows which came along in the ensuing decades. As of the fourth film, Tom Conway had taken over the series from his real-life brother, George Sanders, and Conway seems to be having a terrific time as the suave Falcon. The series is in great hands with Conway in the lead role, and indeed, he starred in the majority of the FALCON films.

According to Leonard Maltin's CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE, THE FALCON'S ALIBI is basically a remake of the very first film in the series, THE GAY FALCON, which starred Sanders. Maltin likewise indicates that THE FALCON'S ADVENTURE remakes the second Sanders film, A DATE WITH THE FALCON.

THE GAY FALCON and A DATE WITH THE FALCON were previously released, along with five other FALCON films, in the Falcon Mystery Movie Collection, Vol. 1.

Reviews of the Falcon series to date: THE GAY FALCON (1941), A DATE WITH THE FALCON (1942), THE FALCON TAKES OVER (1942), THE FALCON'S BROTHER (1942), THE FALCON STRIKES BACK (1943), THE FALCON IN DANGER (1943), THE FALCON AND THE CO-EDS (1943), THE FALCON OUT WEST (1944), and THE FALCON IN MEXICO (1944).

Update: Here's a review of THE FALCON IN HOLLYWOOD (1944).