In the fifth Lone Wolf picture to star Warren William, The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941), reformed jewel thief Michael Lanyard (a.k.a. The Lone Wolf) accepts a bet from Inspector Crane (Thurston Hall) that he can't stay out of trouble for 24 hours. Naturally, it takes less than 24 minutes for him to get mixed up in murder, stolen Treasury engraving plates and assorted chases. And of course, he becomes the prime suspect in all the criminal activities. It's a particularly lively episode which moves quickly and achieves a pleasing balance of laughs and mystery. Eric Blore is quite funny in his recurring role as Lanyard's butler Jamison, and the script even works in an "old dark house"-type sequence.

Warren William will always be most fondly remembered for his unforgettable performances in pre-Code favorites such as Beauty and the Boss (1932), Skyscraper Souls (1932), The Match King (1932), Employees' Entrance (1933) and Upperworld (1934), all of which are sometimes shown on TCM. William made his Lone Wolf pictures in the last decade of his career and life, playing the character nine times from 1939-1943. Following his final turn as Lanyard in Passport to Suez (1943), William made three more films, and interesting ones at that - Strange Illusion (1945), Fear (1946) and The Private Affairs of Bel Ami (1947) - before he died in 1948 of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. He was only 53.

Noted film historian William K. Everson wrote in his book The Detective in Film that of all the various bursts of Lone Wolf movies made since the original in 1917, "finally Columbia hit just the right note in 1939 by...concentrating on quality 'B' product and settling for Warren William as the star. The former Philo Vance and Perry Mason knew all the tricks of the trade, and the more free-wheeling Lone Wolf character gave him the chance to indulge in his real talent for comic and bizarre disguises.

"William's Lone Wolf films gradually surrendered to cheaper budgets but remained solidly entertaining, held together by the William personality and some interesting directors still on the way up... The casts were a veritable showcase for Columbia contractees, many of whom were eventually promoted to better things. Eric Blore's comedy as The Lone Wolf's gentleman's gentleman, even if a repetition of his more inspired work in Top Hat [1935], was consistently amusing."

In the supporting cast of The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance are Lloyd Bridges, in only his third feature and first credited role; Henry Wilcoxon, star and featured player of many a Cecil B. De Mille epic; and Thurston Hall, a character actor in the middle of a career spanning 1915-1958 in which he amassed over 250 credits in movies and TV. He played Inspector Crane in six of these nine Lone Wolf movies. Also keep a lookout for character actor Regis Toomey in a bit.

Director Sidney Salkow also directed the three previous Lone Wolf films. The New York Times liked this picture, declaring, "Mr. William is suave as ever."

Producer: Ralph Cohn
Director: Sidney Salkow
Screenplay: Earl Felton, Sidney Salkow; Louis Joseph Vance (stories)
Cinematography: John Stumar
Art Direction: Lionel Banks, Jerome Pycha, Jr.
Film Editing: Viola Lawrence
Cast: Warren William (Michael Lanyard), June Storey (Gloria Foster), Henry Wilcoxon (Jordan), Eric Blore (Jamison), Thurston Hall (Detective Inspector Crane), Don Beddoe (Sheriff Haggerty), Evalyn Knapp (Evelyn Jordan), Fred Kelsey (Detective Sergeant Wesley Dickens), William Forrest (Vic Hilton).
BW-75m.

by Jeremy Arnold