Two of the entries in Columbia’s Whistler franchise (based on the popular CBS Radio West Coast mystery program) rarely turn up in the rotation when the film series is shown on Turner Classic Movies.  This is a shame, because the first of these—1944’s The Mark of the Whistler—comes close to rivaling the debut movie, The […]

On a night that’s raining felines and canines, Theodore “Ted” Nichols (Michael Duane) and his French fiancée Alice Dupres Barkley (Lenore Aubert) reach the home of the justice of the peace who’s going to join them in holy matrimony…even though they have only known each other for a couple of weeks.  The justice’s wife (Sarah Padden) […]

In the sixth entry of Columbia’s popular Whistler film franchise—based on the CBS West Coast mystery program sponsored by Signal Oil—series star Richard Dix essays the role of Ralph Harrison, a talentless artist disdained by most of his friends.  He is invariably the life of the party, however, on account of the lavish get-togethers he often throws (as […]

Mysterious Intruder (1946), the fifth entry in Columbia Pictures’ highly successful Whistler franchise, would be the last film of that series directed by William Castle, who had kicked off the first of eight Whistler B-films with The Whistler (1944).  During his sojourn at the studio, Castle would alternate between Whistler movies and Crime Doctor vehicles, […]

Voice of the Whistler (1945), the fourth entry in Columbia’s popular B-movie series based on the CBS West Coast radio show, marked the return of future schlock director William Castle to the franchise; Castle directed the first two Whistler films before handing over the reins to Lew Landers for The Power of the Whistler (1945), […]

The omnipresent narrator (Otto Forrest) known as The Whistler introduces us to a “strange man” (Richard Dix) identified as “William Everest” as the third film in Columbia’s Whistler series unspools.  Everest, an individual seemingly on a mission, narrowly misses being hit by an automobile and, stumbling back to the curb for safety, hits his head […]

It would be no small exaggeration to suggest that more old-time radio fans listen to The Whistler today than did audiences during the series’ original CBS network radio run from May 16, 1942 to September 22, 1955.  It wasn’t because the mystery drama lacked for popularity—it’s just that with just one or two exceptions, the program […]