The Lone Wolf in Mexico

The Lone Wolf in Mexico is a 1947 black-and-white mystery-adventure film directed by D. Ross Lederman for Columbia Pictures. It features Gerald Mohr as the title character, detective Lone Wolf. Chronologically the third-to-last Lone Wolf film in Columbia's theatrical series, it was followed by The Lone Wolf in London later in 1947 and The Lone Wolf and His Lady in 1949.

The Lone Wolf in Mexico
Directed byD. Ross Lederman
Produced bySanford Cummings
Written by
  • Maurice Tombragel
  • Martin Goldsmith
Screenplay byMartin Goldsmith
Maurice Tombragel
Story byPhil Magee
Based onStory
by Phil Magee
Starring
Music byMischa Bakaleinikoff
CinematographyAllen G. Siegler
Edited byWilliam Lyon
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • January 16, 1947 (1947-01-16) (United States)
Running time
69 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Former jewel thief Michael Lanyard (The Lone Wolf) (Gerald Mohr) along with his butler, Jamison (Eric Blore), go to Mexico on vacation. Lanyard, once a thief has been working as a private investigator. Liliane Dumont (Jacqueline deWit), one of the Lone Wolf's old flames, and Mrs. Van Weir (Winifred Harris) invite Lanyard and Jamison to dinner at Henderson's (John Gallaudet) El Paseo nightclub . They meet Sharon Montgomery (Sheila Ryan), a jeweller's spouse and gambling addict, who has lost a fortune at the casino.

Leon Dumont (Bernard Nedell), deWit's husband, tries to enlist Lanyard in a jewel theft. Jamison takes Montgomery home, but when he is not looking, she slips a valuable compact into his coat pocket. After the Lone Wolf steals a necklace, he discovers it is a fake and replaces it back in the nightclub safe.

When Dumont is murdered, Montgomery accuses Lanyard of the murder and Jamison of stealing her compact. Mrs. Van Weir is also heavily in debt with Henderson demanding her precious necklace to clear her gambling losses. Montgomery blackmails Henderson and tries to warn Lanyard but is also murdered, leaving him no alternative, he must track down the criminal mastermind behind the murders.

Mrs. Van Weir plots with Henderson but her worthless necklace is what gives her away and Lanyard calls in the police to bring Henderson and Van Weir, the real murderer to justice.

Cast

Production

The Lone Wolf in Mexico was directed by D. Ross Lederman[1] and was written by Martin Goldsmith, Maurice Tombragel and Phil Magee.[2] After a sickly Warren Williams decided to discontinue playing the title detective Michael Landyard, also known as Lone Wolf, Gerald Mohr was roped in by Columbia Pictures, the producer and the distributor, to play the character in The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946) and The Lone Wolf in London (1947), as well as The Lone Wolf in Mexico.[3] The Lone Wolf in Mexico marked the penultimate Lone Wolf film in which Mohr starred as the title character.[1] Principal photography with the working title of The Lone Wolf's Invitation to Murder, commenced on September 4, 1946, and finished on September 18, 1946, taking place in Mexico.[4][2]

Reception

The Lone Wolf in Mexico was theatrically released in the United States on January 16, 1947. It was written to be a "hit" at the box office. The film was still screening in American cinemas up till at least July 21, 1947.[5] It was followed up with The Lone Wolf in London]] (1947z) and The Lone Wolf and His Lady (1949), after which Columbia decided to bring an end to the film series.[3] The Blockbusters Entertainment Guide to Movies and Videos 1999 found the film to be only "so-so".[6]

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References

Notes
  1. Maltin et al. 2010, p. 385.
  2. Blottner 2012, p. 248.
  3. Mayer 2012, p. 256.
  4. Dunkleberger et al. 1971, p. 914.
  5. "Theatre Time Clock." St. Petersburg Times, July 22, 1947, p. 11.
  6. Blockbuster Entertainment Guide to Movies and Videos 1999, 1998, p. 717.

Bibliography
  • Blockbuster Entertainment Guide to Movies and Videos 1999. Mercer Island, Washington:, Island Books, 1998. ISBN 978-0-440-22598-0.
  • Blottner, Gene. Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926-1955: The Harry Cohn Years. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2012. ISBN 978-0-7864-3353-7.
  • Dunkleberger, Amy, Patricia K. Hanson and Bill Ivey, eds. AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 1999, first edition 1971. ISBN 978-0-520-21521-4.
  • Maltin, Leonard, Spencer Green and Rob Edelman. Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965. New York: Plume, 2010. ISBN 978-0-452-29577-3.
  • Mayer, Geoff. Historical Dictionary of Crime Films. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8108-6769-7.
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